§ Mr. MalinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on advising asylum seekers(a) at first interview and (b) later on other alternative applications open to them including an application to work in the UK. [113607]
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§ Beverley Hughes[holding answer 15 May 2003]: It would not be appropriate to provide an asylum seeker with advice on any other applications they may wish to make at this stage. The Immigration Rules attach an entry clearance requirement to a number of categories of leave. Similarly, there will often be a requirement, where the period of leave is not in a category leading to settlement, that the applicant is willing to leave the United Kingdom at the expiry of the period of leave, which a person who has applied for asylum is unlikely to do.
Asylum seekers are not able to apply for work in the United Kingdom. Employers must seek work permits for individuals, and asylum seekers are not permitted to take up employment.