Of the 3,000 questioned, 22 per cent had been managers or senior officials, 15 per cent were in professional occupations and 23 per cent were in skilled trades.Frances O’Grady, deputy general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, said: “It is tragic that so many talented individuals are denied the opportunity to maximise their potential, especially when we are crying out for their skills in so many areas.”The TUC and Cara offer a handbook to help refugee academics convert their skills after being granted leave to remain. Half had more than 10 years of education, comparable to British standards. We have heard of highly qualified doctors working as cleaners, and scientists taking jobs as waiters because they cannot get basic help and support.”Last year, a Home Office audit of people granted asylum found two-thirds had been working in their own country of origin. Mr Akker said: “These are people who come to this country often with only the clothes they have on them They have no money.

On average, it would only take a few months and a few thousand pounds to get them to a point where they could work in their professions, but they do not get any student loans or help, and if they take a course, they lose all their benefits. Britain is short of 3,000 dentists; there are an estimated 700 refugees and asylum-seekers with dental training and qualifications.The Cara report says thousands more professionals, such as mechanical engineers, economists, teachers and scientists are also on benefits even after gaining asylum and work permits. Thousands of refugees and asylum-seekers who have been trained as doctors, engineers, scientists and other professionals are being denied the opportunity to work in Britain because of government restrictions on their employment and education rights.
The skills and experience of up to 5,000 foreign academics seeking refuge in this country could be worth more than £100m to the economy. Yet, despite being qualified for professions where there are desperate shortages, many are being forced to live on benefits or take low-paid manual jobs.Instead of working in their chosen careers, paying taxes and helping to address Britain’s skills shortages, these professionals find themselves legally barred from jobs and prevented from educating others. They are also a needless drain on the British taxpayer.Those who are given indefinite leave to remain are allowed to work, but most cannot afford to pay for the paperwork that they need to secure their former professional jobs.John Akker, executive secretary of the Council for Assisting Refugee Academics (Cara) said: “This is such an appalling waste of a huge pool of talent and expertise, as well as costing the country millions in benefits and other costs that could be saved.”Doctors, scientists and academics are often first to be targeted by regimes, because they speak out, have a voice and galvanise other people, such as students in universities. It costs £250,000 to train a doctor here and it costs £1,000 to get a foreign doctor to the point of being able to work here.* There are 700 refugees who are dentists anda shortage of 3,000 dentists in the UK. It costs £200,000 to train a dentist here, compared to £3,000 to update the qualifications of a refugee or asylum-seeker.* There are 3,000 refugee and asylum-seekers who are academics in the UK, including psychologists, scientists, engineers and economists.

An engineer costs £100,000 to train in the UK – retraining a refugee would cost £10,000. A scientist typically costs £100,000 to train in the UK compared to £12,000 to retrain a refugee. An accountant costs £90,000 to train compared to £12,000 to retrain a refugee.* A Home Office audit last year of people granted asylum found that two-thirds had been working in their country of origin, half had more than 10 years of education; 22 per cent were managers or senior officials, 15 per cent were in professional occupations and 23 per cent were in skilled trades. She also believes her age has been a deterrent to potential employers.Instead she has done part-time jobs. A job as a welfare and immigration officers for an Iraqi community association ended when its funds ran out.

She has been looking for work for 18 months.THE LOST SAVINGS* There are 1,OOO refugee and asylum seekers who are qualified doctors in their home country, but are unable to work here There is a shortage of 10,000 doctors in the UK. But the mother of two has never found a post of similar status in Britain.”People find it very difficult to find a job in this country,” she said. “I don’t like to be on benefit and I don’t like to be at home. I don’t think my abilities are being used to the full.”Ms Alwaji, who had a university education, has worked since arriving in the UK as a volunteer for several organisations.She admits, in retrospect, that she should perhaps have tried to acquire British accountancy qualifications.