Skills audit of refugees

This research, which involved the largest ever skills audit of refugees undertaken in the UK, aimed to explore the skills and qualifications of refugees in the UK. The research was conducted by the Immigration Research and Statistics Service of the Home Office. This skills audit has shown that the asylum applicants who were granted leave to remain in the UK during winter 2002/03 were from a variety of backgrounds with a variety of skills and qualifications. Overall, the occupational groups and economic activity rates of the respondents to this survey were similar to those of the UK population, however these, together with language skills and qualifications held, vary a great deal between the different countries of origin of the respondents. The findings clearly illustrate the diversity within the refugee community and show marked differences between nationalities in levels of language skill, qualifications and experiences of employment. Furthermore, amongst some nationalities at least, there seem to be significant differences in the skills and employment profiles of men and women. The skills audit demonstrates that many refugees have valuable skills and experience which can benefit the UK. Increased awareness of this could help to change public perceptions, foster community cohesion and aid integration. It is hoped that the report will also be a useful tool for practitioners and policy-makers in the statutory, further education and voluntary sectors who are involved with helping refugees into sustainable jobs and assisting their integration.

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