Our Work

When forcibly displaced people can access work, they are more independent and can more fully contribute their skills and knowledge to their host communities. Though the right to work is enshrined in international law, in most situations, refugees struggle to access decent work in practice. This creates a wide range of challenges and forgone benefits, including risks for those who turn to the informal economy, lower incomes and living standards, and much greater dependency on aid.

Refugees International, in partnership with the Center for Global Development, researches innovative policy solutions and ideas to expand labor market access for refugees and forced migrants around the world and supports efforts to mobilize the private sector and other partners to champion this cause.

Report

Turning Policy into Reality: Refugees’ Access to Work in Rwanda

Report

2022 Global Refugee Work Rights Report

Report

Una oportunidad para el cambio: argumentos a favor de la inclusión económica de los venezolanos en Riohacha

Statement

Refugees International Welcomes TPS for Venezuelans, Biden Admin Measures that ‘Affirm American Commitment to Humanitarian Protection’

Statement

Statement for the Record | “Unlocking America’s Potential: How Immigration Fuels Economic Growth and Our Competitive Advantage”

Statement

New Study: Refugees Restricted from Working in At Least 32 Countries, Limiting their Ability to Support Themselves and Contribute to Host Country

Advocacy Letter

Letter: Providing Equitable Access to Work Authorization for Asylum Seekers and Parolees

Advocacy Letter

U.S. Government Should Protect 30-Day Rule to Process Asylum Seeker Work Permits

Event

Webinar | From Displacement to Development: Challenges and Opportunities to the Economic Inclusion of Venezuelans in Colombia

Commentary

Asylum Seekers in Costa Rica Struggle to Survive as New Decree Restricts Access to Work 

Commentary

Global Lessons for Kenya to Improve Refugees’ Access to Work Permits

Commentary

The World Bank Evolution Must Prioritize Forced Displacement

Featured Image: Hanan, a refugee from Yemen, prepares samosas in a cooking course at Nefas Silk Polytechnic College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on September 3, 2019. © UNHCR/Eduardo Soteras Jalil