Home Office to change guidelines following refugee group's campaign to allow all asylum seekers to volunteer for the public sector, non-profit organisations and charities
Refugee Action reported yesterday that its campaign against "misleading" Home Office guidelines on asylum seekers and volunteering has been a success.
The group says it received written confirmation from the Home Office that the guidelines will soon be changed.
The new guidelines will state that all asylum seekers are allowed to volunteer, no matter what the status of their claim is, and asylum seekers are allowed to volunteer in the public sector, as well as for non-profit organisations and charities.
A blog post on the Refugee Action website tells how the campaign started when one volunteer was told by the Home Office that he was categorically not allowed to volunteer because he had been refused asylum.
According to the blog post, a check of the Home Office guidance on volunteering revealed a position "complex to the point of impenetrable" and it essentially stated that people who have been refused asylum cannot volunteer and people who are claiming asylum can only volunteer for a charity.
The blog post by Refugee Action's volunteering manager explained further: "People like Hamid, claiming asylum, were being prevented from volunteering in schools, hospitals, leisure centres, sports events - even soup kitchens and drop ins. Several volunteers had been told they would go to prison or have to pay £7,000 in fines – for volunteering their free time!"
Following a 15-month campaign, Refugee Action says it has now heard from the Home Office saying that they have reviewed the requests and the policy is changing.
According to Refugee Action, more than 1,500 people supported its campaign.