While the discussion around refugees in Europe often centres around their plight, the potential they bring to our societies – ambitions, education, skills – often remains unrecognised. With an eye on the mutual benefits for refugees, host employers, economies, and countries of first asylum, ICMPD’s Policy Unit puts a spotlight on these talents and advocates for their recognition through complementary labour pathways.
In a concerted effort to aid the understanding and implementation of such pathways in Europe, the Policy Unit has delivered a series of publications offering actionable insights and innovative policy suggestions:
- A policy brief exploring policy options for expanding EU complementary labour pathways
- Infographics providing a snapshot of complementary labour pathways and visualising potential refugee labour pathways to five EU countries (Austria, Czechia, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden)
- A commentary on the potential of the forthcoming EU Talent Pool to streamline refugee labour mobility
- A policy brief highlighting how Germany’s Western Balkans Regulation might serve as inspiration for expanding refugee labour mobility
- A global mapping of labour and education pathways for people in need of protection
These initiatives mark the conclusion of the EU-funded and ICMPD-led Migration Partnership Facility project ‘Making refugee talent visible and accessible to EU labour markets - tapping into the potential of skills-based complementary pathways.’ Under this project, ICMPD supported the EU and its Member States in understanding the intricacies of complementary pathways for work, including challenges, opportunities, and potential approaches.