Call for community employment to be extended to protection applicants

In a letter to social protection minister Heather Humphreys (pictured), Nick Henderson, chief executive of the council, said people with labour access permission are “disadvantaged jobseekers and should be considered as such”. Photo: Sasko Lazarov / Photocall Ireland

Community employment (CE) schemes should be extended to international protection applicants who hold work permits to increase participation in the workforce, a representative group has said.

The Irish Refugee Council added that these individuals are the “hidden unemployed” and schemes such as this could help them integrate into their local communities.