Refugee Employment - Practical Issues
There are a number of practical barriers that refugees face when they come to the UK.
Bank Accounts
Refugees may not have all the required paperwork to open a standard bank account in the UK and may ask for help from their employer. For example, if they are renting a room in a house, they will not be able to present a utility bill in their name. Banks will have individuals that can be consulted in exceptional cases.
Some employers have brokered an agreement with their local banks which enables employees to open a basic bank account. These have no overdraft facilities and require fewer checks than current accounts.
More information on basic bank accounts from the Financial Services Authority (FSA) can be found here (pdf).
Criminal Records Bureau (CRB)
Jobs that involve working with children or vulnerable groups require CRB checks and this presents difficulties for refugees wanting to work in schools, in the NHS or in social care, for example. NHS guidelines to employers do recognise that the CRB will not have access to information in the majority of countries of origin, and advise employers that they will need to make decisions on recruitment without access to CRB data.
More information can be found here.
National Insurance numbers (NINOs)
There is a fast-track programme for certain groups of people, including refugees. In practice this should mean that an individual is sent a permanent NINO with their grant of status letter and does not have to wait for an ‘evidence of identity’ interview.
More information can be found here or contact: The National Insurance registration helpline on 0845 9157006/0845 9155670
Permission to Work Documentation
The concession allowing asylum seekers to apply for permission to work was withdrawn in July 2002. Most asylum seekers now will not have permission to work. However, there are a small number who are waiting for their application to be decided and who have had permission to work prior to this date. All asylum seekers should now have an Asylum Registration Card (jpg) which will clearly state whether a person is permitted or prohibited to work.
Those granted permission to work may present an employer with either a Grant of Status Letter (pdf) or an Immigration Status Document (word). These letters will explain the terms on which an individual is given leave to remain in the UK, eg Exceptional Leave to Remain, Discretionary Leave to Remain, Humanitarian Protection, Indefinite Leave to Remain. All of these categories include permission to work in the UK.
From 01 September 2005 all refugees are granted temporary status for a maximum of 5 years before their case is reviewed. These refugees have full access to the labour market during that period.
For further information contact the Home Office helpline for employers on 020 8649 7878 www.homeoffice.gov.uk