Asylum seekers’ difficulty finding work over ‘unconvincing permits’

Asylum seekers are having difficulty accessing employment due to work permits that appear unofficial, according to a research from Limerick-based NGO Doras.

International protection applicants can apply for a work permit six months after applying for asylum in Ireland.

However, these work permits are printed on A4 paper and many employers are sceptical about their validity as a result.

A total of 43 per cent of survey respondents said that employers lacked knowledge and information about work permits and visas. Consequently, it is difficult to get a job.

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“Some employers do not even know what this is, your work permit . . . some people do not get jobs because it’s not everybody who can express themselves to explain what this paper means,” said one respondent.

The report, which focuses on asylum seekers’ employment rights, recommends that permission to work should be provided in the form of a card, similar to the Irish Residency Permit card.

Just 7 per cent of respondents felt they had the same access to work as other people living in Ireland. Many said they faced discrimination while seeking employment and some said they had been exploited in low-paid jobs.

The report also stated that the ban on asylum seekers obtaining a driver’s licence meant they are effectively prevented from taking up employment that is further away.

Speaking at the report’s online launch, journalist Mostafa Darwish noted that this is especially problematic as many direct provision centres are in smaller towns or remote areas with poor public transport links. Remote working has not improved their plight, as internet connectivity is poor, he added.

Another issue raised are the difficulties often experienced when trying to open a bank account. Asylum seekers usually surrender their passports once they apply for asylum and because they cannot obtain a driver’s licence they have limited forms of identification.

Also speaking at the report’s launch, Sinéad Gibney, Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, said this results in people being forced to take cash in hand jobs which can be low paid.

“It’s impossible to access decent work if you can’t open a bank account to get paid,” she said.

Lack of childcare

She added that the commission has written to the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland asking that asylum seekers be allowed to open accounts using their temporary residence certificate.

Greta Keegan from the Irish Refugee Council also spoke at the launch. She said that women living in direct provision were impeded in their search for employment due to lack of childcare.

She also said that unemployed asylum-seeking work permit holders are the hidden unemployed as they are not included in the live register.

The vast majority of those who took part in the research stated that they were not working in their desired profession or were not in a job commensurate with their skills and qualifications.

Foreign qualifications were often not recognised by Irish employers, according to the report. And more English language courses needed to be provided to those living in direct provision to help them find work.

The report was compiled using an online survey and focus groups and received funding from the commission.