Highly skilled refugees are being locked out of the job market due to systemic prejudice and bias, according to a new study which has found widespread discrimination from employers.

Despite the UK’s chronic skills shortage, UK employers are routinely discriminating against skilled refugees, according to a poll of employers for business diversity and inclusion consultancy, Pearn Kandola.

More than one in five senior managers thought foreign qualifications were worth less than those achieved in the UK and they believed British citizens should be given preference for job vacancies, according to a first of its kind survey of 500 senior managers with hiring responsibility revealed.

Respondents also revealed entrenched negative views of refugees, with nearly one in 10 (9%) revealing they have denied someone employment due to their refugee status, one in five (21%) saying they did not think refugees would have the same work ethic as British citizens and a quarter admitting (27%) that they know someone who refuses to hire refugees.

In fact, out of those responsible for hiring in UK businesses, two in five (40%) said they were not sure of the law around hiring refugees and more than a third (37%) were not aware of the current rules around right to work for non-British citizens.

And, highlighting how refugees from different parts of the world may also encounter different prejudices and barriers, a third (37%) said they had more sympathy for refugees from Ukraine than the Middle East.

As the topic of immigration and asylum sparks fierce national debate, the research was conducted by Pearn Kandola as part of its in-depth Refugees Report 2024, which looked at the struggles skilled refugees encountered when looking for work in their area of expertise.

It also carried out detailed interviews with 20 refugees aged 21-41, who had arrived in the UK from Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Sudan, and Yemen, to discover the entrenched barriers preventing them from finding suitable work.

Finding employment has been cited as a crucial component to ensure refugee integration and wellbeing. However, research shows that refugees work fewer hours, are less likely to be in employment, and earn less than UK-born employees.

The report found numerous factors contributing to a hostile employment environment for refugees – including employers’ a preference for UK experience and a general lack of awareness about the legality of hiring refugees.

Despite many having much needed qualifications or experience, such as teaching, architecture, dentistry, and science, 50 per cent were unable to find a role that matched their qualifications, while nearly one in three (30%) were still unemployed after moving the UK.

This is set against a national backdrop in which two-thirds (66%) of large UK businesses said they struggle to recruit employees with the skills they need, according to some estimates.

Available to discuss this research and detail how British businesses can boost the skillset of their workforce by hiring refugees is Binna Kandola, business psychologist at Pearn Kandola.

We also have refugee case studies from around the UK to discuss how they have faced barriers when looking to pursue a career in the UK.

For more information and to arrange an interview please contact:

sasha.nouyou@markettiers.com or 07903 858 498

As part of its Refugee Report 2024, business psychology consultants, Pearn Kandola, interviewed 20 refugees aged 21-41, who had arrived in the UK from Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Sudan, and Yemen and also surveyed 500 senior manager and above with hiring responsibilities, between 01 March and 06 March 2024.

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