Ireland and asylum seekers best served by full access to workforce
PRESS RELEASE: For immediate release Tuesday 21 November 2017
Ireland and asylum seekers best served by full access to workforce
Allowing asylum seekers the right to work must provide real opportunities and not just ‘rights on paper’ said the Immigrant Council today, in response to the Cabinet decision to opt into the EU (recast) Reception Conditions Directive, which provides a framework for enabling asylum seekers' access to the labour market. This comes following the Supreme Court ruling the ban on asylum seekers working as unconstitutional earlier this year.
Brian Killoran, CEO of the Immigrant Council of Ireland, said, “The introduction of a right to work, so long denied, is a momentous occasion for asylum seekers in Ireland and is an opportunity to improve the quality of life for thousands of people. It will give men and women who are seeking refuge in Ireland the opportunity to practice their skills and contribute further to our society.
"The Immigrant Council is seeking clarification as to when asylum seekers may access the right to work, within the maximum nine month timeframe. The Council strongly believes asylum seekers should be granted the right to work at six months – which is the time limit within which they are supposed to receive a decision on their application by law and therefore is fair and fitting.
“We, along with many other migrant rights organisation, also advocate for few, if any, restrictions to the type of work asylum seekers can engage in and we plan to work closely to ensure many sectors are available to asylum seekers, so that their diverse skills can be utilised for the benefit of our whole society. There will already be sufficient challenges for them trying to find work – qualifications being recognised, gaps in CVs, references, etc, plus not everyone will necessarily be in a position to work. Also key is the fact we are at almost full employment rates so the jobs available are often the ones which aren’t being filled. There are going to be practical challenges for example the location of direct provision centres, which will also affect the type of jobs asylum seekers can seek.
“The reason this is so important is because the impact of a work ban goes much further than simply being denied the right to get a job. Those seeking international protection in Ireland have already been through so much. Denying people the right to work affects people’s self-esteem, mental health, their children, limits them to a life lived in poverty and affects their opportunity to integrate into Irish society."
Mr Killoran added, “The Government has chosen to opt into the EU Receptions Condition Directive which is clear access to employment should be done ‘no later than’ a 9 month period. There is nothing to prevent an EU Member State granting access at day one, which in fact Greece does. It also does not impose a statutory obligation on restrictions.
"It is now crucial to ensure that progress is swift to create a system for accessing the labour market which is clear and easily navigated for asylum seekers, and that employers open their doors to these men and women to facilitate the realisation of this right.
“We owe it to the bravery of the tireless efforts from individuals and organisations and particularly the brave steps of asylum seekers themselves to ensure we deliver real access to the labour force and not just a tick box exercise.”