Webinar: "How to improve livelihoods and the labor market integration of refugees?"

Refugees are talented, resilient, and motivated. Yet, they are systematically left out of livelihood opportunities due to economic, legal, and structural barriers. Despite attempts at international standard setting, 70% of refugees live in countries with restricted rights to work. 66% live in countries with restricted freedoms of movement. 47% live in countries with restricted access to bank accounts.

​These barriers assume that being a refugee is a short-term experience. However, the average length of stay in a refugee camp or settlement is 10-26 years. A long-term problem requires long-term solutions. The development community needs to move away from short-term emergency response and towards inclusion and improved self-reliance. So how do we do that? How do we improve livelihoods and the labor market integration of refugees?  
 
What is at stake with the implementation of “self-reliance” issues that organizations like RefugePoint focus on? How can we better coordinate and motivate a variety of actors to work together like UNHCR? How does Refugee’s Investment Networks funding of these startups lead to inclusion of refugees? How can we change the narrative around refugees to showcase their potential contribution to host countries and the global economy?
 
There are lots of questions and solutions to bring together! So, we invite you to share and discuss the ways to move forward alongside:  
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• Sasha Chanoff, Executive Director and Founder, RefugePoint      
• John Kluge, Founder and Managing Director, Refugee Investment Network
• Celine Schmitt, Spokesperson & Senior External Relations Officer, UN Refugee Agency
• Simar Singh, Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative Lead, RefugePoint

• Moderated by: Jean Guo, Founder and CEO, Konexio​

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