UNHCR Diagnostic Tool for Alternatives to Camps 2015 Global Results

In its' Diagnostic Tool for Alternatives to Camps 2015 Global Results UNHCR has established a diagnostic of the situation of refugees in 92 of its' operations (with 121 Population Planning Groups, totaling some 11 million refugees).

The policy requires UNHCR to seek to promote an enabling protection environment where the legal, policy and administrative framework of the host country provides refugees with freedom of movement and residence, permission to work and access to basic services and social “safety nets” as members of the communities where they are living.

In 87% of its' operations, UNHCR has been able to conduct an analysis on socio-economic barriers experienced by refugees in their host country. Among the panel that has been analyzed, refugees are allowed to work in 83% of the situations (in practice in 63% of the situation and in law and policy 20%) and denied the right to work in 17% of the situations.
While refugees may be allowed to work under law and policy and/or in practice, this not does remove protection risks refugees may face either as a result of not having a work permit or as a result of engaging in self-employment activities without due authorisation. Protection risks may include discrimination, exploitation, detention and deportation. 

The policy requires the enabling of refugees to build sustainable livelihoods through market-based livelihoods strategies that are informed by professional assessments and analysis of the economy, markets and the skills, assets, mobility and potential of refugees.

It appears from UNHCR data that refugees can not safely earn enough income to provide for their basic needs and some skills training are necessary to access local market in some situations.