My fiance is a Kosovan asylum seeker and has been trying to get a job for months now since his English improved enough for him to feel confident enough to work. I contacted a number of employment agencies, but they all insisted that he must have a National Insurance number before they'd even consider an interview with him. So, we visited the Benefits Agency in Barking, Essex in order to apply for one. They insisted that he must have a job before they'd consider interviewing him for an N.I. number.

We were in a 'Catch 22' situation! The best we could do was get a friend of a friend who works at an employment agency to write a letter stating that they would find him a job as soon as he had an N.I. number. We then went back to the Benefits Agency and were told that this wasn't good enough! After several visits and phone calls, we contacted the Citizens Advice Bureau who wrote to the Benefits Agency in Barking telling them that they could issue a number as long as my fiance was 'actively seeking work' - which he was. The Benefits Agency denied they ever received the letter - even though I received my copy of it!

I felt so helpless as I couldn't find out the actual law about this from anyone, and every time I contacted the Benefits Agency they told me something different! Anyway, we finally got an interview for the National Insurance number (after spending yet another 3 hours in the place!) and we were just ecstatic - until the interviewer told us that the office in Newcastle would probably send it back as he didn't have a job - only a letter inviting him for an interview, and he didn't have sufficient identification. And do you know what sort of ID they want? A passport / marriage certificate / driving licence etc. I asked them how many asylum seekers they knew who had passports! And, as you know, they're not allowed to hold a driving licence in the UK.

My fiance is lucky as he has me to fight for his rights for him. How would another asylum seeker be able to deal with this? It makes me so angry that that they're not being allowed to get jobs and contribute to this country. I'm sure the Government are doing this on purpose so that they'll have to stay on vouchers and hopefully get fed up and go home!

Nina McEvoy