Greens celebrate council commitment to support refugees into employment

Green call for council to address barriers in recruitment for refugee community receives cross party backing

All parties on Brighton and Hove City Council have today agreed to do more to support refugees into council employment, thanks to a proposal from the Greens.

Refugees settled in the U.K are encouraged by the government to find employment – however, reports from the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHCR) have revealed that a number of obstacles, such as a failure to recognise qualifications, or requests for complete documentation, often make job applications and recruitment procedures inaccessible to refugees. [2]

Greens have today called on the council’s Policy, Resources and Growth committee to address the ways the council’s employment procedures might create undue barriers for the city’s refugee community, working with local community and diaspora groups to understand the issues. 

Councillor Siriol Hugh-Jones, who put forward the proposals, commented:

“Many of the refugees who make their homes in Brighton & Hove are highly educated and experienced. However, due to the circumstances in which they left their home countries, they may find it more difficult to produce the documentation they need as evidence of their qualifications. 

“I believe the amendment to the council’s employment procedures we put forward today will go some way to ensuring the council adopts a degree of flexibility when refugees are among the applicants for local council posts. This would also make the Council more reflective of the community – as well as being an important way we can champion, and uphold our city’s reputation as a welcoming, inclusive ‘City of Sanctuary’ for refugees.”

Notes for Editors

Green amendment to the council’s ‘People Promise,’ report, Policy Resources and Growth Committee, 11th July 2019

http://present.brighton-hove.gov.uk/Published/C00000912/M00009322/$$Supp31692dDocPackPublic.pdf

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