Guiding principles on the access of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons to the labour market

Key principles

• Governance frameworks on access to labour markets

  Effective governance is essential to ensure that refugees and other forcibly displaced persons can access decent work while protecting the rights and interests of all workers. National policies and action plans should be developed through social dialogue, in consultation with labour ministries and employers’ and workers’ organizations. These frameworks should align with international labour standards, human rights and refugee law, and address legal, administrative and practical barriers to employment. They should also provide clear guidance on work permits, entrepreneurship, employment services and non-discriminatory access to the labour market.

• Economic and employment policies for inclusive labour markets

  Inclusive labour markets require coherent economic and employment policies that promote decent job creation for refugees, other forcibly displaced persons and host communities. National employment policies should strengthen public employment services, improve job placement and career counselling, and expand access to vocational training, language learning and skills development. Particular attention should be given to women, young people and persons facing additional barriers to work. Measures should support the transition from informal to formal employment, enhance entrepreneurship opportunities, and improve the recognition and portability of skills and work-related entitlements.

• Labour rights and equality of opportunity and treatment

  Refugees and other forcibly displaced persons should benefit from equality of opportunity and treatment in the labour market. National policies should protect them against discrimination, including on the basis of gender, as well as forced labour, child labour and abusive working conditions. They should also ensure access to fundamental principles and rights at work, including freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, as well as fair wages, occupational safety and health, maternity protection and social security. Access to effective remedies, including justice and judicial mechanisms, should be ensured in cases of violations. Workers should receive information on their rights and obligations in a language they understand. Labour inspectorates, public authorities and judicial bodies should be equipped to uphold labour rights effectively

• Partnership, coordination and coherence

  Partnership and coordination are central to effective labour market responses to forced displacement. Governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, local authorities, civil society, international organizations and development partners all have important roles to play. Cooperation should strengthen coherent national, bilateral, regional and global dialogue on the labour market implications of forced displacement, and promote policy coherence across employment, migration and development frameworks. It should also support investment in decent jobs, enterprise development, skills recognition and the inclusion of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons in national development planning processes. Employers’ and workers’ organizations can play an important role in promoting inclusion, representing the interests of their members, and contributing to the design and implementation of policies that reflect the needs of workers, enterprises and host communities.

• Voluntary repatriation and reintegration of returnees

  Where refugees voluntarily return to their countries of origin, their sustainable reintegration into the labour market should be supported through appropriate protection frameworks and access to decent work opportunities. Countries of origin should receive support, where needed, to promote employment, livelihoods and conditions for self-reliance. Reintegration measures should be developed in consultation with relevant stakeholders and in line with international law, including refugee and human rights law. Support for returnees should help rebuild livelihoods, strengthen local labour markets and promote sustainable recovery for both returning refugees and communities of origin.

• Additional pathways for labour mobility

  Labour mobility can provide an additional pathway for refugees and other forcibly displaced persons, while contributing to responsibility-sharing with countries hosting large displaced populations. National, regional and bilateral policies should integrate international labour standards, the Decent Work Agenda and fair recruitment principles. Labour mobility schemes should respect the principle of non-refoulement, ensure equality of treatment in wages and working conditions, and provide access to skills development. Diaspora communities can also support policy development and help strengthen the economic and social contributions of displaced persons in host and origin countries.