MPs reject plan to cut time asylum seekers wait to work

An attempt by Tory peers to cut the time asylum seekers have to wait before they can work has failed.

In all, 66 Tory politicians wrote to the PM last week, urging a change to the Nationality and Borders Bill.

It would have let asylum seekers work if they were still waiting for a decision on their application after six months, rather than a year.

But the government did not back the move and it failed by 291 votes to 232 in the Commons.

Only two Conservative MPs - Simon Hoare and Tim Loughton - voted against the government to support the plan, along with opposition parties, but other Tories may have abstained.

Speaking afterwards, former Justice Secretary Sir Robert Buckland said the letter to Boris Johnson had "underlined the scale of support for reform from within our own party".

He added that a Home Office minister had agreed to meet him "to find a mutually agreeable solution", adding: "[I] hope we can reach that solution before [the Lords] sends the amendment back to the Commons."

A number of other amendments to the bill, also proposed in the House of Lords, were voted down.

But the legislation will now return to the Lords for peers to examine again.

Under the current rules, the Home Office can give asylum seekers permission to work if their claim has been outstanding for more than a year through no fault of their own.

Those who are permitted to work are only allowed to get jobs on the shortage occupation list - published by the Home Office - until their claim is approved or rejected.

Then, they either have free access to the job market, or are expected to leave the UK.

Conservative peers - including Boris Johnson's brother, Lord Johnson - wanted to reduce the time limit of allowing asylum seekers to get jobs to six months.

And after Tory Baroness Philippa Stroud put forward the proposal in the House of Lords, it was voted through and added onto the bill.

The bill, with its amendment, returned to the Commons to be debated on Tuesday, with support from a wide-range of MPs within the party.

Speaking in the debate, Sir Robert said he did not think it was a "particularly controversial" measure, just "practical and right".

He said: "As we confer the right to work on our friends from Ukraine who are arriving in our country, who are fleeing war and persecution, why not then do the same for others who are seeking asylum and fleeing persecution?"

"I have long felt that the waste that we see with regard to, not just lives but also expenditure, when asylum seekers have to stay very often for years in a state of limbo before knowing their position, whether it is to be accepted or not, it is unnecessary.

"It is unnecessary because I think that people who are in this position have a contribution to make to our society."

His Tory colleague David Simmonds agreed, adding: "As a Conservative politician, it frustrates me that taxpayers' money is being spent on people whose skills who could be put to good use in our economy."

However, neither MP voted to push forward to plan.

But Home Office Minister Tom Pursglove said the amendment was well-meaning but would "undermine our economic migration scheme" by allowing people to bypass those who "follow the proper process" by applying for work visas.

Mr Pursglove offered to speak to MPs with concerns, but closing the debate, he said there was a "clear distinction" between those coming from Ukraine and able to work immediately, and those who have to wait.

"[Ukrainian] individuals have come through safe and legal bespoke routes that the UK government has established in order to provide sanctuary," he said. "I do think that is an important distinction."

A spokesman from No 10 also said: "The votes in the Lords were disappointing we will not be deterred from our plans to fix the system.

"Asylum seekers are already allowed to work in the UK if their claim has been outstanding for 12 months or more through no fault of their own that remains the case following a review of the system.

"Obviously we want to avoid incentivising unfounded asylum claims and it's important to distinguish between those who need protection and those seeking to work here, who can apply for work visas."

The bill introduces post-Brexit immigration, asylum and citizenship policies and the government has suffered a number of defeats to its plans as the bill passed through the House of Lords.