Young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds lack the social capital to access labour market

A recent paper from the Australian Center for Cultural Youth argues that a crucial link (social capital) is missing to allow for the access of young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds to the labour market.

This paper aims to develop a deeper understanding of the way in which young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds experience social capital in relation to work transitions in Australia, particularly for those who are tertiary educated. This is with the intention of exploring how best to support the breadth and quality of young people’s networks to facilitate the transition to meaningful work. Access to bridging capital for the purposes of employment is an issue of equity – an essential link that is often missing for young people with a refugee or migrant experience.

Legal work rights for refugees in Malaysia is a first positive step forward

Legal work rights for refugees in Malaysia is a positive step forward but they must be offered adequate protections for the scheme to succeed long-term writes Gerhard Hoffstaedter on the Asia & the Pacific policy society blog.

Several news outlets have reported on a pilot scheme to provide work rights to 300 Rohingya refugees in Malaysia. This scheme is a cooperation between the Malaysian government and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). It has been long in the making and refugee advocates, as well as the UNHCR, have been arguing for more regularisation of refugees in Malaysia for a long time.

The announcement comes at a time of escalating violence against the Rohingya in Myanmar and reports of ethnic cleansing. The Malaysian government’s approach to the plight of the Rohingya has long been guided by the ASEAN policy of non-interference. However, last week the government demanded action from Myanmar in a public statement and summoned the Myanmar ambassador to convey their message.

Malaysia is not a signatory to the UN refugee convention or protocol and therefore does not recognise refugees legally. The UNHCR is allowed to register refugees on the understanding that the majority are to be resettled to safe third countries, such as the US, Australia, Canada and European countries. Currently, over 150,000 refugees are registered by the UNHCR with many more remaining unregistered and very vulnerable.

The UNHCR does not have sufficient means to look after so many refugees, which necessitates their employment in often dirty, dangerous and demeaning occupations. Without outside help, refugees turn to the large Malaysian shadow economy, where they find badly-paid work, are often cheated out of their wages, or worse. When accidents happen, entire families can become destitute overnight as few have health insurance or access to workers’ compensation schemes.

How are refugees faring on the labour market in Europe?

The OECD & European Commission recently released a working paper based on a 2014 Labour Force Survey. It answers 2 simple questions: who are the migrants who come for humanitarian reasons to Europe and how are they doing on the labour market, education, language and culture.Those questions have particular relevance in the current situation, but are notoriously hard to answer, as refugees gradually ‘disappear’ in migration and integration statistics when gradually settling in. This first evaluation provides key findings which can inform current policy debates.

Employment
Refugees represent one of the most vulnerable groups of migrants on the labour market. With an overall average employment rate of 56%, it takes refugees up to 20 years to have a similar employment rate as the native-born. Family migrants achieve comparable results, while persons arriving for employment or study purposes reach this level at the latest after 9 years.

Letting asylum seekers work would save UK government £233.5 million per year

The governement could slash as much as 25% off the £233.5 million annual bill for asylum support payments if asylum seekers and those refused asylum who cannot go home were allowed to work in the UK, says a new report from a Warwick University research project. The report’s authors say the European standard is to grant access to the job market if individuals have been waiting for 6 months or more for a decision on their claim.Forcing people to live in poverty is not a deterrent for those considering coming to the UK, nor does it encourage those already here to leave, the report continues.

New study on Refugees' Right to Work and Access to Labor Markets

Refugees' Right to Work and Access to Labor Markets

A new study produced under the KNOMAD's Thematic Working Group on Migration and Development finds a generally restrictive approach to refugees’ right to work across 20 countries that have taken in 70 per cent of the world’s refugees. Most are reluctant to ease these restrictions too.

The majority of refugees work in the informal sector, but under much less satisfactory and more exploitative conditions compared with nationals. Informal labour markets are also constrained in countries with fragile economies which often host large numbers of refugees, says the study.
The research concludes that:
-more national and international coordination is required,
-multiple actors should share in the responsibility to deliver decent work,
-labour market policies as well as training and education should be harnessed to support sustainable livelihoods,
-refugee social capital should be more effectively engaged. 

Ireland: A sad decision of the Irish Court of Appeal

The Irish Court of appeal has ruled that an asylum seeker awaiting a decision on his refugee status had no right to work under the Irish Constitution. 

At the end of the day, maintaining for long period refugees dependent from direct provision allowances and depriving them for years of their right to work contradict all relevant international standards and Ireland is still lagging far behind other European States that have adopted more humane policies. This is a sad decision. We reproduce hereafter the article from the Irish Time, dated 15 March 2016, Asylum seekers has no right to work. 

Work and Social Welfare for Asylum Seekers and Refugees: a study in 8 Selected EU Member States

The European Parliament Research Service has recently released a paper entitled ' Work and Social Welfare for Asylum-seekers and Refugees: Selected EU Member States' (EPRS, Dec. 2015) 

This publication provides an overview of the international and EU legal framework on the right to work and the access to social welfare for asylum-seekers and refugees. The legislation and practice in eight Member States is examined, while the economic impact and employment prospects of asylum-seekers and refugees in the EU are also assessed. It has been produced at the request of a member of the Committee of the Regions, in the framework of the Cooperation Agreement between the Parliament and the Committee.

Will Turkey grant Syrian Refugees the Right to Work?

We would like to reproduce an already dated article (7 August 2015) by Dasha Afanasieva entitled 'Turkey will not give Syrian Refugees Right to Work' highlighting the plight of Syrian refugees in Turkey. Do not hesitate to send us any updates on this topic.

Overview of Right to Work for Refugees Syria Crisis Response: Lebanon & Jordan

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) in its' policy paper 'Overview of Right to Work for Refugees Syria Crisis Response: Lebanon & Jordan' examines the access to work of Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon, as codified under international law. It then considers the domestic law in Jordan and Lebanon that governs work rights for Syrian refugees and provides recommendations for future policy and practice to help realize their right to work. 

Workeer and Action Emploi Réfugiés, online jobfairs for refugees

Job search websites for refugees

Our attention was recently caught by a French and a German Job search website offering jobs to refugees and acting as "jobfair websites". The Websites are the following :
Action EmploiRéfugiés: http://www.actionemploirefugies.com/

Workeer: http://www.workeer.de/  
AERé (Action Emploi Réfugié) is a virtual meeting place for employers who are looking to hire and for refugees who are trying to find jobs. The organisation was set up in September 2015 with the aim to improving refugees' access to the French labour market from the early stages of their arrival. 

Council of Europe Resolution 1994 (2014): Refugees and the Right to Work

We would like to draw the attention on the resolution 1994 (2014) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe called 'Refugees and the Right to Work' adopted in April 2014.

In this resolution the Parliamentary Assembly states that: 

Among member States of the Council of Europe, it is common practice to grant the right to work to refugees. Asylum seekers are usually also granted the right to work, although not immediately and often with restrictions such as secondary access to the labour market after other migrants and nationals.
Many barriers exist, however, which prevent refugees and asylum seekers from taking full advantage of the right to work. These include problems linked to insufficient language skills, lack of knowledge of the labour market, lack of training and work experience, and problems related to the recognition of qualifications and experience.

It makes sound economic and social sense to allow asylum seekers to work and to provide refugees with access to the labour market. The cost to the State will clearly be less if asylum seekers and refugees are employed rather than dependent on State support. Employment also contributes to a more cohesive society by encouraging and improving contacts between refugees, asylum seekers and the local community.

The Parliamentary Assembly considers that, taking into account international obligations and the existing European legal framework, member States should do more to ensure that refugees – including people with subsidiary protection – and asylum seekers gain access to and are better integrated into the labour market. More specifically, the Assembly recommends that member States: 

Coalitions needed towards humane reception policies to promote already existing solutions

Are politicians lagging behind companies, NGOs&trade unions? 

At a time when reception system in Europe are sometimes overwhelmed and new asylum seekers / refugees will face challenges to integrate in the host labour markets and not experience poverty, it seems particularly absurd to legally bar them from working. Barring them from working risks only to make them more vulnerable to exploitation and increase the workforce available on the black market (increasing competition for the other workers, resulting also in the loss of taxes for the State and disempowerment of asylum seekers). 

We strongly believe that NGOs, companies, trade-unions and business associations should voice their concerns and unite in common political campaigns to promote the right to work of asylum seekers and refugees so as to remove existing legal and practical obstacles to their access to the labour market.

Broad coalitions needed!

Momentum for campaining coalitions: Business, NGOs, citizens and refugees could benefit if asylum seekers were able to start working sooner

Initiatives from European companies and trade confederations are being publicly released to promote the early access of asylum seekers and refugees to the labour market. It seems that the momentum has come for some politicians to understand that economic, demographic interests and enhancing the rights of asylum seekers and refugees can go hand in hand when comprehensive and humane policy are designed. 

We would like to reproduce this MUST READ article from The Economist (12th December 2015) Businesses could benefit, and refugees integrate faster, if newcomers to Europe were able to start working sooner. It shows that refugees, the State and companies could both benefit - and refugees can integrate faster if asylum seekers were authorized to work just after they have lodged their asylum claim. 

This excellent article also describes successful programmes and activities set up by various companies and NGOs in Europe to support asylum seekers and refugees in accessing the labor market. It identifies a series of problems, however, that hinder the smooth movement of refugees into European workplaces. 

Refugees will have the right to work, why not employ them?

We would like to reproduce the recent article from the Guardian (Refugees will have the right to work, why not employ them?)  that focus on recent positions of compagnies in the UK or Germany to promote the employment of asylum seekers and refugees. 

Europe may be deeply divided over how to host hundreds of thousands of refugees coming to the continent this year, but some companies are now considering the struggles new arrivals will face finding work. Business leaders in Germany have responded to the refugee crisis by calling for the thousands of people arriving each day to be given help to find employment.

“If we can integrate them quickly into the jobs market, we’ll be helping the refugees, but also helping ourselves as well,” the head of the BDI industry federation, Ulrich Grillo, told the AFP news agency earlier this week. Other business bodies in Germany have backed calls for an easing of restrictions so that skilled refugees can help the country fill gaps in its workforce.

Some socially responsible businesses in the UK are now wondering how they might help newcomers find jobs.

The integration of asylum seekers and refugees in the labour market, a Belgian Case Study

Right to work for asylum seekers in Belgium

Since Novembre 2015 asylum seekers who have asked for asylum in Belgium since at least 4 months (without receiving a negative answer at first level and whose decision is still pending) have the right to ask for a work permit. They had to wait for 6 months before Novembre. The work permit is delivered by the regional authorities. 

This work permit allow them to seek work and work as an employee under a limited or unlimited contract or interim contracts in all Belgium's regions. This work permit also allow asylum seekers to register as a person seeking employment in regional public employment agencies and benefit from their services (access vocational trainings among others). 

When they are housed in public reception centres and are working, asylum seekers may be ask to contribute financially to their housing cost (if the working contract is stable and provides sufficient earnings -which is quite rare in practice). Refugees are dispensed from work permit when they are granted refugee status. 

Asylum seekers in Belgium also have the right to exercice volunteering activities and receive compensation for those activities (no work permit is needed to volunteer of course). 

The Long and Winding Road to Employment
An academic study (The Long and Winding Road to Employment. An analysis of the Labour Market Careers of Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Belgium) published in 2014 by the KUL (Katoliek Universiteit van Leuven) and ULB (Université Libre de Bruxelles) has shown that allowing asylum seekers to work during refugee status determination procedure increased and accelerated later integration in the job market (p.130):