UK employers are keen to take on refugee workers to solve labour shortages, but are afraid the negative public perception of immigrants could deter customers, new research has found.

A study by the Institute of Employment Studies (IES) found that most companies surveyed were looking to employ refugee staff because of gaps in the domestic labour market.

The report found that employers were eager to point out the benefits of taking on migrant workers, praising their commitment, strong work ethic and productivity.

However, half of those questioned said that they did not want the public to know that they employed refugees because of the negative image of migrants coming to the UK.

Angel Human Resources, who contributed towards the report, said: “Employers believe that the public perception towards refugees is so negative that speaking out about it could threaten their custom.

“The public impression is that refugees are coming in and stealing jobs. This stems from the media, so it is the responsibility of this industry to provide positive press, although positive press is not news.”

According to the research, businesses taking on foreign employees have experienced other problems, such as difficulties in checking documentation and poor English skills.

Many firms said that although they were trying to deal with these issues themselves, such as by offering work placement schemes and English classes, they needed more help from the government to make it easier to take on migrant staff.

The report suggested an expansion of work placement programmes that currently allow 180,000 foreign employees to work in the UK a year.

The government has announced that migrant workers from nations set to join the European Union on 1 May will be allowed to enter the UK under a work permit scheme.

Ministers have claimed that allowing controlled migration will provide British businesses with the workers they need, while protecting the benefits system.

Co-author of the IES report, Jennifer Hurstfield, praised the government’s policy on accepting migrant workers.

“It is clear there is now a government commitment to extending and improving employment support for refugees and tackling the disadvantages they face in the labour market.

“The experience of the small number of employers in this study suggests that the success of any strategy may rest on the ability to create a more positive climate, in which employers can be confident of employing refugees without finding themselves subjected to unwelcome media spotlight,” she said.