Ban on allowing asylum seekers to work ‘pushes them into exploitation’

Migration Advisory Committee calls for government to review arrangements amid labour shortages

The government must review its ban on asylum seekers working while they await decisions on their applications, an official report has said amid record backlogs.

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) said restrictions were “pushing them into exploitative situations by preventing them from obtaining safe and legal sources of income”.

Its annual report said: “Individuals seeking asylum ordinarily have no right to work other than after their application has been pending for 12 months, and then only in a shortage occupation list role.