Lambeth Lib Dems lead the charge for Asylum Seekers’ Right to Work

On Wednesday evening, the Council will vote on the Motion which would improve food provision, mental health support and exercise access for asylum seekers, as well as urging the UK Government to restore their right to work.

It comes after a Migrant Voice report into the experience of asylum seekers in London hotels revealed that asylum seekers “consistently reported feeling stripped of any power or control over their lives” because they are unable to work, cannot afford basic necessities, and are left with poor-quality food each day. 

The Liberal Democrat Motion urges Lambeth Council to lobby the Government to restore the right to work for asylum seekers who have waited more than six months for a decision on their asylum claim. Local Authorities are not able to choose when asylum seekers in their borough are allowed to work, and the power to make change lies with MPs in Westminster. 

The latest Home Office data shows that 77 percent of all asylum claims are approved, meaning applicants are genuinely fleeing war or persecution in their home country. Asylum seekers only receive £45 per week for food, clothes, toiletries, transport, and activities, or £9.10 per week if their accommodation provides food. 

Asylum seekers in the UK are not permitted to work unless they have waited for more than twelve months for a decision on their asylum claim. They are also only able to fill gaps on the Government’s Shortage Occupation List. 

133,000 asylum seekers are currently awaiting a decision on their asylum claim. Home Office data published in May revealed that 98,000 (74%) have already been waiting more than six months. 

The Lift the Ban Coalition has estimated that, if the Government implemented the Liberal Democrat policy, it could result in an economic gain of £97.8 million per year for the UK Government. 

Cllr Donna Harris, Leader of the Lambeth Liberal Democrat Group, will use her speech at Wednesday’s Council meeting to say, “The Conservative Government has deliberately broken our asylum system so that they can drag people fleeing war and persecution through the mud for their own political gain. 

People seeking asylum are seeking solace and a chance to rebuild. With no right to work, they’re unable to provide financially for themselves, unable to fill vacancies in healthcare or hospitality, and unable to give back to Britain in the way they would like.” 

The April 2023 Migrant Voice report revealed that the single biggest issue in conversations with asylum seekers was “very bad food” which was described as “almost inedible”. Lambeth Lib Dems are asking the Council to undertake unannounced quarterly inspections to ensure meals are healthy, nutritious, and culturally appropriate, and low in saturated fat, sugar, and salt. 

The Lib Dems are also asking the Council to provide free access to Active Lambeth leisure centres for asylum seekers. Lambeth currently offers a concessionary pass which costs £6.58 per week, which consumes over 70 percent of an asylum seeker’s weekly allowance if their accommodation provides food. 

Lambeth Council is also responsible for overseeing mental health provision, but the Lib Dems say that asylum seekers in Lambeth are “stranded for months on end without any help”. Asylum seekers are five times more likely to experience poor mental health than the general population, and 30 percent of Asylum Support Appeals Network practitioners say they deal with disclosures of domestic abuse experienced by asylum seekers at least once per week. 

The Lib Dem Motion requests that all asylum seekers receive a mental health assessment, support, and counselling with urgency when requested. If the Motion passes unamended, all women and girls seeking asylum would also be offered counselling with a violence against women and girls specialist. 

Leader of the Lambeth Liberal Democrat Group, Cllr Donna Harris, said, “Supporting our Motion on Wednesday night is vital if Lambeth Labour are serious about running a Borough of Sanctuary. 

Asylum seekers feel stranded with nothing to do and no one to turn to, which is seriously harming their mental and physical health. Offering free access to leisure centres and carrying out unannounced food inspections are simple steps to make sure asylum seekers are as happy and healthy as possible.”  

Photo: Ethan Doyle White (cc)