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UK-funded field hospital established in Gaza

A top Israeli commander said Saturday his troops would continue their operation at Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa, until “the last militant is in their hands.”…reports Asian Lite News

A British-funded field hospital in Gaza has been established and will soon open to provide much-needed healthcare services to the enclave’s population, it was reported on Saturday.

The tented hospital, set up by British non-governmental organization UK-Med, left Manchester and arrived in the Palestinian territory earlier this week. It has capacity for 250 patients a day, a report in The Telegraph said.

It will replace a temporary medical facility previously set up by UK-Med, which could handle 100 patients, as well as its mobile health clinics set up on sites north of Rafah where half of Gaza’s population has fled amid Israeli bombardment of the Strip in its war with Hamas.

Doctors and nurses from the UK and around the world will work at the new facility, the Telegraph report added.

“The scale of the need is simply staggering,” UK-Med’s chief executive David Wightwick told the BBC.

“There are very few services of any kind and the health services have been eroded to the extent that if you are sick, if you are ill, if you are wounded, you are in a very difficult situation,” he added.

As well as the field hospital, UK-Med has sent a surgical team to help at the Al-Aqsa Hospital, the only permanent hospital still operation in Gaza.

A top Israeli commander said Saturday his troops would continue their operation at Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa, until “the last militant is in their hands.”

Israeli troops launched the operation in and around the hospital on Monday, citing the need to clear senior Hamas operatives they claimed were based at the facility.

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Kate Middleton battling cancer

The 42-year-old princess revealed her cancer battle a day earlier in an emotional video statement, after weeks of relentless scrutiny over her health…reports Asian Lite News

The announcement from Catherine, Princess of Wales that she has started chemotherapy for cancer and is in the “early stages of that treatment” was a bolt from the blue.

As Britain woke up on Saturday morning, the tone of every major newspaper was of concern. The Times struck a reassuring note with its front page headline, “Princess reveals her cancer and says: I’m going to be OK.” The FT Weekend opted for “Kate puts end to speculation” while The Sun tabloid told the princess, “KATE, YOU ARE NOT ALONE”

The 42-year-old princess revealed her cancer battle a day earlier in an emotional video statement, after weeks of relentless scrutiny over her health.

It was a bold move. This is someone who gets nervous speaking in front of cameras, let alone about such a deeply personal matter. But the video – simply shot, on a bench in front of a spray of spring foliage – showed Kate earnestly sharing her story on her own terms and in her own words.

It was powerful to hear her speak so plainly and openly about what she is experiencing. That decision to connect with the public by herself would have been a decision she made in consultation with her husband, Prince William, who is heir to the British throne.

Catherine, Princess of Wales visits HMP High Down on September 12, 2023 in Sutton, England. The Princess of Wales (in her role as Patron of The Forward Trust) is visiting the prison to learn about how the charity is supporting those in the criminal justice system to manage and recover from their addictions.

The princess acknowledged that it has been a challenging few weeks. Interest in Kate – who vanished from view at Christmas – persisted this week after reports emerged that staff at the hospital where she was being treated in January may have tried to illegally access her private medical notes. It remains unclear if the alleged data breach was successful but three people are said to be under investigation.

That somber development had followed an unprecedented hurricane of unfounded conspiracy theories which blew up in the absence of specifics surrounding her surgery in January, supercharged by William’s unusual absence from his godfather’s memorial in late February and the admission by Kate that she had edited a photograph released by the family to mark Mother’s Day in the UK earlier this month.

The disclosure about her health puts a new perspective on that photo – and the events of the past few weeks. The official line is that she had been recovering from abdominal surgery, when the reality was a lot more serious than that. Yet again, the royal family could face some difficult questions about what they chose to reveal to the public, and when.

Beyond that, It is an extraordinary moment for the British monarchy. The institution is now facing one of its biggest crises in recent memory, with two of its most senior family members essentially out of action. It also leaves Prince William and Queen Camilla to front the institution while caring for their spouses.

The cancer diagnosis of the future Queen comes on the heels of King Charles III’s own health battle, which was revealed in early February – less than a year after his coronation. The 75-year-old monarch also made the decision to temporarily step away from public duties as he undergoes cancer treatment (though he continues his constitutional obligations behind the scenes).

British newspaper front pages feature cover stories on Kate in March 2024 after several major news agencies withdrew a photo distributed by Kensington Palace showing Kate and her children, saying they believed the photo had been manipulated. Kate later apologized and admitted that she had edited the photograph, which was released amid speculation about her health.

People watch a broadcast of Kate revealing that she is undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer. The pre-recorded video was released on Friday, March 22.

With Britain still coming to terms with the King’s diagnosis, it is perhaps even more shocking to learn of Kate’s condition given her relative youth. To her devoted supporters, she is the epitome of good health, beauty and perfection. Since marrying into the family in 2011, she has rarely put a foot wrong and proven herself to be a dependable figure of “the firm.” That dependability has now been replaced by vulnerability, unsettling a steadfast institution.

Many remember how she stood outside the Lindo Wing at London’s St. Mary’s Hospital – the de facto maternity ward for royal births – hours after giving birth to each of her three children. She is beloved for her poise and timeless elegance, making her one of the most popular faces of the family.

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UK, Australia call for ‘immediate’ end to fighting in Gaza

The call, which signals Britain and Australia’s increasing anxiety about the toll and impact of the war, came before the United Nations Security Council’s expected vote on a US-drafted resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza…reports Asian Lite News

Australia and the United Kingdom have called for an “immediate cessation of fighting” in Gaza, warning of “potentially devastating consequences” if Israel goes ahead with a planned ground assault on the southern city of Rafah.

The two countries issued a joint statement on Friday, expressing “deep concern at the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza” after Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles hosted their British counterparts, David Cameron and Grant Shapps, for talks in Adelaide.

The ministers noted “the large number of displaced persons taking refuge in the area and lack of safe spaces in Gaza” as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved plans for an attack on Gaza’s southernmost area, where more than 1.4 million Palestinians have sought shelter after fleeing bombardments in other parts of the enclave.

“They expressed the urgency of an immediate cessation of fighting in Gaza to allow aid to flow and hostages to be released as a crucial step toward a permanent, sustainable ceasefire,” said the statement, which was released as truce negotiations mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States are continuing in Doha.

The call, which signals Britain and Australia’s increasing anxiety about the toll and impact of the war, came before the United Nations Security Council’s expected vote on a US-drafted resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

The draft text describes an “immediate and sustained ceasefire” as an imperative to protect civilians and allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid. A truce would also be conditional on the release of some of the remaining captives taken by Hamas in its attacks on southern Israel on October 7.

Washington has for months vetoed calls for resolutions including that language, shielding its ally Israel amid rising global condemnation of a war in which close to 32,000 Palestinians have been killed.

A UN resolution would heap pressure on Netanyahu to pull back from an offensive in Rafah. But it is far from clear that any resolution would halt the war altogether.

Britain is also a veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council along with the US, Russia, China and France.

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Red Sea coalition destroys Houthi drone, boat

Steven Fagin, the US ambassador to Yemen, called the Houthi destruction of houses “a brutal attack,” and said that the Yemeni militia continues to mistreat Yemenis in areas they control…reports Asian Lite News

The US-led naval coalition in the Red Sea has destroyed a Houthi drone and a remote-controlled, explosive-laden boat targeting merchant vessels off the Yemen coast.

US Central Command said early on Thursday that its forces had destroyed a remote-controlled boat, while an aircraft from the US-led coalition shot down a drone launched by the Yemeni militia on Wednesday at international commercial and naval ships.

“It was determined these weapons presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region,” CENTCOM said.

The EU’s Red Sea naval mission said on Wednesday that a French Navy helicopter shot down a Houthi drone flying over the southern Red Sea near commercial vessels. The Houthis have yet to claim responsibility for launching the drone or boat.

Since November, the militia has launched hundreds of missiles, drones, and remote-controlled boats against foreign commercial and naval ships in the Red Sea, Bab Al-Mandab Strait, and Gulf of Aden, claiming to be acting in support of Palestinians.

Meanwhile, the Houthis face growing condemnation over their deadly house destruction in Al-Bayda.

Yemen’s internationally recognized government urged the world, including the UN and other international bodies, on Thursday to designate the militia as terrorists, and to condemn Houthi human rights violations, such as the recent demolition of homes in Radaa, Al-Bayda, which left 35 civilians injured or dead.

In a letter to the UN Security Council, the UN secretary-general, and international delegates at the UN, the Yemeni government requested the UN take “concrete and strict measures” against the Houthis to put an end to their abuses in Yemen.

“While the terrorist Houthi militias falsely claim to be protecting the Palestinian people in Gaza, they continue to commit the same atrocities and heinous crimes against the Yemeni people that the Israeli occupation forces do against Palestinians.”

At the same time, foreign embassies in Yemen, as well as local and international human rights organizations, have condemned the Houthis for damaging people’s houses in Radaa and urged them to stop their attacks.

In a post on X, the British Embassy described “harrowing” photographs of Houthi damage to houses in Radaa, and expressed condolences to the families of the victims. “We condemn the attack in the strongest terms. More tragic loss of life from reckless Houthi attacks.”

Steven Fagin, the US ambassador to Yemen, called the Houthi destruction of houses “a brutal attack,” and said that the Yemeni militia continues to mistreat Yemenis in areas they control.

“This act of violence serves as a grim reminder of the ongoing suffering and instability that persists in areas controlled by the Houthis. The people of Yemen deserve to live in a safe and secure environment, free from the threat of violence and oppression, and the United States remains committed to supporting peace in Yemen,” the US ambassador said in a statement on X.

Human Rights Watch also called on the Houthis to immediately investigate the destruction of homes, bring those responsible to justice, and compensate those affected.

“Houthi forces in Yemen are continuing their brutal treatment of civilians under their rule by deliberately detonating a residential home and apparently killing at least nine people from the same family,” Michael Page, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.

ALSO READ-UNSC calls for halt to Houthi attacks on Red Sea vessels

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Starmer urges change over St George’s Cross design

The FA revealed the new kits to be worn by England men’s, women’s and para teams in 2024 earlier in the week…reports Asian Lite News

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called on Nike to change a new England football shirt featuring different colours in the cross of St George. Nike says the shirt, launched ahead of Euro 2024, includes a “playful update” to the cross “to unite and inspire”.

But it has been criticised for featuring navy, light blue and purple in a flag on the back of the collar. The US firm said the colours were inspired by the training kit worn by England’s 1966 World Cup winners.

Some football pundits, politicians and fans have criticised the shirt’s design and price after it launched earlier this week. Going on sale on 21 March, the “authentic” version is priced at £124.99 for adults and £119.99 for children, while a “stadium” version costs £84.99 and £64.99 for children.

Sir Keir told The Sun that the “flag is used by everybody, it is a unifier, it doesn’t need to be changed”. He said: “We just need to be proud of it. So I think they should just reconsider this and change it back.

“I’m not even sure they properly can explain why they thought they needed to change in the first place.” The Labour leader also called on Nike to reduce the price of the shirts.

Pundit Chris Sutton told Mail Sport’s podcast It’s All Kicking Off: “It’s not the cross of St George, is it? I do understand that there will be people out there who will say it’s not representative when it’s on an England jersey and shouldn’t represent an England jersey. I do understand that.” “I’m not going to get angry about that, but for heaven’s sake, could the FA have not just, you know… explained?”

The FA revealed the new kits to be worn by England men’s, women’s and para teams in 2024 earlier in the week.

England’s men’s team are set to wear the new kits – with a purple away shirt launched at the same time as the white home one – for the first time during matches with Brazil and Belgium at Wembley on 23 and 26 March.

In a post on X on 18 March, Nike described the redesigned flag as “a playful update to the cross of St George” which “appears on the collar to unite and inspire”.

A Nike spokesperson told media outlets: “The England 2024 Home kit disrupts history with a modern take on a classic. The trim on the cuffs takes its cues from the training gear worn by England’s 1966 heroes, with a gradient of blues and reds topped with purple. The same colours also feature an interpretation of the flag of St George on the back of the collar.”

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Veterinary watchdog seizes antibiotics from India

pills.

The VMD said the medicines were seized under Regulation 25, pertaining to the importation of unauthorised veterinary medicinal products, of the UK’s Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013…reports Asian Lite News

A package containing antibiotic tablets intended for animal use was seized by the UK’s Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) at Heathrow Airport in west London on Thursday.

The Amoxycillin and Potassium Clavulanate tablets in the package were identified by a courier company based at a depot in the Heathrow Distribution Centre.

The VMD, an executive agency of the UK government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) charged with protecting animal health, public health and the environment, said the parcel had arrived from India containing medicine destined for a residential address in Lancashire, north-west England.

“The medicine – five boxes (each containing 100 tablets) of Amoxycillin and Potassium Clavulanate Tablets (Finecure Pharmaceuticals Ltd) – was detained and subsequently seized by an inspector from the VMD,” the veterinarian watchdog said in a statement.

“This antibiotic product was intended for use in companion animals. The product listed is not authorised for use in GB [Greater Britain] or NI [Northern Ireland] and was not accompanied by any relevant certification to permit their import,” it said.

The VMD said the medicines were seized under Regulation 25, pertaining to the importation of unauthorised veterinary medicinal products, of the UK’s Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013.

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Budget deficit totals £8.4 bn in Feb

Ruth Gregory, chief UK economist at the consultancy Capital Economics, said the “disappointing” borrowing figures suggested the OBR forecast “already looks too optimistic”…reports Asian Lite News

Jeremy Hunt has been handed disappointing news from the public finances after government borrowing was higher than expected in February, leaving the national debt at the highest levels since the 1960s.

The Office for National Statistics said public sector net borrowing was £8.4bn in February, £3.4bn less than in the same month a year ago. However, it was higher than any economist expected in a Reuters poll that predicted a deficit of £6bn.

Jessica Barnaby, a senior statistician at the ONS, said: “This was the fourth consecutive month in which borrowing was lower than in the same month a year ago, with growth in tax receipts exceeding growth in spending. Relative to the size of our economy, debt remains at levels last seen in the early 1960s.”

With one month of the 2023-24 financial year remaining, the ONS said the budget deficit for the year so far stood at £106.8bn, down 4.1% compared with first 11 months of the same period a year earlier.

However, February’s unexpectedly high level of borrowing could put in danger forecasts made by the Office for Budget Responsibility alongside this month’s budget for a £114.1bn deficit for 2023-24 as a whole.

Ruth Gregory, chief UK economist at the consultancy Capital Economics, said the “disappointing” borrowing figures suggested the OBR forecast “already looks too optimistic”.

“But this may not prevent the government from squeezing in another pre-election tax-cutting fiscal event later this year,” she added.

“But a fiscal tightening will probably still be required beyond 2024. So anything the chancellor gives away will probably be taken away once the election is over.”

The latest figures showed growth in central government receipts, with a £6.3bn increase in revenue from income tax, corporation tax and VAT compared with the same month a year earlier.

Even after a 2p cut in national insurance announced by Hunt in last year’s autumn statement, which came into effect from January, the figures for February showed a rise in income from social security contributions of about £400m from the same month a year earlier.

However, the growth in tax income was outweighed by the impact of inflation on government spending.

Laura Trott, the chief secretary to the Treasury, said the economy was “turning a corner” with falling inflation and rising wages.

“It was right that this government provided billions pounds to support individuals and businesses during Covid, and pay half of people’s energy bills after Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. But we can’t leave future generations to pick up the tab,” she added.

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UK threatens Israel with arms embargo

Cameron warned Israeli officials during talks that Europe could impose an arms embargo if Israel persists in denying access to members of Hamas being held in prison..reports Asian Lite News

The UK has reportedly warned Israel that it will withhold weapons unless the Red Cross is granted access to jailed Hamas militants.

Rights groups and Israeli media have highlighted the severe conditions in which Palestinian prisoners are currently held, with at least 10 Palestinians killed in Israeli prisons since October, in addition to the deaths of 24 people in the custody of the Israel Defense Forces.

Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that a British legal team visited Israel earlier in the month to investigate the situation, and claimed that all prisoners in Israel, including Hamas suspects, should be allowed a visit by the International Committee of the Red Cross, in line with the Geneva Convention.

Israel claims an exemption to that law on security grounds.

The UK’s Foreign Secretary David Cameron warned Israeli officials during recent talks that Europe could impose an arms embargo if Israel persists in denying access to members of Hamas being held in prison.

This follows reports in February that the UK was considering withholding arms should Israel attack the city of Rafah in Gaza.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz reportedly sent a letter to Cameron urging the UK to support Israel and not weaken its stance during ongoing negotiations with Hamas for a ceasefire and the release of hostages.

He is said to have told Cameron that there was “no room” for restricting the supply of weapons at such a pivotal moment in the negotiations, The Telegraph reported.

Israel’s National Security Council reportedly held a closed-door meeting on Tuesday to consider a petition from a leading Israeli rights group that demanded Red Cross access to prisoners from Hamas. The council reportedly unanimously decided against allowing such visits.

Israeli spokesman Levy suspended

Israel’s English-language government spokesman Eylon Levy has been suspended. The Israeli prime minister’s office has not given a reason. But it is understood that the decision is linked to a recent online row with the UK Foreign Secretary, Lord Cameron.

Levy has so far not commented. On 8 March, he wrote a now-deleted post on X responding to another one from Lord Cameron that urged Israel “to allow more [aid] trucks into Gaza”.

“I hope you are also aware there are NO limits on the entry of food, water, medicine, or shelter equipment into Gaza, and in fact the crossings have EXCESS capacity,” Levy replied.

“Test us. Send another 100 trucks a day to Kerem Shalom and we’ll get them in,” he added, referring to an Israeli-controlled border crossing.

Two days earlier, he had written another post criticising a statement issued by Lord Cameron after a meeting with an Israeli minister in London.

Israel’s Channel 12 News reported on Tuesday that Levy was suspended shortly after the UK Foreign Office wrote to Israel’s foreign ministry to express its “surprise” and seek clarification on whether Mr Levy’s posts represented the Israeli government’s official position.

The Financial Times cited a person familiar with the matter as characterising the British query as: “Is this the way allies speak to each other?”

There was no immediate response from Levy. But he described himself as an Israeli government spokesman in several posts on X on Tuesday. Levy, who is in his 30s, was born in the UK and emigrated to Israel in 2014.

He served in Cogat, the Israeli defence ministry body that oversees policy for the Palestinian territories, worked as a TV news anchor and was most recently international media adviser to President Isaac Herzog.

Dowden defends Israel

Britain’s deputy prime minister defended Israel’s right to protect itself amid growing tension between the Middle Eastern country and its biggest backers, but called for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza on humanitarian grounds. Oliver Dowden said the British government was “continuously” urging Israel to abide by international humanitarian law and had also raised concerns about getting aid into Gaza, where a humanitarian crisis is raging after six months of fighting.

“That’s why we are calling for an immediate ceasefire to allow that aid in, and crucially, the hostages to come out,” he said in an interview in Seoul, where he was attending a U.S.-backed Summit for Democracy. Dowden’s comments came in response to a query about tension between Israel and its most steadfast allies in the United States over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s handling of the war, particularly an expected military push into Rafah, the last relatively safe place in the tiny, crowded enclave.

The United Nations human rights chief on Tuesday said Israel’s restrictions on humanitarian aid for Gaza may amount to a starvation tactic that could be a war crime, after a U.N.-backed report found famine is likely by May without an end to the fighting.U.S. President Joe Biden warned Netanyahu on Monday that an Israeli operation in Rafah would deepen anarchy in Gaza and they agreed that teams from each side would meet in Washington to discuss it.

ALSO READ-Cameron pushes for more aid into Gaza

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Aslef union announces more train strikes

An Aslef spokesman hinted that the mainline rail strikes may continue until autumn…reports Asian Lite News

A fresh wave of train strikes are set to hit the Easter half-term holidays, causing disruption for thousands of families across the country. Members of the Aslef union will stage strikes at 16 rail companies in a dispute over pay, threatening more travel chaos.

Members of the union will hold a rolling programme of one-day walkouts between April 5 and 8, coupled with a six-day ban on overtime. The union said it wanted to increase the pressure on the “intransigent” train companies and the “tone-deaf” Government following a series of strikes stretching back 20 months. Train drivers had not had a pay rise since April 2019, said Aslef.

The Government, which indirectly influences drivers’ pay, terms and conditions through the contracts it has with train companies to operate the railways, has said drivers have been offered an increase that would see their average salaries rise to £65,000.

Strikes are set to hit the final weekend of the Easter holidays for many schools around the country, threatening to disrupt families’ getaways.

Aslef members will strike on Friday, April 5 at Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Trains, and CrossCountry. On Saturday, April 6, industrial action will hit Chiltern, GWR, LNER, Northern, and TransPennine.

Monday, April 8, will see drivers walking out at c2c, Greater Anglia, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express and South Western Railway, together with the Island Line on the Isle of Wight. Union members will also refuse to work on their rest days between April 4 to April 6 and from April 8 to April 9.

Mick Whelan, the Aslef general secretary, said: “Last month, when we announced renewed mandates for industrial action, because under the Tories’ draconian anti-union laws we have to ballot our members every six months, we called on the train companies, and the Government, to come to the table for meaningful talks to negotiate a new pay deal for train drivers who have not had an increase in salary since 2019.

“Those votes show a clear rejection by train drivers of the ridiculous offer put to us in April last year by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) which knew that offer would be rejected because a land grab for all the terms and conditions we have negotiated over the years would never be accepted by our members. Since then train drivers have voted, time and again, to take action in pursuit of a pay rise. That’s why Mark Harper, the Transport Secretary, is being disingenuous when he says that offer should have been put to members.”

An Aslef spokesman hinted that the mainline rail strikes may continue until autumn.

The April 8 strike coincides with a strike by train drivers on London Underground in a separate dispute over terms and conditions. Aslef members on the Tube are also walking out on May 4 as part of that same dispute.

Earlier this year, the rival RMT trade union secured a pay rise for its Tube drivers that was worth a collective £30 million. An Aslef spokesman complained in January that Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, had found a “magic money tree” to fund the RMT rise.

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Independent commission outlines alternative asylum system

One in three respondents had a bachelor’s degree or equivalent but the same number said they were unable to use the skills they learnt as part of their qualification, according to the findings…reports Asian Lite News

Migrants would be eligible to work in the UK after six months of waiting for an asylum decision and given free English language education on day one after arrival, in an alternative proposal to Britain’s “broken” system.

Recommendations by the independent Commission on the Integration of Refugees (CIR) in its new report include the reinstatement of a refugee’s minister in government.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rev Justin Welby, has been a leading critic in the upper chamber of government legislation aimed at deporting some asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Archbishop Welby is among religious figures supporting the recommendations. They include Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra, Cardinal Vincent Nichols and rabbis Josh Levy and Charley Baginsky.

“In a world of rising conflict and instability, we agree that immigration must be managed and controlled, small boats must be stopped, and traffickers must be caught,” the archbishop said.

“Receiving communities especially must be supported and not feel used. That makes it easier for our natural generosity to be expressed, and for our unity to grow and not be threatened. It’s widely acknowledged that our asylum system is broken. It needs rebuilding with compassion, dignity and fairness at the centre. This requires thoughtful, well-informed consideration, which promotes collaboration and common ground, not division.”

In making its case for greater opportunities for refugees, the CIR report highlights analysis by the London School of Economics that suggests migrants could bring in a net economic gain of £1.2 billion [$1.5 billion] over five years.

It says the two recommendations that would deliver this benefit are English language classes provided from arrival in the UK and employment support given at six months, alongside the government meeting its target to process asylum applications in the same time.

A survey of refugees and asylum seekers for the commission by Neighbourly Lab, a non-profit research group, suggests there is “untapped potential” in Britain, the CIR said.

One in three respondents had a bachelor’s degree or equivalent but the same number said they were unable to use the skills they learnt as part of their qualification, according to the findings.

The same number said language was the most significant barrier to work yet more than one in five have been unable to access English classes due to waiting lists, the commission said.

The report says the government should “make people in the asylum system eligible for general employment after six months of waiting for their asylum decision” and this should “not be limited to the jobs on the shortage occupation list”.

It also calls for people in the asylum system to be made eligible for shortage occupation list jobs from day one and for consideration of a “government-backed finance scheme” to help refugees set up businesses.

All asylum-seeking children should be able to access mainstream education immediately, no matter when they arrive, the report says.

“The whole system needs strong governance and oversight, including the reinstatement of a UK refugee minister and involving people with experience as refugees,” it adds.

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