Should asylum seekers be allowed to work in their host countries? The 1951 UN Convention on Refugees – which all EU members have signed – states that refugees “lawfully staying” in a country should have the right to work. But an application for refugee status can take months (sometimes even years), potentially including a lengthy appeals process. An EU directive agreed last year says asylum-seekers should be granted access to the labour market in their host country once their requests for refugee status have been pending for more than nine months.
In order to take a closer look at the local impact of the refugee crisis, we launched our ‘Cities & Refugees‘ project – aimed at fostering a Europe-wide dialogue between citizens, refugees and asylum seekers, NGOs, politicians, and European leaders. The emphasis will be on connecting local, everyday life at the city level to decisions made in Brussels and national capitals.
This week, we’re looking at Malmö, Sweden. Proportionally, Sweden has taken in more asylum seekers than any other EU country. It also has one of the most flexible employment systems, granting immediate access to the labour market to asylum applicants who can prove their identities, without the need to wait for a work permit. Yet that does not always open up the job market.
A report last May by the public broadcaster SVT found that less than 500 of the 163,000 people who applied for asylum in Sweden during 2015 had actually found a job. Longer term, 2015 data from the National Audit Office found only 53% of refugees who arrived in 2003 had found jobs by 2013. Bureaucratic barriers, skills gaps and language problems have all been blamed.
Curious to know more about Sweden’s policy on asylum seekers working during their application process? We’ve put together some facts and figures in the infographic below (click for a bigger version).
The city of Malmö has taken in many of the refugees who have headed to Sweden. In September 2015, the Swedish Migration Agency’s Malmö office was reported to be registering close to 900 new asylum seekers per day. Over 43% of the city’s 317,000 population have a foreign background, with those with Iraqi roots making up the biggest group. As in the rest of Sweden, there is concern over job market disparities: the national employment rate for foreign-born Swedes is 62%, compared to 76.2% overall, according to OECD data.
We had a comment from Proactive, who said: Anybody who “sought and applied [for asylum] must be given (temporary) shelter, safety, and offered (temporary) work – if capable and willing.”
In theory, this is the case in Malmö. In practice, however, what does the situation look like on the ground? Are most asylum seekers able to find employment in the city? To get a response, we spoke to Ola Nord, Head of Office at the City of Malmö EU Office in Brussels. What would he say?
For another reaction, we also spoke to George Joseph, who works on immigration, asylum, and trafficking issues at Caritas Sweden, part of the Caritas Internationalis network of Catholic relief, development and social service organisations. How would he react?
It’s true that there is difference between what is the law and what happens in reality in terms of the application of the law. [Asylum seekers] have the right to work, but then they are often in parts of the country where there is not much work. Nevertheless, some of them do find work during their application, even if it is low-paying work. And I think giving them the right to work also encourages them, from the very moment of their arrival, so they will not be dependent on subsidence from the state or the authorities.
Should European countries open their labour markets to refugees and asylum seekers? Or would that risk a voter backlash in countries already worried by unemployment and migration? Shouldn’t voters, who complain about refugees as a burden, be pleased to see them making a positive contribution to the economy by getting jobs? Let us know your thoughts and comments in the form below, and we’ll take them to policymakers and experts for their reactions!
IMAGE CREDITS: CC / Flickr – World Relief Spokane
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Of course they should. Forcing them to be a burden for the rest of the society will only feed xenophoby.
Allowed? They should be forced to get living place in 1 month, damn job in 3 months, learn basic language in 6..
Well let me put it this way. We give money to them to support them. Why can’t we offer them a job too to work for this assistance? It won’t be giving them the right to stay. If we offer them a contract that clarifies where they stand and for how long then things will be fairer for everyone. Having said that, many of them in Greece are claimed to reject offers to work in the agriculture industry, they want jobs that they have been doing back home. If there is availability then why not, if there isn’t they will have to take what there is available. I think we should be starting treating immigration overall-not just the refugee cases, in a “professional” way, offering clear “contracts” that will clarify the duration, the rights, the type of job that we are offering them so nobody has any mistaken expectations, and we are not pressurized to integrate people that we can not due to their numbers or lack of skills. Offer seasonal working permit contracts to cover jobs that we need. If we do not want them to stay then why cause all this friction and allow the far right to gain power. Be realistic, be honest.
Well let me put it this way. We give money to them to support them. Why can’t we offer them a job too to work for this assistance? It won’t be giving them the right to stay. If we offer them a contract that clarifies where they stand and for how long then things will be fairer for everyone. Having said that, many of them in Greece are claimed to reject offers to work in the agriculture industry, they want jobs that they have been doing back home. If there is availability then why not, if there isn’t they will have to take what there is available. I think we should start treating immigration overall-not just the refugee cases, in a “professional” way, offering clear “contracts” that will clarify the duration, the rights, the type of job that we are offering them so nobody has any mistaken expectations, and we are not pressurized to integrate people that we can not due to their numbers or lack of skills. Offer seasonal working permit contracts to cover jobs that we need. If we do not want them to stay then why cause all this friction and allow the far right to gain power. Be realistic, be honest.
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Because Schengen countries have plenty of jobs to go around ?
Its a stupid idea when you have your own people without work, all it will do is force down wages and reduce job availability.
The countries that are responsible for the wars and poverty that cause the refugees should more than pay for the destruction in the lives of these workers. Starting with the US who should pay war reparations to Syria and Libya and Iraq and the EU and NATO that followed suit..
Of course… After all that is why they have been forced to go to Europe. Cheap slavery… or did you think they came by them self’s. Wake up!!!
Hahaha and how exactly are they forced? Also you cant be slave if you dont work.
Think about it… Few hundred years ago they were invited in to their countries occupied it and send them for labour… Now they don’t have to do that… The syndrome of the conquest.
As for my country, we have a huge amount of illegal immigrants ( treated by the government as refugees ) and a huge amount of refugees ( more than the government says). Based on the fact that economically we are vanished , non existing, extremely poor if this happens we are definitely going to have a revolution. When we have tremendous unemployment among the young people, plus older people between 50 plus that will never get a job and will never have the chance for pension , people , plain people will be furious. It’s an issue of survival. The EE is stupid. They don’t see the truth. Eventually they will. Welcome to hell.
I’m often amazed anyhow about how Greece hasn’t had a revolution yet. :/
That’s the truth. People are so tired and scared. The parties are for hell and we don’t see the light because the tunnel of hell has no end. But we will survive and we will wake up. We’re Greeks. God won’t abandon us. He has now other business.
When freddo espresso price will hit 5€ then there will be a revolution.
Most possible. But it’s already. We are gonna need something more.
agree
We all know they were invited by Merkel because Germany needs about 1 million workers – well I wish you luck with this one :) 90% of them don’t have the skills or the will for work.
In Bulgaria we pay for each migrant 3 times more then we pay for a pensioner – then blame us we don’t offer good accommodation for this people – what our own parents and grandparents?
Yes if asylum seekers can find work – lets work, but the majority are just economical migrants and even the Commission admit that, they shouldn’t.
look how you took down your own argument..at first you say that they dont have the will to work and 5 rows later you say that they are economical migrants meaning that they left their country in search for a job and better life. You can’t be lazy and economical migrants at the same time! And no one is crossing half the planet just to hang around at a foreign country where is hated..they are fighting for survival in this inhuman global economical system.
In EU you can be economical migrant without working! Appart of the real asylums, most of the others are here for social payments.
You should acknowledge that Germany suspended the Dublin Agreement to help the Syrian refugees who had to suffer from the bad conditions at the borders and war in their home country and not because someone had the illusion that this would boost our job market. If Germany hadn’t suspended the Dublin Agreement most refugees would have stayed in Greece where they first entered the European Union.
Economic migrants come to Europe for a better economic future. Of course one can be an economic migrant without working, but that would defeat one’s whole purpose.
Unless you are suggesting that economic migrants came to Europe for a better economic future and wanted to achieve this through social payments. This is ludicrously unbelievable – would anybody risk their own and their children’s lives to avoid work? That goes against human instinct.
They should go Home
should asylum seekers be replaced to other continents considering only Europe is struggling with this issue? If they are just escaping from war, slavery and poverty moving to EU or to let’s say China should be the same, no?
Yes
There isn’t job for the european, do we have to give it to clandestine? ??
Αsylum seekers havent have any intentions for work they want to move in northern countries and live with the bonusses receive from government and live well ….
Αsylum seekers havent have any intentions for work they want to move in northern countries and live with the bonusses receive from government and live well ….
The bigger question is Which of the EU countries will have to pay in the most to cover the £10 Billion the UK pays? Clean fight kids #
The bigger question is Which of the EU countries will have to pay in the most to cover the £10 Billion the UK pays? Clean fight kids #
YES..if there’s opportunity.nd not just wait for dole out.!
No doubt, the aim is to repair a societal Sin…
It depends. By the way there are NO lazy people. Humans need to be useful & connect their self esteem with the ability to provide.
It depends. By the way there are NO lazy people. Humans need to be useful & connect their self esteem with the ability to provide.
In the past most migrants have worked hard in their new countries and are grateful to be given a chance to survive. So current refugees should be encouraged to work and not be dependent, which is more healthy for them and the state. Difficult when there are not enough jobs, so they should go where there is work.
the rules are not updated so in Italy, for example, if you work for a while, then the government is obliged to allow any seeker to stay definitively EVEN IF the request was fake! that is why they never allow to work to any refugee seeker!
if paying tax then yes
When freddo espresso price will hit 5€ then there will be a revolution.
Should Jews be allowed to work during their stay in concentration camps? Discuss
EU go to hell. You keep ignoring what europeans want. You are going to start a war within europe just to accomodate Ngos and our masters in brussels.
Do they do that in Malta, too?
Bódis Kata if you are an illegal you can almost do anything you like
The should work ofcourse. In a Gulag.
no they should go back from where they came from and EU eurocrats should go back with them as they are there for nothing … start from juncker!!
Yes ,why not , they are able to work to support themselves .
Through Europe there are many abandoned places (years ago fully habitated) mainly wood and farming land where asylum seekers could be settled and start a new life….and for Europe’s survival christians should have priority.
No
the 99% are illegal immigrands. So , close them to a camp without free exit, select the 1% that are true refugees, and repatriate obligatory the rest 99%
The people who want to show philanthropy, donate money to organizations that invest to 3rd world.
Do you have any proof that literally 99% aren’t refugees?
the majority of people came in Greece and Europe are from countries that are not in state of war. Even the syrians, refused to stay at the organises UN camps at Turkish-Syrian frontiers in order to become immigrands at central Europe. The only true refugees and asylum seekers are people like the 8 turkish military personell (and others like them) that their life is in real danger if they return in Turkey. The syrians have got no danger in Turkey.
….
Just one page… people from african states (and asian) the majority men, and they have not papers (majority of them 1/1!!! birthday).
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154867954444035&set=pb.675749034.-2207520000.1484861482.&type=3&theater
Firstly, in Greece, in 2016, about 26% of assessed asylum applications were granted (feel free to check my math: http://asylo.gov.gr/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Greek-Asylum-Service-statistical-data_December2016_gr.pdf), not 1%.
Secondly, repatriating those who were rejected would come at an enormous cost, which is the reason why it’s not being done. (No moral or legal argument here, just practical).
Thirdly, whether or not Turkey is safe for various groups of asylum seekers (e.g. LGBT+, disabled, female, political activists) is an ongoing discussion. As you may know, there has been a deal with Turkey so that asylum applicants for whom Turkey is deemed safe can be returned there.
Fourthly, 1/1 birthdays are explained by people not knowing when they were born. That’s neither a sign of crime nor of illegitimacy – even people who lose their papers know their birthday. This simply denotes somebody who was probably born under difficult conditions such as war and/or poverty.
Finally, I find it understandable that one seeks a good a life for themselves and their families as they can get, and that one does not want to complete a dangerous and difficult journey to end up a country that may soon be no safer than the one they left from. This does not mean that everybody automatically has a right to live anywhere they want, but if they can be productive and useful members in a society where they are also safe, then that is ideal.
Yes,unless you can support them financially.
The open borders are not philanthopy. Are demolition of the western kind of state.
I think we should not make a distinction between refugees and immigrants, it is often hard to say and let’s be honest, it is hypocritical. There are all human beings trying to escape from an unbearable reality in their country, as most of them are coming from “non states”. In Athens, I see every day on my way to work immigrants, probably illegal begging for 50 cents. To me, this is modern slavery. I cannot imagine how desperate they must be feeling, having to do this every day, for years. They were there even during new year’s eve, waiting in the cold for someone to help them. These people need to get their dignity back. I cannot accept they have no skills, or no will to work. The question is what kind of work can they find in a capital/country heavily suffering from the economic crisis with very high unemployment rates? I would also be beneficial for refugee seekers to work as well. Many of them are educated and had a normal job back home. It will make them feel useful but the same question arises: where can they find a job here? I am afraid I have no answer to that. In any case, we should not forget that a different approach from normal job seekers should be put in place, as these people have no or little access to job offering websites, which for our case are in greek.
Elina,- “NOT make a distinction between refugees and immigrants”? Impossible & wrong! These are two very different issues:
* “Genuine UN qualifying refugees”- (as opposed to the many disingenuous, fake, deserters, criminals or economic adventurers) are covered & protected by the UN Refugees Act- signed by all.
If there are no available jobs privately, it’s up to the government to either find some suitable jobs within their huge bureaucracy or fully maintain them at taxpayers costs until they are able to go back home.
* “Immigrants- immigration” (from within Schengen and outside Schengen) fall under the various national & EU legislations and serve different agendas.
Opinions & political decisions based on sentimental grounds are deadly- as Mrs. Merkel “single handedly” demonstrated. It was a too sentimental, too late, too desperate “reflex”, while breaching in house rules & acting outside the EU collective.
It was up to the EU devised processes & tools (Dublin accord, Frontex & pure logic) who should have efficiently, accurately and promptly distinguished & determined who is a genuine asylum seeker or not. The sorting, documenting & deportation is supposed to happen at the shores of the EU and not inside- like Budapest, Vienna, Berlin, London, Stockholm or near your own backyard.
Merkels’ words like “Wir (Who is we? The EU or Germany?) schaffen das schon” sounded very “provincial”- being too little too late for the mighty EU. Seemingly paralysed & starved of resources? Just imagine the spared inconvenience to all and the additional cost in delay- to maintain until their final return ~50%-80% of “seekers”- who eventually will never qualify as refugees!
Its called ‘wasteful expenditure”.
Yes, they should be allowed to work. Everyone should be allowed to work!
Well they could always be put to work building the hundreds of new mosques and muslim only schools that the millions of our welcome ‘guests’ are going to need in the coming years.
its a trap ! they want to integrate in europe to spread their religion !!!!!! ALAHU AKBAR ⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️
Of course yes! Those people came here for a better future. What is a better way to intergrate in the society than to work? In this way they contribute to our countries with their taxes and of course they practice the new language and feel valuable.
Then they should’ve gotten work visas, as many thousands of others had done it.
Bódis Kata when you don’t know if you live tomorrow and your family’s safety is on stake then you don’t go to an embassy (if there’s one around) and wait 2 years for your work visa application. You flee for your life for a better future for you and your kids away from death
imi platie mult
a fazer o que em paises com MILHOES de desempregados?!
Every migrant takes a job from a EU citizen and the EU has some shocking unemployment. The ability of business to import labour is good for lowering labour standards. It sounds tough but if Europe cannot generate enough jobs for Europe how can it generate enough jobs for 65,000,000 UN refugees or migrants.
So if you think yes where will the jobs come from probably your children
Only if an employer gives him that job.
Unfortunately for you Andrew, this position is not supported by any serious scientific and economical studies. Migrants don’t take jobs from EU citizen.
Thierry Lardinoit, that is true. In today’s world people have the ability to migrate where they can get the best future for their families. That includes everybody, the poor refugee, coming to us for help, the migrant from countries that are less well off than our own And the people who earn a good living but would like to earn an even better one abroad. Migration is beneficial to all and it creates cultural exchanges, which in most cases are a plus for humanity. Of course only what is bad is reported by the sensationalist media and used by dodgy politicians to make sure they keep power over people. Seems a lot of people are willing to follow the leading lemming, jumping of the cliff with great hurrays. Sad, but there you go :-)
Yes
Yes
Should be on a six month probationary period. And kept under review If they don’t work out deported Immediately.
Like in . Luxembourg. Everybody is on six months probation. If you don’t do the job, you don’t get permanent employment. No matter if you are a refugee or not.
Yes.
Yes. It preserves their dignity and sense of self-worth and gives them some hope to hang on to.
Bódis Kata when you don’t know if you live tomorrow and your family’s safety is on stake then you don’t go to an embassy (if there’s one around) and wait 2 years for your work visa application. You flee for your life for a better future for you and your kids away from death
Bódis Kata if you are an illegal you can almost do anything you like
No.
they should work without being paid… yeah, there are lots of those jobs. i wish all europeans had a right to be paid for work instead of moving endlessly from one unpaid internship to the next.
the majority of people came in Greece and Europe are from countries that are not in state of war. Even the syrians, refused to stay at the organises UN camps at Turkish-Syrian frontiers in order to become immigrands at central Europe. The only true refugees and asylum seekers are people like the 8 turkish military personell (and others like them) that their life is in real danger if they return in Turkey. The syrians have got no danger in Turkey.
….
Just one page… people from african states (and asian) the majority men, and they have not papers (majority of them 1/1!!! birthday).
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154867954444035&set=pb.675749034.-2207520000.1484861482.&type=3&theater
Fuck EU
and what are they supposed to do? Sit all day and watch the sky?
YES! …
Yes, they should be allowed to work!!!
Yes and integrate in society.
NO……..America first !!!
Allowed yes – where is work to be found for them? I would make a reliable job an asset in the process.
OF COURSE THEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO WORK. It costs so much taxpayer money to force people who want to provide for themselves to remain unemployed!!!!!
Yes!
No work ..just rest in peace
no
Yes
No….
Truly I am getting sick and tired of these media inspired, impact provoking, questions.
This question subsumes that Europe is not going to do anything to stop this stream of humanity that is running away from incompetent political decisions and useless wars (other than making weapons dealers and makers filthy rich).
And so this question, to me, means – guys, we care less about creating wars, so let us find solutions to the problems we caused by these wars, problems we are not going to put an end to. So deal with the consequences, whether you like it or not.
Am I wrong?
You are not wrong
Yes…get a temporary work permit until repatriation.
Or until the right to stay.
not
Is everything nuts to conduct that?
Thierry unfortunately all economists would agree that adding labour to a saturated labour market only increases the level of labour in the market place available to work. I imagine you work in a area with a tightly controlled entry to work either skill set or regulations unions etc and cannot imagine competing for work with new arrivals. To suggest otherwise is Dishonest to others or to yourself. Germany’s unemployment level has risen by a 1,000,000 in the last year if they start working there will be 1,000,000 less jobs, that’s not politics that’s reality and they will compete for Europeans for jobs. When you look at youth unemployment rates in Spain it is a shame Germany did not show more solidarity and recruit young Spanish people to replace their ageing work force instead of declaring Germany was open in direct conflict to EU Dublin protocol agreements.
Welldone
Absolutely work for their wages. Public work not in private sector. Adult work, children in school. Teaching values and law above sharia in spare time.
What Asylum seekers are you referring to?
I like the presentation of this debate, very professional, well done, thank you. The comments however surprised me: they show an extraordinary level of emotions, a lot of hatred of the “other” and resentment, fear too, and remarkably little compassion (yes, there are exceptions – what I am saying here applies to the majority of the comments only). Of course, the EU is the classic scapegoat, it is accused again and again of not solving the problem, and on a site that is dedicated to debate issues of concern to Europeans, this is a real shame.
This said, I feel we are not addressing this particular issue – should asylum seekers be allowed to work while waiting for their application to go through – with the professionalism it requires. The official from Malmo was clear: the Swedish government allows them to work but very few do, the reasons being (as far as I understood from his reply) that (1) they can only fill short-term jobs (no more than 3 months); (2) there may be a skill mismatch, and (2) language may be a barrier.
So is we are to solve this problem we should address these three different kinds of barriers:
(1) why only 3-month contracts? I don’t have the answer, but that needs to be clarified; we all know that visa applications take much longer than 3 months to go through the vetting process;
(2) what about the skill mismatch? Are people “tested” for their skills? Do we know that kind of work they want, what is their previous work experience? Do the Swedes even know what their labor market looks like, what are the job NOT covered by Swedish citizens and that are consequently opened to immigrants? Is anyone anywhere making a list of those jobs?
(3) The language barrier: in principle, that should be the easiest problem to solve; all you do is set up language courses in the refugee camps and expect (force?) everyone to attend; a job should not be awarded to an asylum seeker with no proven language capability (that will make then attend language courses!) – of course, that takes money to fund the language teaching…
In fact, I suspect the funding (or lack thereof) is the real hurdle facing everyone, and not just in Sweden. It is costly to run these camps for immigrants/asylum seekers and there are solutions that are not necessarily based on running camps (I’ve seen some incredible things done in Southern Italy in small mountain towns where abandoned houses are opened up, after fixing of course, to refugees and immigrants).
But we should think of starting at the beginning: figuring out (1) exactly what jobs and how many jobs there are in the labor market that can be opened up for refugees and immigrants; and (2) testing them for their willingness, skills and aptitudes to fill such jobs. I honestly think that people who say they are not willing to work when they demonstrably can work and have a proven skill, well, such people should be told that this will impact their visa application. And not impact it favorably either…