A selected bibliography (with hyperlinks) on the right to work of asylum seekers by Julien BLANC

We would like to provide you with the following (non extensive) bibliography on the right to work of asylum seekers and refugees. The following themes are covered: 

- National campaigns/ situation in Cyprus, Germany, France & Ireland.

- Obstacles and discrimination experienced by asylum seekers to access the labour market, 

- ECRE Recommendations and papers on the right to work 

- Researches to "deconstruct the pull factor theory" and research findings on the right to work  as a factor influencing secondary movement

- Researches on the human and financial cost of denying the right to work, on exploitation

- Research and position papers of trade unions and local administration on the topic

- Research, case law and norms relevant (Universal, regional,in the EU, the UK or South Africa)

This bibliography will usefully be completed by consulting the SRLAN webpage on the economic, cultural and social rights of refugees.

A selected Bibliography on the Right to Work of Asylum Seekers (with hyperlinks), by Julien BLANC

This bibliography has been drafted while writing our paper The Right to Work of Claimants for International Protection, a Legal Toolbox and completed later on.

INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC CAMPAIGNS AND SITUATIONS

Asylum Access and the Refugee Work Rights Coalition, Global Refugee Work Rights Report 2014: Taking the Movement from Theory to Practice, 2014.
S. Evripidou, Ombudswoman blasts cheap labour exploitation of asylum seekers, Cyprus Mail, January 2008.

Fanning, Loyal & Staunton, Irish Refugee Council, Asylum seekers and the right to work in Ireland, July 2000.

GISTI, Immigrés : le grand chantier de la ‘dés-intégration’ Le droit au travail des demandeurs d'asile : l' expérience de l' Allemagne, Plein Droit, n° 15-16, Novembre 1991.

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DISCRIMINATION, OBSTACLES TO ACCESSING THE LABOUR MAKET, POSITIVE DISCRIMINATION

UNHCR comments on the draft General Comment on the Right to just and favourable conditions of work (article 7 ICESCR), May 2015.

Fanning, Loyal & Staunton, Irish Refugee Council, Asylum seekers and the right to work in Ireland, July 2000.

Costa Lacoux J., L'insertion sociale des réfugiés et demandeurs d'asile en Europe, Revue Européenne de Migrations Internationales P.153, vol. 3, 1988.

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ECRE RECOMMENDATIONS AND RESEARCH PAPERS

ECRE, Overview of social and economic rights of refugees and asylum seekers in Europe: International obligations: Education and Employment, R. Cholewinski, 2004, p. 14., pp. 20-1.
http://www.ecre.org/resources/Policy_papers/354.

ECRE, Research paper on the social and economic rights of non- nationals in Europe, p. 49, J. A. Dent, 1998. http://www.ecre.org/resources/Policy_papers/356

ECRE, The EC Directive on the Reception of Asylum Seekers: Are asylum seekers in Europe receiving material support and access to employment in accordance with European legislation? (‘ECRE Implementation report Reception Directive’), November 2005: http://www.ecre.org/resources/Policy_papers/343

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Secondary movement, deconstructing the pull factor effect theory

S. Da Lomba, The threat of destitution as a deterrent against asylum seeking in the European Union, January 2006, p. 228.

E. LESTER, Work, the right to work and durable solutions: a Study on Sierra Leonean refugees in Gambia, 2005.

E.R. Thielemann, Does Policy harmonization work? The EU’s role in regulating migration flows, 2003 or S. Da Lomba, The right to seek refugee status in the European Union, Ed. Intersentia, pp.228-30, 2004.

S. E. Zimmermann, Irregular secondary movement to Europe, seeking asylum beyond refuge, Journal of Refugee Studies, 11 February 2009.

UNHCR, Comments on the European Commission proposal for a Council Directive laying down minimum standards on the reception of applicants for asylum in Member States (COM (2001) 181 final), (‘Comments on Proposal Reception Directive’), 30 July 2001.

A.     Boecker & T. Havinga, Asylum migration to the European Union: Patterns of origin and destination, 1998.

The Centre for Social Justice, Asylum Matters, Dec. 2008, pp.48-53; p.66, 73-4.

European Training Foundation, Migration, Education And Work: European Training Foundation studies the human resources contribution to migration policy, September 2008. Research from the European Training Foundation, a EU Agency, concludes that the skills learnt by returnees at work abroad are among the most valuable elements contribute to successful reintegration upon return.

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Human and financial cost of inactivity, ‘Deskillization’, Risk of being exploited, Programmes to implement, promote the right to work of asylum seekers

UNHCR comments on the draft General Comment on the Right to just and favourable conditions of work (article 7 ICESCR), May 2015.

Asylum Access and the Refugee Work Rights Coalition, Global Refugee Work Rights Report 2014: Taking the Movement from Theory to Practice, 2014.
J. Burnett & F. Chebe, Forced inactivity and barriers to participation among refused asylum seekers, September 2009.

British Refugee Council, The forbidden workforce: Asylum seekers, the employment concession and access to the UK labour market, March 2005.

Silove D., Steel Z., Watters C., Policies of deterrence and the mental health of asylum seekers, August 2000.

EQUAL, Getting asylum seekers into employment, Final recommendations, 2007.

EQUAL webpage http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/equal/activities/etg5_en.cfm.

Joint Committee on Human Rights, Economic and social rights in the UK, Twenty- first report, 2 November 2004 and The Treatment of Asylum seekers, 10^th report, §§120-2, 30 Marc 2007.

GISTI, Immigrés : le grand chantier de la ‘dés-intégration’ Le droit au travail des demandeurs d' asile : l' expérience de l' Allemagne, Plein Droit, n° 15-16, Novembre 1991.

L. Doyle, I hate being idle, Wasted skills and enforced dependence among Zimbabweans asylum seekers in the UK, July 2009

A. Thorp, Asylum seekers and the right to work, Note for the House of Commons, 12 January 2009, p.8.

Think Tank working with Refugees in the Czech Republic, Constructive suggestions to the Green Paper on the future of the Common European Asylum System, 30 September 2007.

Waddington, Valuing skills and supporting Integration, NIACE, 2005, p.34.

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TRADE UNION, LOCAL ADMINISTRATIONS AND THE RIGHT TO WORK OF ASYLUM SEEKERS

G. Adam, Social partners push for labour market access for asylum seekers, Institute of Industrial Sociology, University of Vienna, 22 October 2007

ETUC, Response to the European Commission Green Paper on a EU approach to managing economic migration, 2004, p. 4, §5.

R. Webb, Work is a human right: seeking asylum, seeking employment, Southern Cross University, 2010 (Australia)

See also http://www.inticities.eu/upl/1/default/doc/INTI-Cities_English.pdf for the role of local administrations in promoting effectively and lobby for the right to work of asylum seekers.

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LEGAL ANALYSIS AND RELEVANT NORMS ON THE RIGHT TO WORK OF ASYLUM SEEKERS AND REFUGEES

UNHCR comments on the draft General Comment on the Right to just and favourable conditions of work (article 7 ICESCR), May 2015.

Asylum Access and the Refugee Work Rights Coalition, Global Refugee Work Rights Report 2014: Taking the Movement from Theory to Practice, 2014.
CESCR, The right to work, General Comment n°18, Article 6 of the ICESCR, E/C.12/CG/18, (‘General Comment n° 18’), 6 February 2006. See: General comment n°18

^{CESCR, Concluding observations on the third periodic report on Denmark, E/2000/22, §115, 2000.}

CESCR, General Comment n°3 on the nature of States Parties’ obligations (Art. 2, §1), UN Doc. E/1991/23, §2, 5th Session, 1991.

UNHCR,  General  conclusion  on  international  protection,  (‘General  conclusion’),  Executive  Committee Conclusion n°50, 1988, §K.

UNHCR, Reception standards for asylum seekers in the European Union, (‘Reception standards), July 2000.

UNHCR, Comments on the European Commission proposal for a Council Directive laying down minimum standards on the reception of applicants for asylum in Member States (COM (2001) 181 final), (‘Comments on Proposal Reception Directive’), 30 July 2001.

UNHCR Discussion Paper: Reception Standards: Employment, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Regional Office for Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific, n°. 1, 2006, pp. 5-20.

It contains the following articles:

· The Right to Work for Refugees and Asylum- Seekers: A Comparative View by Alice Edwards 

· Australia's Reception Arrangements for Asylum-Seekers by the Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMA)

· The Need for a Uniform Community-Based Reception Policy for Asylum Seekers in Australia by Grant Mitchell

·  Moving Towards a Uniform Community-Based Reception Model for Asylum-Seeker

·   Reception Standards: Employment by the UNHCR Regional Office Canberra

Reworking the Relationship between Asylum and Employment, By Penelope Mathew, 3rd May 2012, Routledge. 

The Michigan Guideline on the right to work, November 2009. University of Michigan.

M. Craven, The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, a perspective on its developments, 1993.

M. M. Sepulveda, The nature of the obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Intersentia Edition, 2003

J.C. Hathaway, The rights of refugees under international law, Cambridge University press, 2005, p. 747.

Hemme Battjes, European Asylum law and International law, Martinus Nijhoff publishers, 2006.
K. Boele, Don’t look a Gift Horse in the Mouth, Science Shop of Law, Economics and Governance of the Utrecht University (ISBN: 978-90-5213-192-4 prof. mr. I. Giesen and dr. A.C. Buyse), date unknown. 
J. BLANC, The Right to Work of Claimants for International Protection, a Legal Toolbox, July 2011.

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EU LAW

Council directive 2001/55/EC, of 20 July 2001, on minimum standards for giving temporary protection in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons and on measures promoting a balance of efforts between Member States in receiving such persons and bearing the consequences thereo

Available at: http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2001:212:0012:0023:EN:PDF

UNHCR, Comments on the European Commission proposal for a Council Directive laying down minimum standards on the reception of applicants for asylum in Member States (COM (2001) 181 final), (‘Comments on Proposal Reception Directive’), 30 July 2001.

Council directive 2003/9/ECof 27 January 2003 laying down minimum standards for the reception of asylum seekers, Available at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2003:031:0018:0025:EN:PDF

Council Directive 2005/85/EC of December 1, 2005, on minimum standards on procedures in member states for granting and withholding refugee status (OJ 2005 L326/13). http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32004L0083:EN:HTML

European Commission, Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down minimum standards for the reception of asylum seekers (recast), detailed explanation of the proposal, COM
(2008) 815 final, Annex, 2008/0244 (COD), {SEC (2008) 2944}{SEC (2008) 2945}, 3.12.2008.

European Commission, Impact assessment accompanying the Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down minimum standards for the reception of asylum seekers, SEC (2008) 2944, p.16, 03.12.2008.

European Commission. (2008, 12 03). Proposal for a Directive laying down minimum standards for the reception of asylum seekers (Recast), COM (2008) 815 final, see footnote 12.

European Commission. Amended proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down standards for the reception of asylum seekers (Recast), COM(2011) 320 final, 2008/0244 (COD). For an update on the proposal to amend the recast of the reception condition directive pending at European Parliament and Council level for adoption in co-decision, see http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/file.jsp?id=5723652.

EU RIGHTS and potential conflicts between EU law and the GCRS

Hemme Battjes, European Asylum law and International law, Martinus Nijhoff publishers, 2006.

Hemme Batjes, Ibid, p 555-6, p.560
K. Boele, Don’t look a Gift Horse in the Mouth, Science Shop of Law, Economics and Governance of the Utrecht University (ISBN: 978-90-5213-192-4 prof. mr. I. Giesen and dr. A.C. Buyse), date unknown. 

J. BLANC, The Right to Work of Claimants for International Protection, a Legal Toolbox, July 2011.

EU charter of fundamental rights, Available at:             

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:C:2007:303:SOM:EN:HTML

European Court of Justice, Brasserie du Pêcheur SA v. Bundesrepublik Deutschland and The Queen v. Secretary of State for Transport, ex parte: Factortame Ltd & al., joint cases C-46/93 and C-48/93, 5 March 1996.

European Court of Justice, Johnston, 222/84, 15 May 1986.

European Court of Justice,Francovitch & Bonifaci, C-6/90 & C-9/90, ECR 1991, I-5357.

Rob Widdershoven, Administrative law of the European Union, its Member States and the United States, A comparative analysis, Ed. R. Seerden & F. Stroink, Intersentia, pp. 296-8, 2002.

ECJ, Case 283/81, CILFIT Srl v. Ministro della Sanita [1982] ECR 3415. par. 16.

Article 12 Reception Conditions Directive covers the right to vocational training of asylum seekers.

ECRE, Overview of Social and Economic Rights of Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Europe: International obligations: Education and Employment, 2004, R. Cholewinski, p. 16. http://www.ecre.org/resources/Policy_papers/354

Hemme Batjes, Ibid., p.506.

[2009] EWCA Civ 442, Case No: C4/2008/1737; C4/2008/1809; C4/2008/3091, ZO, MM, DT v. SSHD.

[2010] UKSC 36 On appeal from: 2009 EWCA Civ 442, 28 July 2010.

[2009] EWCA Civ 442, Case No: C42008/1737; C4/2008/1809; C4/2008/3091, ZO, MM, DT v. SSHD.

 [2010] UKSC 36 On appeal from: 2009 EWCA Civ 442, 28 July 2010, §§47-49.

J.A Dent, Ibid., p. 49.

The Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain emitted reservations. To view reservations emitted by States parties to the GCRS: http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/treaty2ref.htm

Hemme Batjes, Ibid., p.501-2.

ECRE, The EC Directive on the Reception of Asylum Seekers: Are asylum seekers in Europe receiving material support and access to employment in accordance with European legislation? (‘ECRE Implementation report Reception Directive’), November 2005: http://www.ecre.org/resources/Policy_papers/343

J.C. Hathaway, Ibid, p.761.

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REGIONAL AND DOMESTIC CASELAW, UNIVERSAL AND DOMESTIC HUMAN RIGHTS MONITORING BODIES

UK

House of Lords, [2005] UKHL66, Adam v. Secretary of State Home Department, 2005. Inhuman and degrading treatment, reception conditions.

For a legal analysis of relevant case law in the United Kingdom see also S. Da Lomba, The threat of destitution as a deterrent against asylum seeking in the European Union, January 2006.

[2008] EWHC 3064 (admin), Dawit Tekle v. State Secretary Home Department, (‘[2008] EWHC 3064, D.T. v. SSHD’), §§ 17;19; 24-6; 30-40; §§47-50.  11 December 2008. Right to work, right to family life, EU Reception condition directive.

[2009] EWCA Civ 442, Case No: C4/2008/1737; C4/2008/1809; C4/2008/3091, ZO, MM, DT v. SSHD.

[2010] UKSC 36 On appeal from: 2009 EWCA Civ 442, §10, 28 July 2010, the UK Supreme Court chooses not to examine applicability of article 8 ECHR.

CESCR

UNHCR comments on the draft General Comment on the Right to just and favourable conditions of work (article 7 ICESCR), May 2015.

CESCR, Concluding observations on Italy, 14 Dec. 2004, E/C.12/1/Add.103, §§ 21, 42. Asylum seekers, needs, vulnerable migrants

CESCR,Concluding observations on Germany, 24 Sept. 2001, E/C.12/1/Add.68, §§ 16, 34. Asylum seekers, needs, vulnerable migrants

CESCR, Concluding observations on the third periodic report on Denmark, E/2000/22, §115, 2000. Asylum seekers, needs, vulnerable migrants

Ombudsman/ woman

S. Evripidou, Ombudswoman blasts cheap labour exploitation of asylum seekers, Cyprus Mail
January 2008. Overbroad restriction of right to work leading to exploitation, deterrence policy repealled.

ECHR

Colm O’Cinneide, A modest proposal: destitution, State responsibility and the European Convention of Human Rights.

ECHR, Grand Chamber, Case of M.S.S. v. Belgium and Greece, application no. 30696/09, §3 21 January 2011 and mutatis mutandis, ECHR, Grand Chamber, Case of Oršuš and Others v. Croatia, application n° 15766/03, § 147, 2010.

ECHR, Airey v. Republic of Ireland, C-6289/73, 9 October 1973 on economic and social rights deriving from ECHR.

ECHR, Grand Chamber, Case of M.S.S. v. Belgium and Greece, application no. 30696/09, §3 21 January 2011: right to work, inhuman and degrading treatment, reception conditions.

COUNCIL OF EUROPE

Secretariat of the Council of Europe, Migrants’ right in the European Social Charter, 22 June 2006.

Secretariat of the Council of Europe, Ibid., p.3.

For a list of State that have accepted article 18 ESC see: http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/socialcharter/Presentation/SignatureRatificationIndex_en.asp

SOUTH AFRICA

South African Supreme Court, Union of Refugee Women and Others v. Director, Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority and Others , (CCT 39/06) [2006] ZACC 23; 2007 (4) BCLR 339 (CC), 12 December 2006, right to work.

 ^{[2003] Z}ASCA 142; [2004] 1 All SA 21 (SCA), (010/2003), Minister of Home Affairs and Others v. Watchenuka and Others, 28 November 2003, §§32-34 or [2008] EWHC 3664, D.T. v SSHD, §§17, 19, 24-6, 27-32, 30-40,  47-50, right to work.

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LAWFUL STAY AND PRESENCE OF ASYLUM SEEKERS/ REFUGEES

Asylum Access and the Refugee Work Rights Coalition, Global Refugee Work Rights Report 2014: Taking the Movement from Theory to Practice, 2014.
The list of State parties to the GCRS and its protocol can be fond at the following link: http://www.unhcr.org/protect/PROTECTION/3b73b0d63.pdf

Costa Lacoux J., L'insertion sociale des réfugiés et demandeurs d'asile en Europe, Revue Européenne de Migrations Internationales P.153, vol. 3, 1988.

UNHCR, Handbook on procedures and criteria for determining refugee status, 1979, §28.

UNHCR, The problem of Manifestly unfounded or abusive applications of refugee status or asylum, Excom Conclusion n°30, §(d), 1983.

UNHCR, ‘Lawfully staying’- A note on Interpretation, 3 May 1988, pp.8 -11. http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/42ad93304.html

UNHCR, Ibid., 3 May 1988, p.3, §7.

J.A Dent summed up the various positions of different scholars defining lawful stay:  see ECRE, Research paper on the social and economic rights of non- nationals in Europe, pp.15-19, J. A. Dent, 1998. http://www.ecre.org/resources/Policy_papers/356 .

ECRE, J. A. Dent, Ibid., p. 49.
Hemme Batjes, European asylum law and international law, 2006, p.501 and p. 453.

J.C. Hathaway, Ibid., p.658. J.C. Hathaway, Ibid. footnote 125.

J.C. Hathaway, The rights of refugees under international law, Cambridge University press, 2005, pp. 175-6.

J.C. Hathaway, ibid., p. 187, footnote 159 and

J.C Hathaway, Ibid., p. 659., p.754., p. 756.
Pr. A. Grahl Madsen, Commentary on the 1951 Geneva Convention on Refugee Status, 1963. http://www.unhcr.org/publ/PUBL/3d4ab5fb9.pdf

UNHCR, Integration rights and practices with regard to recognized refugees in the Central European Countries, European Series, (‘Integration rights’), Vol. 5, n°1, July 2000.

G. Goodwin- Gill & J. McAdam, The refugee in international law, Oxford University press, 3rd ed., 2007, p. 509.

ECRE, Research paper on the social and economic rights of non- nationals in Europe, p. 49, J. A. Dent, 1998. http://www.ecre.org/resources/Policy_papers/356

Pr. Grahl Madsen, Ibid. Comment on article 7 GCRS.

UNHCR, Integration rights. See also Pr. Grahl Madsen, Ibid, Comments on articles 18 & 19, p.68.