Livelihoods and economic inclusion

How does UNHCR help?

We help people who were forced to flee their homes and are now living in a new community by promoting their economic inclusion, advocating for their right to work and supporting their inclusion in government social protection systems. We support refugees to gain access to the labour market in their host communities, which in turn allows them to seize economic opportunities.

As part of our work, we collaborate with a wide range of partners, including States, development and humanitarian organizations, the private sector and civil society to enhance economic outcomes for refugees as well as host communities:

• Inclusive market systems – When designing effective interventions that will support refugees to work in local markets, a comprehensive understanding of the market system and the barriers for refugee inclusion is key. We work with the International Labour Organization and other partners to promote an inclusive market systems framework.
• Financial inclusion – Most refugees have no access to financial services, which limits their capacity to engage in sustainable livelihoods. We work with financial service providers and relevant partners to remove these barriers.
• Poverty Alleviation Coalition – Many refugees live in extreme poverty and vulnerability. The Poverty Alleviation Coalition is a global coalition of non-governmental organizations, led by UNHCR together with the Partnership for Economic Inclusion of the World Bank. The coalition aims to empower the poorest refugees and their host communities to move out of poverty through the Graduation Approach.
• Agriculture and food security – Refugees in rural areas count on farming to eat and earn a living. We work with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN and other partners to support refugees' inclusion in agriculture value chains and improve their income while ensuring healthy and nutritious food for everyone.   
• Social protection systems – We work to include refugees and asylum seekers in government systems and align UNHCR assistance to these systems. This provides predictable means for vulnerable families to meet basic needs, access family and social welfare services and support access to jobs and complementary decent work and health insurance benefits.
• Data and analysis – Data is critical to policy-making and programming. We work with partners to improve the collection and analysis of socio-economic data and build a useful data library. 

Do refugees have access to the right to work?

The right to work includes the opportunity for people to earn a living through freely chosen or accepted work. The right to work encompasses all forms of work, from independent self-employment to jobs that pay wages or salaries. The result of the right to work is the right to just and favourable work conditions. In other words, these two rights provide everyone, including refugees, equal access to decent work opportunities without discrimination and regardless of legal status and documentation. 

Under international law, decent work for everyone is provided through Article 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is given binding force by Articles 6 and 7 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. In addition, the International Labour Office ILO has developed international labour standards that apply to all workers, including refugees.  

Articles 17, 18 and 19 of the 1951 Refugee Convention explicitly recognize refugees’ right to access the labour market, prescribing a level of treatment for refugees relative to their legal attachment to the country of asylum. Article 24 sets out the right of refugees to benefit from labour legislation and social security.  

To facilitate access to decent work, States must take deliberate, concrete and targeted steps to stimulate economic growth and development, raise living standards and overcome unemployment and underemployment. States must also pursue full and productive employment while safeguarding fundamental political and economic freedoms and reducing the informal economy. 

Developing States that have limited resources are permitted to provide access to employment opportunities for refugees gradually if necessary. These States must still take steps to realize access to decent work for everyone, including refugees, by seeking international assistance and cooperation. 

To access decent work, refugees need, among other things, to exercise their right to freedom of movement, to form and join trade unions and other labour associations, to have their previous qualifications recognized and to have access to vocational and other training opportunities. Refugees also need to be able to contribute to and make use of social security benefits, as well as have access to effective remedies to enforce their right to access decent work opportunities.