Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Digital ID checks for the right to work on the ability of asylum seekers to compete against British nationals in the job market.

Asylum seekers who have been granted permission to work are expected to be able to obtain a digital ID for right-to-work checks once the scheme is fully implemented. As announced by the Prime Minister on 26 September, digital checks of an individual’s digital ID to establish right to work will become mandatory by the end of the Parliament.

The digital ID system will build on existing digital right-to-work checks for foreign nationals, where eVisa share codes are currently used, making the process more streamlined. It will standardise verification across all individuals, including British nationals, but will not change the underlying eligibility rules for asylum seekers.

Asylum seekers are generally not allowed to work while their claim is being considered and receive support to meet essential living needs if they would otherwise be destitute. They may apply for permission to work only if their claim has been outstanding for 12 months or more through no fault of their own.