Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when his Department plans to respond to recommendations made in the Lift the Ban report entitled Why people seeking asylum should have the right to work; and if he will make a statement.

The Government’s policy on right to work for those seeking asylum is consistent with EU law and permits asylum seekers to work, in jobs on the Shortage Occupation List, if they have been waiting for a decision on their claim for 12 months or more and the delay is through no fault of their own.

During the Meaningful Vote debate on 5 December, the Home Secretary stated that although there are no current plans to change the current policy, it is an area he wished to review, and work on this is ongoing.