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. 

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.