Lift the Ban Coalition Meeting

Lift the Ban Coalition Meeting

On Monday 21st January we took part in a Lift the Ban coalition gathering in London. With more than 140 coalition members, this was a great opportunity to connect with others who are working on this issue and exchange ideas.

The day celebrated a successful start to the campaign in 2018 and looked ahead to the first few months of 2019, a crucial period for the campaign. The event was a combination of networking, workshops and hearing from a range of actors all campaigning to secure the right to work for people seeking asylum.

Matt, our Marketing & Communications Officer, took part in a workshop on 'Next steps' for the coalition (after we win!), which involved looking at the barriers faced by refugees and asylum seekers entering the workforce, and some of the solutions to address these barriers. He gave a quick summary of our pilot with Bristol Refugee Rights, funded by the Quartet Community Foundation, to give asylum seekers experience of employment in the UK through short visits to employers across the city.

He also gave examples of how our best practice in refugee employment support could be used more widely by the coalition. This will be increasingly important as we look ahead to a future where the the ban has been lifted, and at how to best support these skilled individuals into work.

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