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: 

• Remove all legal and administrative barriers which prevent refugees from having full access to the labour market and ensure that they enjoy the right to work, including by removing restrictions such as the need for a work permit, onerous bureaucratic procedures and secondary access to the labour market after nationals;

• Speed up asylum procedures and provide asylum seekers with access to the labour market pending the outcome of a decision on their status, taking into account that this will benefit the asylum seeker, the host country or country of return at the end of the process; 

• Develop policies and dedicate resources to support individuals in the transition from the asylum system to mainstream integration services. This should include providing language classes (general and vocational), work experience, vocational training, classes to develop knowledge of the labour market and on how to apply for jobs, and individualised employment “plans of action”; 

• Simplify procedures for the recognition and certification of foreign qualifications and experience; 

• Work with employers’ associations and employers, trade unions and the private and voluntary sector to develop placement programmes for refugees and asylum seekers which can help them become established in the labour market and become self-sufficient and financially independent; 

•  Encourage the diversification of employment opportunities for refugees by, for example, providing support for enterprise initiatives;

• Encourage more research and monitoring regarding the needs of refugees and asylum seekers in member States’ labour markets to better understand the gap in employment rates between refugees, other migrants and nationals, and to develop policies to close this gap;

• Share examples of good practice and experience in the integration of refugees and asylum seekers into the labour market with other countries.