Work and social welfare for asylum-seekers and refugees: selected EU Member States

Authors: Eva-Maria Poptcheva and Andrej Stuchlik.

This publication provides an overview of the international and EU legal framework on the right to work and the access to social welfare for asylum-seekers and refugees. The legislation and practice in eight Member States is examined, while the economic impact and employment prospects of asylum-seekers and refugees in the EU are also assessed.

Differences in reception standards for asylum-seekers and in treatment of beneficiaries of international protection are said to lead to intra-EU movements, placing a considerable burden on Member States with higher reception standards. EU legislation seeks to ensure that reception standards are comparable throughout the EU, to guarantee asylum-seekers' and refugees' fundamental rights and to prevent 'asylum shopping'. However the value of material benefits to be provided remains a Member State competence.

Analysis of the rules and practices of eight EU Member States as regards access to employment and social welfare for asylum-seekers and refugees does show differences in standards. However, as a general rule, the differences in the level of benefits provided to asylum-seekers correspond to the differences in living standards among Member States.

There are a number of practical hurdles to the effectiveness of the right to work for asylum-seekers and refugees common to all Member States. Making labour markets accessible to asylum-seekers, and evaluating the ongoing trend to shorten periods before their full admission, are considered important elements in improving integration into host Member States.

• Primary Source

European Parliament: Directorate-General for Internal Policies of the Union: Publications available via the EU Bookshop http://bookshop.europa.eu/en/directorate-general-for-internal-policies-of-the-union-cbf.cKABstF7wAAAEjwYYY4e5K/

ESO: Information Guide: European Migration Challenges http://www.europeansources.info/record/information-guide-european-migration-challenges/

European Parliament: European Parliamentary Research Service: In-Depth Analysis, December 2015: Work and social welfare for asylum-seekers and refugees: Selected EU Member States http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/IDAN/2015/572784/EPRS_IDA(2015)572784_EN.pdf

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