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.

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.

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.

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): 

Food sharing as an opportunity to create jobs for refugees

Food sharing as an opportunity to create jobs for refugees ! We would like to share a tasty and warm article by Mat Petronzio, 'This restaurant is run only by migrants and refugee women'. This initiative supports refugees' employment opportunities in a concrete and inventive manner, adaptable in other parts of the world. 

Mazí Mas is a London-based pop-up restaurant collectively run by women from migrant and refugee communities. These women, all mothers, have had difficulty finding work in the UK due to what some deem a lack of qualifications; nonetheless, they've developed extraordinary culinary skills from years of caring for their families. Kopcke wants to help bridge that gap.

"The idea is to bring to the public something I feel we don't get enough of, which is this amazing cooking you get in homes, but don't usually get a chance to try unless you're invited to someone's home for dinner," Kopcke, who acts as Mazí Mas' CEO, tells Mashable. "And at the same time, it's to create much-needed jobs for women who have no opportunities whatsoever."