Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights raises concerns over insufficient level of support to asylum seekers
The United Nation's Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has found that the UK government's austerity measures and social security reforms, including against asylum seekers, are in breach of its international human rights obligations, the Centre for Welfare Reform reported yesterday.
Image credit: WikipediaThe Committee's concluding observations can be read here.
According to the Centre for Welfare Reform, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights expressed "serious concern" about the impact of austerity policies on the enjoyment of economic and social rights in the UK.
The Committee said in its concluding observations that it was "concerned about the challenges faced by asylum seekers in the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights, particularly due to restrictions in accessing employment and the insufficient level of support provided through the daily allowance."
It recommended that the UK increase the level of support provided to asylum seekers, including through the daily allowance.
The Committee was also concerned about the persistent discrimination against migrant workers in the labour market. In particular, it said it was concerned about the high and increasing concentration of migrant workers in low-paid work and that migrant domestic workers are at greater risk of being victims of abusive working conditions.
In addition, the Committee raised concerns over the Immigration Act 2014's restriction on the access to health services for temporary and undocumented migrants, and it recommended that the UK take steps to ensure migrants, asylum seekers, refused asylum seekers and refugees all have access to the necessary health-care services.
Simon Duffy, Director of the Centre for Welfare Reform, was quoted as saying: "The past six years of Austerity have seen the UK Government intentionally diminish the rights of its own citizens. The Centre for Welfare Reform welcomes the news that the United Nations has strongly criticised the UK Government for these policies - policies that have harmed immigrants, asylum seekers, disabled people and those living in poverty. There is no good reason for these ongoing attacks; instead it seems likely that these groups have been targeted simply because they are convenient scapegoats for problems they did not cause."