Home Office resisting calls to allow asylum seekers work in the UK

Priti Patel is facing growing pleas to let 70,000 claimants seek employment pending a resolution of their status

Priti Patel's department is resisting growing demands to allow asylum seekers to work following a public intervention from her cabinet colleague Dominic Raab to say that he would be open-minded' about the proposal.

Labour leader Keir Starmer, Conservative MPs and refugee charities have all called for the Home Office to allow 70,000 current claimants to seek employment after the justice secretary said a rule change could help to solve the UK's current labour shortage.