When my family left the war-shattered Sarajevo, in Bosnia, and sought refuge in a neighbouring country, we arrived with little more than the clothes on our backs.
As we faced the uncertainty of starting over, we were incredibly fortunate that my father managed to retrieve two lorries from the export-import business he had.
Those lorries became our lifeline, enabling him to continue working and put food on the table. This made it possible for us to house 15 other family members and friends who had fled Bosnia with nowhere to go, as well as support my mother, allowing her to finish her psychology studies.
Looking back, it’s clear that the opportunity to work was critical in giving my family the chance to rebuild our lives.
Unfortunately, most people seeking asylum in the UK today are denied that very same opportunity. People are banned from working for 12 long months and even after they have waited a year, are only allowed to get a job that is on the highly restrictive immigration salary list. It creates poverty and mental health struggles.
Numbers reveal: The new Home Office immigration statistics
The Home Office has just released its immigration statistics for 2024. They show that people are being left in limbo for years about their status here, meaning they are never granted permission to work.
Ten years ago, one in four people were waiting for the decision on their asylum claims longer than six months.
At the end of 2024, however, six out of 10 people seeking asylum were stuck in the decision-making limbo. The statistics also show a significant increase in the number of applications awaiting an initial decision since 2019.
This increase does not align with the more gradual rise in new asylum applications during the same period. Instead, it reflects a policy under previous governments that allowed the backlog to grow.
While the Home Office took steps in 2023 and 2024 to reduce the backlog by appointing more staff to make decisions on asylum cases, the percentage of people waiting more than six months remained high, fluctuating between 59 per cent and 80 per cent.
The Economic Case for Lifting the Work Ban
With so many people facing prolonged uncertainty, restrictive policies like the ban on work only worsen the situation, preventing people seeking asylum from supporting themselves and contributing to the economy.
Since Autumn 2018, Refugee Action and Asylum Matters have led the Lift the Ban coalition—a partnership of more than 300 organisations, including charities, trade unions, businesses, faith groups, and think tanks—working to overturn the government’s ban on asylum seekers being able to work.
The coalition’s calculations, updated in February 2025, highlight just how costly this ban is for our economy. Namely, if just one in two adults among the 73,866 people who were awaiting their decision for longer than six months at the end of December 2024 found employment at the average UK salary, the benefit from tax and national insurance contributions, alongside savings in asylum support, could be staggering £280,437,232.
This boost would not only support public finances but also reduce the cost of support systems through fostering self-reliance.
In addition to tax contribution, giving people right to work sooner would also contribute to the economy because they would have money to spend. It would increase in demand for goods, services, and housing, as well as through skill and entrepreneurial energy that people seeking protection bring to host communities.
But the benefits go beyond just economics. Being unable to work for such a long period of time leads to social isolation, mental health challenges, and prevents people from building a new life for themselves.
Research shows this policy has a strong economic scarring effect on the affected population, making it difficult for people seeking asylum to regain lost opportunities and earning potential.
How campaigners are making waves on lifting this unpopular ban
In 2020, the Lift the Ban coalition presented the Home Office with a petition signed by over 180,000 people, demanding people be given the right to work.
We’re calling for the government to grant people seeking asylum and their adult dependants the unrestricted right to work after waiting six months for a decision on their initial asylum claim or further submission.
The British public strongly supports this policy change, with 81 per cent of voters in favour of allowing asylum seekers to work after six months of submitting their application.
This shows just how many people understand the mutual benefits such a policy would offer both individuals seeking refuge and the society.
The evidence is compelling: granting work rights to people seeking asylum is not only a matter of economic practicality but also a reflection of our commitment to fairness, equality, and humanitarian protection.
By allowing people to work, we can break down barriers that isolate people seeking asylum and create opportunities for stronger, more connected communities.
As my family’s story demonstrates, when one person is given the chance to work, the benefits multiply – lifting families out of poverty, reducing pressure on public resources, and enabling entire communities to thrive.
The time has come for the UK to embrace progress and fair opportunities for all. By lifting the ban now, policymakers can unlock this potential and lead the way with fairness, pragmatism, and humanity.