Representatives of the UK’s 10 biggest cities outside London have today written to the Home Secretary asking him to let people seeking asylum take up employment .

The City leaders write in support of recent calls for people seeking asylum who have been waiting for more than six months for a decision on their claim to be given the opportunity to work.

The representatives, who include the Mayors of Liverpool and Bristol and the leaders in Manchester, Cardiff and Glasgow City Councils, say the current ban is having a “damaging impact” on people seeking asylum and their relationships with the wider community. In their letter, they say lifting the ban would be good for integration, good for the wellbeing of people seeking asylum, and provide a welcome boost to the national economy.

Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol

Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, said: “People seeking asylum have a huge amount to offer our cities, but preventing them from working forces them into a position of exclusion and dependency. As City leaders we are united in our view that lifting the ban on asylum seekers working is a crucial step towards the inclusive economic growth we all want to see.”

And you can read Mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees’s blog here on why #liftheban.