Asylum Seekers And The Right To Work

David Amess, the MP for Southend West, has laid an Early Day Motion (EDM) before the Houses of Parliament regretting the Government's decision to deny the right to work to asylum seekers. The right to apply for permission to work was withdrawn from asylum seekers on 23 July 2002.

The wording of the EDM 1695 Asylulml seekers and Work is:
     "That this House regrets the decision in 2002 by the Secretary of State for the Home Department to prevent asylum seekers from working while their applications for residency are under consideration; urges the Home Secretary to reconsider that decision; recognises that issuing temporary work permits would reduce the temptation to work illegally; and believes that allowing asylum seekers to contribute to the British economy would reduce tensions within the local communities where they are located."

The EDM is accessible at http://edm.ais.co.uk/weblink/html/motion.html/ref=1695

Below a list of MPs who have already supported the EDM (currently 37 MPs). Check to see if your local MP has supported the EDM.

If not: You could then fax them a letter to urge them to support this important EDM.

You can fax your MP for free from your browser go to:
http://www.ncadc.org.uk/letters/resource.html
Select 'Fax your MP For Free '

An Early Day Motion, or EDM, is the term used to describe notices of motions given by Members that are not generally expected to be debated. Effectively, the tabling of an EDM is a device to draw attention to an issue, and to elicit support for it by the means of inviting other Members to add their signatures to the motion. Members of Parliament may also table amendments to existing motions.

Labour Party
Austin/John
Barnes/Harry
Best/Harold
Burden/Richard
Caton/Martin
Chaytor/David
Clark/Helen
Cohen/Harry
Connarty/Michael
Cryer/Ann
Dismore/Andrew
Dobbin/Jim
Fisher/Mark
Gerrard/Neil
Griffiths/Jane
Griffiths/Win
Hamilton/David
Jones/Lynne
McDonnell/John
McNamara/Kevin
Sedgemore/Brian
Stevenson/George
Taylor/David
Vaz/Keith
Vis/Rudi
Liberal Democrats
Cable/Vincent
Hancock/Mike
Holmes/Paul
Stunell/Andrew
Tonge/Jenny
Conservative Party
Amess/David
Shephard/Gillian
Spink/Bob

Plaid Cymru
Thomas/Simon
Scottish National Party
Ewing/Annabelle
Wishart/Pete

Ulster Unionist Party
Smyth/Martin