Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance is being given to employers to avoid racial discrimination when verifying employees' eligibility to work; and what redress is available to people who may have been racially discriminated against in this manner.

The Home Office has published statutory codes of practice on GOV.UK for employers on how to avoid unlawful discrimination when undertaking checks. This guidance clearly stipulate that employers should provide individuals with every opportunity to demonstrate their right to work and should not discriminate on the basis of race, or any of the other protected characteristics.

We are clear that those who discriminate are breaking the law. Anyone who believes they have been discriminated against, either directly or indirectly, may bring a complaint before the courts or before an employment tribunal. The Equality Advisory Support Service is there to support people who may have experienced discrimination in England, Scotland or Wales, and an equivalent is provided by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

Avoiding discrimination while preventing illegal working: code of practice, can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/right-to-work-checks-code-of-practice-on-avoiding-discrimination.