A report released today by The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration has stated that refugees who have recently arrived in the UK on the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) faced “substantial barriers” finding work and stressed the need for improvement of English language provision as a means to gaining employment.

World Jewish Relief, whose UK refugee programme has been supported by the Home Office and worked closely with DWP, comments:

“It’s evident that without good English language skills, refugees are finding it extremely hard to find employment. The report states that only 2% of men and women who arrived in Britain under the VPRS scheme (up to spring 2017) had found paid work.

“Yet what we have seen time and time again is that when we work closely with refugees – not only on their language skills, but also on building confidence and getting them ready for the workplace – then they absolutely flourish; they desperately want to learn English and find employment. Of those who we have helped to become ‘job-ready’, 75% have found employment. This huge differential shows that tailored, personalised support will help refugees to overcome barriers, find employment and ultimately better integrate into British society”.