PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
Lift the Ban campaign (16 May 2021)

That this House recognises the injustice of preventing people seeking asylum from working; notes that the £5.66 asylum seekers receive a day is far below what is required to live on; further notes that asylum seekers can wait months for a decision on their asylum claim; supports the Lift the Ban campaign to allow asylum seekers to work whilst their claims are being processed; commends the work of Refugee Action and the non-profit organisations, think tanks, trades unions, businesses, local authorities and faith groups in their struggle to have the rule overturned that prevents people seeking asylum from working; applauds Freedom from Torture, Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit, as well as the Trades Union Congress, UNISON, NEU and NASUWT in their support for that campaign; believes that overturning that ban would improve the mental health of people in the asylum system and help to challenge forced labour, exploitation and modern slavery; acknowledges and further recognises that the journeys to safety in the UK can take months and prohibit those people rebuilding their lives; pays tribute to the work of the Lift the Ban Coalition including its research revealing that if people seeking asylum had the right to work six months after making their initial asylum claim it would lead to fewer support payments and increased income tax and National Insurance receipts of up to £100m for the public purse; and calls on the Government to lift that ban and bring forward legislative proposals to allow asylum seekers to work.

Sponsored by:
Navendu Mishra (Labour)