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Sara Arapiles

Postdoc

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“A Dignified Standard of Living” for Asylum-Seekers? An Analysis of the UK's Labour Market Restrictions for Asylum-Seekers

Author

  • Sara Arapiles
  • Roda Madziva

Summary, in English

This article firstly explores how the Refugee Convention “implicitly” grants asylum-seekers the right to work. It then analyses core international human rights standards, thereby identifying that the right to work applies to everyone regardless of their legal status. It then moves on to illuminate that the EU asylum acquis, particularly the Reception Conditions Directive, frames the right to work strongly linked to human dignity and to a dignified standard of living, inter alia. The article further explores legal and administrative barriers within the UK that prevent asylum-seekers from participating in paid work. Drawing on the case of Zimbabwean asylum-seekers in the UK, the article argues that the absolute denial of their right to work implies a lack of full recognition of their human dignity and a “dignified standard of living.”

Publishing year

2017

Language

English

Pages

65-81

Publication/Series

Refugee Review

Volume

3

Document type

Journal article

Topic

  • Law

Keywords

  • Asylum-seekers
  • Right to Work
  • 1951 Refugee Convention
  • Reception Conditions Directive
  • Human Dignity
  • Dignified Standard of Living
  • Mänskliga rättigheter

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 2371-9001