Asylum seekers: Work is ‘liberating’

Many asylum seekers living in direct provision centres have described the right to work as “liberating”. The Ombudsman Peter Tyndall noted 1,845 out of 2,662 asylum seekers (70%) were granted permission to access the labour market in the past year.

The Supreme Court ruled in May 2017 that the blanket prohibition preventing asylum seekers from working was unconstitutional and the law was changed early last year. Mr Tyndall, who has today published a report on complaints from direct provision residents, said there were no complaints received from the 780 asylum seekers refused permission to work.