Resources for employers in Ireland
Resources for employers in Ireland
We use "refugees" to encompass forcibly displaced people with different legal statuses, such as refugees, subsidiary protection holders, temporary protection holders, asylum seekers, and other people in need of international protection.
In cases where differentiating information relating to each status is essential (i.e. regarding the right to work), this is clearly indicated.
Why hire refugees and stateless people in Ireland?
Ireland is currently hosting a diverse community of forcibly displaced people from countries such as Ukraine, Syria, Georgia, Nigeria, and others. Many are eager to integrate into Irish society, start working to secure their livelihoods, and become self-sufficient. Despite their challenges, they are motivated and resilient, and they can bring much value to their employers thanks to their foreign language capabilities and diverse skill sets.
Read more in the guide “Tapping potential: A toolkit to help businesses employ refugees and asylum-seekers" by UNHCR, IOM and BITC
Irish businesses can play an essential role in facilitating the successful integration of refugees into the job market and ensuring a proper fit between their qualifications and their positions. By adopting refugee-friendly employment practices, companies can address core business challenges, including stronger recruitment with a pipeline of talent for roles at every skill level, enhanced diversity and employee engagement, and a more compelling purpose and social impact commitment. Recent research by the World Economic Forum has demonstrated that providing refugees with timely access to the labour market benefits refugees and host economies, especially in countries with ageing populations, labour shortages, and continued competition for talent.
A good example
Deloitte is the largest professional services firm in the world, and it employs 3,200 people in Ireland. In 2020, the company launched the Development Internship Program to support those who have migrated to Ireland to secure employment in collaboration with DLA Piper, the Irish Refugee Council and Business in the Community Ireland (BITCI). The program offers a six-month internship within Deloitte to individuals who have submitted their application for international protection/refugee status and are awaiting a final decision. To date, it has positively impacted twenty individuals. Read more about the program here.
How many refugees and stateless people are there in Ireland?
In 2023, 114,000 refugees were in Ireland, primarily from Ukraine (100,000) and other countries like Syria and Afghanistan. In addition, 22,000 asylum-seekers were from countries such as Georgia, Algeria, and Nigeria. Among refugees from Ukraine, 46% are adult women, 34% are children, and 20% are adult men. There is a small group of recorded stateless people in the country.
Visit the Refugee Data Finder to learn more
How many of them are working?
In the case of asylum-seekers, from 2018 to 2024, the Labour Market Access Unit received 24,392 applications for permission for labour market access, of which 20,288 have been granted. As of January 2024, 3,000 applications were pending. In the case of temporary protection holders from Ukraine, as of April 2024, 18,182 individuals had accessed the labour market. The primary employment sectors include financial, real estate, administrative, agricultural, ICT, scientific, public service, education, and health. There is no data on the inclusion of recognized refugees in the labour market.
Read more in the Ireland Country Report and report on Temporary Protection by the Asylum Information Database
What are the main challenges?
A study conducted by UNHCR found that some of the main challenges which hinder refugees' access to employment include 1) English language deficiencies, 2) Long gaps in CVs as a result of the long time spent without the right to work, 3) Issues with employers’ recognition of skills and experience, 4) Public and employer perceptions of refugees and racial discrimination, 5) Lack of employment support infrastructure and knowledge of how the Irish labour market and recruitment process works, 7) Loss of confidence and mental health issues as a result of long periods spent living in asylum-seeker accommodation or experiences of homelessness, poverty or social exclusion, 8) Lack of transport to and from work, mainly if living in asylum-seeker accommodation, 9) Lack of affordable childcare and alternative options, which primarily affects women, and 10) Difficulty opening a bank account.
In the absence of a dedicated statelessness determination procedure, stateless people in Ireland may face challenges to regularize their stay in the country and access employment. Stateless people in Ireland may obtain a residence permit on other grounds, which would allow them to work.
Did you know?
Employers can obtain advice on the academic recognition of foreign qualifications through NARIC Ireland, a free service hosted and operated by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI). The NARIC database lists several Ukrainian qualifications, including general professional, further education, and higher education. In the case of regulated professions (e.g. architects, teachers, doctors, nurses, electrical contractors, among others), the corresponding national competent authority must first recognize the foreign qualification. More information and a complete list of regulated professions can be found here.
| Status | Who it applies to | Right to work? | Process |
| Asylum-seekers | Individuals who have applied for international protection but still have not received a decision on their application. | Asylum seekers can apply for permission to access the labour market if they have not received a first-instance recommendation on their application after 6 months. The application can be submitted online. Permissions are valid for 12 months, after which they must be renewed. | Within 21 days of hiring an asylum-seeker with a Labour Market Access Permission, employers must submit form LMA5 by email to [email protected] to inform the Minister about their income and employment. Employers must email the same address within 21 days after the employee stops working for them and keep a detailed record of their job for 3 years. For more information, read the Information booklet for employers. |
| Refugee status | Individuals who have a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion. | Subsidiary status holders have the right to work and be self-employed in Ireland. | The process is the same as for Irish nationals. |
| Permission to remain | Individuals who do not qualify for either refugee or subsidiary status, but are allowed to remain in Ireland for another reason, such as family or personal circumstances, the nature of their connection with Ireland, humanitarian considerations, their character and conduct, among others. | Holders of permission to remain usually have the right to work. However, it depends on the type of permission granted (stamp). | The process is the same as for Irish nationals. |
| Temporary protection | Nationals of Ukraine and their family members who were forced to leave their country due to the current war or Ukrainian nationals who are already residing in Ireland. | Individuals with temporary protection have the right to employment and self-employment. | The process is the same as for Irish nationals. |
| Stateless person | A stateless person is someone who is not considered as a citizen by any country (whether recognized as such or not) | Stateless people with a protection status have the right to work. |
For more information on the legal framework, visit the Irish Immigration Service website or the UNHCR Help page.
Bear in mind
Asylum-seekers with a Labour Market Access Permission are not allowed to work in civil service, local authorities, companies owned by the government, the defence forces, public institutions of higher education, and several other organizations. The complete list is available here under Schedule 6.
Also, asylum-seekers with Labour Market Access Permission can be employed only in companies where 50% or more of the employees are nationals of the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.
How do I connect with refugee talent?
Employers interested in connecting with refugee talent can contact organizations that work with forcibly displaced people and migrants. These organizations can help build a referral pipeline of qualified candidates and offer wraparound services such as integration support, language classes, and legal aid. For example, the Irish Refugee Council provides various employability-related services such as employment coaching, upskilling, and internships, including a unique Women’s Employment program. Other organizations include the Irish Red Cross, the New Communities Partnership, which runs a program to promote the employment of migrant women, and the Jesuit Refugee Service. A complete map of refugee support organizations can be found here.
What can I do to support refugee and stateless employees?
Employers who wish to create a refugee and stateless-friendly workplace and recruitment process are encouraged to follow the recommendations in the “Tapping Potential” guide for employers. These include, among others: 1) Delivering work preparation activities such as interview preparation and workplace visits, 2) Integrating formal English training within work-preparation activities, 3) Providing work placements, traineeships and internships, 4) Reviewing the level of English language required for all roles, 5) Developing an inclusive assessment process, 6) Providing progression pathways, and 7) Promoting inclusion at all levels, emphasizing the value of different cultural and religious backgrounds.
Useful resources
Recruitment support
Employers interested in hiring refugees can publish their vacancies on Jobs Ireland, managed by the Public Employment Service (Intreo). Intreo also offers a Work Placement Experience Programme or the JobsPlus scheme, which gives employers a tax-free incentive of up to €10,000 for employing an unemployed person.
Job fairs
The New Communities Partnership runs a yearly migrant job fair, which allows employers to meet on the spot with highly skilled, diverse, and multilingual migrant professionals from different sectors. Companies can also connect with relevant organizations in the refugee-supporting sectors in Ireland.
Diversity training
The Open Doors Initiative offers employer training that helps raise awareness among Irish companies of the barriers for marginalized job seekers and how to create a welcoming environment. Staff members identify areas of improvement to increase recruitment and retention of diverse candidates.
“Guide to employment” by the Irish Refugee Council
A guide “Hiring refugees and asylum-seekers: A Reference Guide for HR Departments” by UNHCR, IOM and BITC
Inclusivity Employment Toolkit by the Open Doors Initiative