Joint Colloquium on the Right to Work for Refugees in Europe

The Council of Europe hold a Joint Colloquium on the Right to Work for Refugees in Europe (the 27th September 2012) in Strasbourg. The programme is available, as well as the opening remarks speech by Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe. We reproduce the following excerpts of the opening speech: 

The topic of today's Colloquium, the right to work for refugees, is of paramount importance. The UNHCR estimates that there are about one and a half million recognised refugees in Council of Europe member states. There are no accurate estimates as to how many refugees are in formal employment in member states, but as we will hear today, the reality is that many refugees face many barriers in exercising this right which is guaranteed by the European Social Charter.

Reworking the Relationship between Asylum-Seekers and Employment

We would like to add to our thematic bibliography on the right to work of refugees the following book: Reworking the Relationship between Asylum and Employment, By Penelope Mathew, Published 3rd May 2012 by Routledge:

Refugee Livelihood and the Humanitarian Innovation project

 The Forced Migration Current Awareness blog has brought to our attention the Humanitarian Innovation Project (HIP) website where we found the following excerpts: 

“It is unacceptable that many refugees are left indefinitely dependent on international assistance, deprived of the right to work or freedom of movement. By developing a bottom-up approach to humanitarian innovation, the Humanitarian Innovation Projects aims to support sustainable, market-based solutions that build upon refugees’ own skills, aspirations and entrepreneurship” declared Alexander Betts, director of the Humanitarian Innovation Project. 

State of play, Common European Asylum System

At its meeting on 25-26 October 2012, the Justice and Home Affairs Council confirmed the agreement reached between the Council and the European Parliament on the recast of the Reception Conditions Directive (containing disposals allowing asylum seekers to access the labour market- see our previous posts- on that topic for more information on the content of article 15 of the Reception Conditions Directive). The adoption of the revised ("second phase") version of the Reception Conditions Directive is expected at the end of the year 2012 according to the deadlines set by the Stockholm Programme, but has not been adopted yet, despite political agreement between the European Parliament and the Member States (in the Justice and Home Affairs Council).

Steeve Peers in its latest State- of play update of the Common European System Statewatch Analysis interestingly mentions:

Political Agreement reached on the Reception Conditions directive at the Justice and Home Affairs Council

According to the Cyprus presidency of the European Union press release (dated 25/10/2012):

 "The Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA) achieved progress in several legislative proposals for the establishment of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS), as it adopted today, October 25, a Political Agreement on the Reception Conditions Directive. Common European Asylum System moves a step closer.

UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner highlights the importance of the right to work

 Stewart Pollock, on the Refugee Work Rights blog (by Asylum Access) reported that at the last Plenary Session of the UNHCR Annual Consultations with NGOs, UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner Alex Aleinikoff spoke on the importance of innovation and self-reliance; highlighting the importance of the right to work.

To read the full post: http://rtwasylumaccess.wordpress.com/2012/07/03/updates-from-geneva-unhcr-deputy-high-commissioner-touts-the-right-to-work/