Labour Market Integration of Refugees

It takes on average five to ten years for a refugee to find work in the Nordic countries. As social inclusion is closely linked to successful labour market integration, and as during this period the refugee represents a cost to society, the question of how to ensure access to the labour market has been a prominent issue on the political agenda.

Since the countries show both differences and similarities in their migration policies and practical solutions, the question is how we can learn from each other.

In 2016 the Nordic Council of Ministers initiated a co-operation programme designed to support the national efforts on integration of refugees and immigrants. The Nordic Welfare Centre has the overall responsibility for the main project Nordic collaboration on integration of refugees and migrants in close collaboration with Nordregio. The aim of this project is to serve as an idea bank on the integration area, to map out existing knowledge and research, and to expand our common knowledge base on integration.

A report was produced by Nordregio on behalf of the Nordic Welfare Centre in 2017 and is the result of a  comparative study of policies and measures in place in the countries for achieving more efficient labour market integration of refugees. The scope of the report has been to focus on four aspects:

• To what extent are practices of the early mapping of competences in place in each country – and what are the results so far?
• How do the countries validate the work experience and qualifications of refugees – and what are the effects of validation for labour market entry?
• How is language education combined with vocational training for faster integration into the labour market?
• The role of civil society and informal networks in the integration process: Current status and untapped potential?

The report reveals a common understanding of important elements for sound integration into the labour market. The countries’ policies include early language training, competence mapping, skills assessment as well as recognition of foreign credentials and job search assistance and mentoring. Strategies and policies are illustrated by best practice initiatives, aimed to facilitate employment and to promote social inclusion based on evidence and expert assessments.

Although the is a high degree of consensus on key elements for a successful integration, several challenges remain. The major risk of alienation still lies in the gap between those who have work and those who do not.

Even if full integration of refugees is demanding and difficult to define, a less comprehensive and less ambitious approach will inevitably expose the countries in risk of long term integration failure, with large consequences both on a personal level and for the societies.

Download the report

Examples of good practice on labour market integration