Memorandum of Understanding signed for Labor Pathways for Refugees and Stateless Persons

A new Memorandum of Understanding was signed on 27 June 2025 in Italy between the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Ministry of Labor, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Diaconia Valdese, Pathways International, and Talent Beyond Boundaries.

The agreement will enable refugees selected abroad—through the new measures introduced by Law 50/2023—to arrive in Italy via the Labour Pathways for Refugees initiative. This program facilitates the regular entry of refugees into the Italian labor market by selecting and training candidates in third countries who are already qualified in specific professional sectors.

To date, four projects have been launched that will benefit 70 refugees residing in Colombia, Egypt, Uganda, and Jordan, who will be placed in the airport, shipbuilding, IT, and goldsmithing sectors once they arrive in Italy. These projects, considered best practices, are designed to be scaled up to include other economic sectors and geographical contexts in the coming years, with the goal of significantly increasing opportunities both for people fleeing their countries and for Italian companies.

Italy remains one of the first countries in the world to develop a regular channel for refugees to access the labor market—both by allocating specific entry quotas within the ordinary annual program and through the so-called “extra quota” pathway. This latter channel allows Italian companies to select and hire refugees at the end of a training program conducted abroad, helping to build a model of integration and solidarity that recognizes refugees’ skills while responding to the staffing needs of Italian businesses.

There are currently 122 million people worldwide forced to flee their homes due to war and violence. Seventy-three percent are hosted in low- and middle-income countries, where opportunities to rebuild their lives are limited—often pushing them to undertake dangerous journeys in the hands of traffickers.

Labour mobility pathways offer refugees a real opportunity to rebuild a dignified life, aligned with their skills, through regular and safe channels. They also represent a tangible example of the crucial role the private sector can play in creating meaningful and effective opportunities for solidarity and protection.

“At a time of global crisis, we need responses that are both concrete and courageous.
Work corridors combine protection and opportunity, placing people and their potential at the center.
Italy is charting a new path, where institutions, businesses, and civil society move forward together,” said Chiara Cardoletti, UNHCR Representative for Italy, the Holy See, and San Marino.

This initiative is part of the Global Compact on Refugees, which underscores the importance of international cooperation to enable refugees to use their talents for the benefit of all, building a better future both for themselves and the communities that welcome them.

The work corridors for refugees are the result of a joint effort between UNHCR, Diaconia Valdese, Talent Beyond Boundaries, and Pathways International, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Labor, and the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.

These work corridors are promoted with the support of ACRI – Associazione di Fondazioni e di Casse di Risparmio Spa, Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, The Human Safety Net, and the Reale Foundation.

Media contacts in Italy:

• Barbara Molinario, [email protected], +39 338 5462932
• Filippo Ungaro, [email protected], +39 335 67947446

Labor Pathways for Refugees:

• ReadyForIT – Labor Pathways for Refugees is a training program in the field of Information Technology, developed by Fondazione Italiana Accenture ETS and led by UNHCR together with the Foundation itself, Talent Beyond Boundaries, Pathways International, Diaconia Valdese, the International Trade Centre (a UN technical agency), and the Unione Industriali di Torino.

  The project is aimed at 25 refugees currently residing in Uganda. The companies that will proceed with hiring the refugees—subject to successful completion of the final assessment—are: Accenture, Aubay, DedaGroup, Reale ITES, OverIT, Btinkeeng, and Valuetech.

   

• Navigating the Future: Talent Discovery and Training in the International Shipbuilding Sector is a project developed by Orienta, Talent Beyond Boundaries, the Don Bosco Salesian Institute in Cairo (Egypt), UNHCR, and other local partners in Egypt.
  Focused on the shipbuilding sector, it targets 240 individuals, including both refugees and Egyptian citizens.

   

• Goldsmith for Italy – Labor Pathways for Refugees is a project focused on the goldsmithing sector and will involve 10 refugees in Jordan who will be employed by Mattioli Spa.

  The labor corridors program from Jordan, led by the training agency EG Ghirardi, is promoted by UNHCR, Diaconia Valdese, Talent Beyond Boundaries, Unione Industriali Torino, Pathways International, the NGO Turquoise Mountain, and Reale Foundation.