close
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. The author is solely responsible for this publication (communication) and the Commission accepts no responsibility for any use may be made of the information contained therein. In compliance of the new GDPR framework, please note that the Partnership will only process your personal data in the sole interest and purpose of the project and without any prejudice to your rights.

The Equal@work Platform is a space in which a diverse range of employers - from the public and private sector, civil society, trade unions and political institutions - come together to explore progressive ways to operate workplaces that are open, equal and free from discrimination. Participants engage in discussions about issues of diversity from an anti-racist perspective, with a common goal of finding solutions to the pressing challenges facing employers. The topic of this year’s seminar was the inclusion of refugees in the workplace. We asked participants : how can employers create meaningful job opportunities for refugees?

This document summarizes the results of an open, yet creative discussion and provides practical tools for employers with regard to inclusion of refugees in the workplace. First, we look at the barriers for various types of organisations (private companies, public services, civil society, trade unions) as employers and as agents of change in seeking to create employment opportunities for refugees. These barriers relate both to the broader institutional context surrounding refugee inclusion, and issues specific to employers themselves. The solutions section then looks at some of the ways various agents of change have overcome or addressed such barriers, in contexts relevant to them. We demonstrate this good practice through short case studies. This toolkit is intended as an introductory guide for employers seeking to include refugees, rather than dealing with specificities of employment and refugee policy in every European Union Member State.

Website: enar-eu.org

More than 180 migrants and refugees participated in training on occupational safety and labour legislation in construction through the In2C project. Organised by the Fundación Laboral de la Construcción, a partner in this EU-funded initiative under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), the training took place across centres in Andalucía, Cantabria, Las Palmas, and Navarra, with support from CEAR Sevilla and Cruz Roja Cantabria. Participants came from Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Venezuela, Morocco, Mali, and Ukraine.

In2C aims to integrate third-country nationals into the European construction labour market through training and networking with companies. The pilot sessions tested a virtual learning platform on safety and labour rights, a construction terminology glossary, and an online assessment tool. Participants found the training valuable, especially the glossary for workplace communication, and expressed interest in further learning.

Sessions were held in Las Palmas, Andalucía (Jerez de la Frontera and Seville), Navarra, and Cantabria, with over 90 trainees in the latter. The initiative is also being piloted in Greece, Cyprus, and Sweden to refine the programme.

Since 2018, Fundación Laboral has been part of this EU-wide consortium, led by the Technical Chamber of Greece, alongside partners from Spain, Greece, Cyprus, and Sweden. The project promotes collaboration between employers and migrant workers to improve employment opportunities and break down barriers in the construction sector.

The right to work is essential in ensuring the inclusion of asylum applicants and refugees in their host country, and in guaranteeing that they lead a dignified life. To meet the objectives of international refugee law and facilitate integration, EU asylum law obliges EU MS to provide asylum applicants with access to the labour market no later than nine months after lodging an asylum application. Despite this legal framework, implementation faces hurdles stemming from the varied transposition of EU secondary law, diverse practices among EU MS, and persistent structural challenges that have yet to be effectively addressed.

Numerous challenges impede the right to work for asylum applicants and undermine the principle of non-discrimination in employment. Based on the assessment of the situation across the EU, several challenges restricting employment opportunities for asylum seekers emerge, falling into distinct categories: 1) deterrent reception policies; 2) lack of or insufficient implementation of legal obligations; 3) excessive administrative requirements; 4) practical challenges, namely language barriers, lack of recognition of qualifications and lack of access to vocational training; and 5) discrimination.

Website: https://ecre.org/

menu