HC Deb 30 October 2002 vol 391 cc838-9W
Diana Organ

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what relevant statistical evidence of(a) crime rates, (b) illegal working and (c) health service demands was used to inform the decision to withdraw asylum seekers' right to work; [77115]

(2) how he plans to monitor the effects of the change to asylum seekers' rights to work; and if he will undertake to review the situation should there be evidence that there is a detrimental effect on asylum seekers in terms of health, crime and illegal working. [77114]

Beverley Hughes

I made it clear when I announced the abolition of the employment concession earlier this year that this reflected the increasing timeliness of the asylum decision-making process.

The concession was established when widespread delays occurred in the asylum system, and we have always made clear that we would review its operation in light of our ongoing reforms to the asylum system. By the time I announced its abolition in July, it had become largely irrelevant and applicable to only a minority of applicants.

The vast majority (around 80 per cent. of asylum seekers) currently receive an initial decision within six months and we are committed, with our programme of increased resources and ongoing legislative reforms, to further improving the speed of the system for new applicants.

We also believe that while we continued to operate the concession, an incorrect perception existed that all asylum seekers had permission to work while their cases were considered. This was not the case, and this decision underlines our determination to maintain a robust asylum process which helps those fleeing persecution and not those seeking work in the UK. Those who seek to enter the UK for the purpose of work have a range of schemes open to them, and we continue to open up more routes to allow people to come here and work on a legal basis in ways which boost our economy.

Those asylum seekers who had already obtained permission to work prior to 23 July 2002 will retain that right until such time as a final decision is made on their claim, while those who had sought permission to work but have not had a response prior to July 23 will have had their requests considered in line with the concession. We have also retained a discretion to grant permission to work in exceptional cases.