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

Refugees' Right to Work and Access to Labor Markets

A December 2016 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. 

ECRE Paper: The Right to Work for Beneficiaries of International Protection

In December 2016 ECRE released the paper The Right to Work for Beneficiaries of International Protection: 

The ability to engage in decent work is a fundamental human right, integral to human dignity and self-respect. Failure to ensure proper access to the labour market hinders the ability of a beneficiary of international protection to successfully integrate into their new society, and leaves them at risk of destitution. It may also result beneficiaries of international protection engaging in unauthorized work in dangerous and degrading conditions, or their unauthorized onward secondary movement.

As a result, it is essential to ensure beneficiaries of international protection are given effective access to the labour market. In order to effectively enjoy the right to work, individuals not only need effective access to the labour market, but also access to vocational training courses and to have their qualifications recognised in a reasonable period of time. Studies have revealed that when beneficiaries of international protection initially enter the labour market they frequently only have access to jobs subsidised by the State and/or requiring a lower level of qualifications or skills.

A European Commission's initiative to support labour market integration

On 23 May 2017 the European Commission launched the initiative Employers together for integration at the occasion of the second meeting of the European Dialogue on Skills and Migration to give visibility to what employers are doing to support the integration of refugees and other migrants into the labour market.

Article extracted from the European Commission website.

The successful integration of third-country nationals in the EU labour market represents an opportunity for our societies. When effectively integrated they can help improve the functioning and performance of the labour market, as well as support fiscal sustainability. 

In this process, the role of economic and social partners, and in particular of employers, is crucial. Several initiatives have been initiated by employers, trade unions, chambers of

commerce in many member states.

The European Social fund is the main funding instrument supporting labour market inclusion, including of migrants. The Asylum Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) can also provide funding for preparatory measures to access the labour market.

Economic and Social European Committee presents good practices to enhance access to labour market of refugees

L’Observatoire du marché du travail (OMT) du Comité économique et social européen a tenu un séminaire public sur le thème «Intégration des réfugiés sur le marché du travail: transformer la crise en une occasion à saisir» le lundi, 22 février 2016 de 14h30 à 18h00 au siège du CESE à Bruxelles.

L'événement, organisé en collaboration avec la Fondation européenne pour l’amélioration des conditions de vie et de travail (Eurofound),  a mis en lumière les facteurs qui facilitent le travail des réfugiés, en tant qu'employés ou entrepreneurs. Parmi les orateurs on a pu découvrir des chercheurs, députés européens et représentants de la société civile qui ont présenté une série de bonnes pratiques issues du terrain.

Le séminaire a offert des points de vue variés sur les bonnes pratiques et les défis à relever dans ce domaine et apporte une contribution au travail approfondi du CESE en matière de migration/asile/intégration, comme par exemple à l'avis SOC/532 sur l'Intégration des réfugiés (rapporteure Mme Schweng, corapporteur M Gkofas), au travail du groupe d'étude permanent IMI et au Forum européen sur la Migration.

Thematic bibliography

We would like to recommend once again to follow the thematic electronic updates of the Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog. We reproduce the last thematic bibliography that may interest our readers. 

Thematic Focus: Work/Economic Aspects

Posted: 25 Aug 2017 12:27 PM PDT

Belgium: Agreement between reception and employment agencies to accelerate access of asylum seekers to the job market

Fedasil et le Forem s'entendent pour l'intégration des demandeurs d'asile (l'article ci dessous est un article de l'agence Belga, publié le 29 août 2017, NB nous avons corrigé les dernières lignes par soucis de précision juridique):

Le secrétaire d'Etat à l'Asile et à la Migration Theo Francken (N-VA) et le nouveau ministre wallon de l'Emploi Pierre-Yves Jeholet (MR) ont signé mardi un accord de collaboration pour favoriser l'insertion socio-professionnelle des demandeurs d'asile. L'occasion aussi de donner un "signal" en termes de coopération entre le gouvernement fédéral et la Région wallonne.L'accord de collaboration signé par les deux hommes au centre d'accueil de Rixensart doit permettre d'intensifier la présence du Forem dans les centres Fedasil en Wallonie. Des séances d'informations seront notamment organisées pour les demandeurs d'asile.

Enhancing the integration of asylum seekers and refugees at EU level

In June 2016, the European Commission adopted the Action Plan for the Integration of Third Country Nationals which sets out 50 actions to support Member States and other actors in their effort to foster migrant integration, among which asylum seekers and refugees. To implement this Action Plan a Mutual Learning Programme (MLP) thematic event on measures to support the integration of asylum seekers and refugees was held in Brussels on 22 June 2016. The results of this conference were shared at the annual MLP dissemination conference on the value of mutual learning for policy making in Brussels on 9 December 2016.