Yorkshire nurses, engineers and IT experts who are locked out of employment by an ‘unfair, illogical’ rule are uniting behind a call for a change to laws that ban people from working while they seek asylum.
Currently, the vast majority of people seeking asylum in the UK are barred from working and forced to live on government support of as little as £8.86 a week – often for years due to a huge backlog in processing cases. While permission to work can be applied for after a year of waiting, even if granted, it only covers 23 highly specific roles. These include classical ballet dancer and racing groom, but engineer, nurse, farmer, and many other vital professions are missing from the list.
#LiftTheBan
Last month, the Lift the Ban campaign, which aims to overturn this nonsensical rule, celebrated a local relaunch at Leeds Playhouse – the world’s first theatre of sanctuary. The city has been the centre of a huge amount of campaigning against the work ban, led by Yorkshire residents seeking asylum, and with a new government in place and a new asylum bill making its way through parliament, the event offered an opportunity to restate the clear case for a change.
“The government must empower talent, embrace diversity”, said Wilson Febe, a nurse epidemiologist from Cameroon, who has been affected by the ban. “Work permits open doors to a world of skills, innovation, and increases income from taxes. Being unable to work strips us of dignity and hope. We want to contribute, support ourselves, and give back to the communities that have welcomed us.”
Filled with inspiring speeches, music and poetry performances, the event on Thursday 13 February celebrated the immense talent at the heart of the asylum-seeking community in Leeds. It also powerfully communicated the huge damage to mental health and wellbeing that the ban inflicts by preventing people from sharing their skills, experience, and talents with society.
Asylum seekers need to be able to work
The damage done by being unable to work was emphasised by Liz Smith, an IT professional, who said: “Work is important to help support each other and to contribute to the community so we can grow economically. Also, it is important for mental wellbeing and physically as well. Not allowing work is wasting precious time of life and skills as well as having a huge impact on mental health.”
Liz was just one of the many skilled professionals attending the event who faced being blocked from work while they waited for the result of their asylum claim. They spoke of the devastating impact of being forbidden from using their skills and being forced to rely on meagre asylum support rates.
Ali Manssor, a civil engineer from Sudan, said: “As I am a professional, I feel I can do a lot more in supporting myself and my family. I detest the fact that I am a burden to the taxpayer when I can be a taxpayer myself with a positive role.”
Border security, asylum and immigration bill
On the week that parliament debated the new border security, asylum and immigration bill, campaigners also criticised a “missed opportunity” to include lifting the ban in the new laws.
“We believe that everyone should have the right to work, to thrive, and to build fulfilling lives,” said Mary Brandon, Yorkshire, and Humberside campaigns manager for asylum rights charity Asylum Matters, which co-leads the Lift the Ban coalition with Refugee Action.
“This event was an opportunity for the community to take a stand for a more just and inclusive society, and to send a serious message to the government as it debates new legislation on the asylum system.
“Sadly, what we’ve seen from the new bill so far is a fixation on the same sorts of failed border security policies that cost lives and caused chaos under the last government, ignoring the many positive changes that could improve our asylum system.
“Lifting the unfair, illogical ban on work would be one powerful way to transform the lives of people seeking asylum, adding £308.5mn to our economy per year – it just makes sense.”
Support for refugees and asylum seekers in Leeds
The event was attended by several local politicians who threw their support behind the campaign. They included Leeds Central and Headingley MP Alex Sobel, who said:
“I was delighted to attend this important event to support the Lift the Ban campaign. Denying people seeking asylum the right to work is not just unfair – it’s harmful, both to individuals and to our society as a whole. People seeking asylum bring incredible skills, experience, and ambition, yet they are forced into hardship by a system that prevents them from contributing. It’s time for change, and the growth that Leeds could achieve if we allowed people seeking asylum to work would be an incredible boost to our economy.”
Hunslet and Riverside councillor Ed Carlisle, of the Green Party, said: “It’s been such a privilege for me journeying with people seeking asylum over the past 20 years, here in Leeds. They have so much to give and contribute but being shut out of the labour market is hugely disabling for them. It’s a no-brainer to release them to work, and all of us will benefit.”
Labour councillor Luke Farley, of Burmantofts and Richmond Hill, highlighted the increased risk of exploitation that comes from being banned from legal work, adding:
“Keeping people in limbo when it comes to the right to work only makes difficult situations worse for vulnerable people. By disallowing people from being able to work and actively play a role in society, they become targets for criminal gangs through financial coercion and some end up involved in illegal working practices. All people have skills, knowledge, and talents to offer workplaces and our communities – sometimes having skills that are desperately needed in our economy. We need to give people the opportunity to work and to shine.”
Leeds Playhouse: Theatre of Sanctuary
The celebration wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Leeds Playhouse, who hosted the campaigners and their supporters with delicious food and a beautiful event space that allowed people to display their talents.
Fiona McCulloch-Exley, director of creative communities at the Playhouse, said: “We’re proud to be the world’s first Theatre of Sanctuary. For over a decade, we’ve worked with refugees and people seeking asylum, offering safety, support, and connection through creativity. These individuals bring invaluable skills and experiences that strengthen our society. We stand with our colleagues, urging the government to create a fairer, more compassionate system for those seeking safety and a new life.
“It’s crucial that our leaders recognise the need for a humane, supportive framework that allows people in Yorkshire – and across Britain – to welcome and stand with those seeking sanctuary.”
To find out more about the campaign to restore the right to work for people seeking asylum, you can visit www.lifttheban.co.uk.
