Resources for employers in Montenegro
Resources for employers in Montenegro
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 Montenegro?
Montenegro is a country in Europe which hosts one of the largest refugee communities relative to its population. Although Montenegro does not share borders with Ukraine, since the onset of the war in Ukraine until the end of 2024, 282,689 Ukrainians have entered the country. At the same time, the vast majority of them (275,069) have since left Montenegro and continued their journey to other countries. Nonetheless, given this rapid increase in the refugee community, stakeholders are implementing many actions to facilitate their reception, integration and inclusion in the labour market.
Companies in Montenegro play a crucial role in opening their doors to refugees and adopting inclusive hiring policies. Adopting these policies is essential because they would help integrate into local society, address labour shortages, fill skills gaps, improve team diversity, help internationalize Montenegrin businesses through their personal networks and connections, and build stronger socially responsible brands. A survey by UNHCR has shown that 79% of surveyed companies in Montenegro are willing to hire refugees from Ukraine, and 20% have already employed refugees.
Read more in the UNHCR Snapshot Survey: “Employers’ Perspective on Hiring Ukrainian Refugees in Montenegro”
A good example
Refugees in Montenegro reside in many coastal cities, and their inclusion in the labour market can help deal with many shortages in the tourism and hospitality sectors. This was the case of two Cuban refugees who settled in the sea town of Perast and secured employment in the Villa Perast hotel. The hotel manager, Simona Pulcinelli, had been struggling to hire staff locally and appreciated the opportunity to hire them for cleaning and maintenance work, and was gladly surprised when one of them assisted a guest who fainted and applied first aid, thanks to his previous experience as a nurse. Read the whole story here.
How many refugees and stateless people are there in Montenegro?
According to 2024 data, there were 22,052 refugees in Montenegro, almost all of whom came from Ukraine, with small groups of refugees and asylum-seekers from Russia, Turkey, Cuba, Afghanistan, Morocco and Iran. Montenegro is situated on one of the mixed migration routes through the Western Balkans, with more than 34,000 individuals going through the country between 2017 and 2023. While most people transit through Montenegro to apply for asylum or family reunification in Western Europe, a small portion also apply for international protection in Montenegro. As of mid-2024, there were approximately 431 recorded stateless people and people of undetermined nationality in Montenegro.
Visit the Refugee Data Finder to learn more
How many of them are working?
As per information available to UNHCR Montenegro, 22% of TP holders were employed in April 2024, primarily in the hospitality, IT or educational sector. TP holders from Ukraine have very high educational attainment on average but have struggled to secure employment in Montenegro. An IOM survey among 173 refugees from Ukraine in 2023 showed that almost half (47%) had completed a master’s degree, 28% had a bachelor’s degree, 16% had technical and vocational training, and 1% had doctoral degrees. Another 2023 survey showed that 67% had been either employed or self-employed before leaving Ukraine, mainly in the IT, services, trade, educational, financial, and health sectors. Despite these high levels of education and employment, 72% of those surveyed stated they needed to work in Montenegro.
Among asylum-seekers, 41% are unemployed, with the higher percentage of unemployment being registered with women (44% of women vs 29% of men). An estimated 42% of asylum seekers have a university diploma or higher education level. Among refugees, 50% are unemployed, with an equal share of men and women. Among them, 46% have a university diploma or above. Among refugees in Montenegro are entrepreneurs, electricians, lawyers, beauticians, medical technicians, dermatologists, psychologists, managers, math teachers, economists, drivers, IT technicians, scientists (nuclear energy), musicians, physicists (chess players), among others.
Read more in the IOM Study on Temporary Protection for Ukrainian Refugees in Montenegro (March 2023)
What are the main challenges?
Refugees have shared that some employers hesitate to hire Ukrainian nationals based on temporary protection status. One of the key challenges for refugees from Ukraine is related to diploma recognition, which is a complex administrative process, especially without knowledge of the local language. Depending on the profession, this can require submission to and membership in a professional body or chamber. Another challenge has been opening a bank account in Montenegro since banks have introduced more stringent rules and requirements after many people have departed from Montenegro and left unattended accounts. Finally, 59% of refugees from Ukraine mention language courses as their primary need in the country.
Stateless individuals in Montenegro may face barriers to employment due to limited access to residence permits, which come with stringent requirements and often necessitate additional work permits for those with temporary status. Applicants for statelessness status do not have the right to work.
Read more in the Needs and Intentions Surveys with Refugees from Ukraine
Did you know?
Latvian cultural organizations and companies in the arts and culture field can benefit from the SCCF Special Purpose Program, the "Creative Scholarship Program for Ukrainian Citizens." Its purpose is to provide support to Ukrainian citizens in their creative efforts in artistic domains such as Design and Architecture, Cinematographic Art, Cultural Heritage, Literature, Music and Dance Art (Ballet), Interdisciplinary Projects, Dramatic Arts (Theatre, Modern Dance and Circus), Traditional Culture and Visual Art. Individuals can be granted a one-time creative work scholarship of 600 EUR for 3 months.
| Status | Who it applies to | Right to work? | |
| Asylum-seekers | Individuals who have applied for asylum in Montenegro but still have not received a decision on their application. | Asylum seekers have the right to work in Montenegro nine months after lodging their application if no decision has been made on it. | |
| Asylee | 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. | Asylees have the right to work in Montenegro. | |
| Subsidiary protection | Individuals who do not qualify for refugee status but who are unable to return to their home country because it would mean they face capital punishment, torture or inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment. | Individuals with subsidiary protection have the right to work in Montenegro. | |
| Temporary protection | All individuals fleeing Ukraine, including the citizens of Ukraine, people without citizenship with the last residence in Ukraine, people granted international protection in Ukraine, and citizens of Ukraine with permanent and temporary residence in Montenegro. | Individuals with temporary protection have the right to work in Montenegro. | |
| Stateless person | A stateless person is someone who is not considered as a citizen by any country (whether recognized as such or not). | Stateless persons who are formally recognized through the statelessness determination procedure (SDP) have the right to work in Montenegro. |
For more information on the legal framework, see the UNHCR Help page.
How do I connect with refugee and stateless talent?
Employers interested in getting in touch with refugees, please contact UNHCR Montenegro through the contact information available at UNHCR Montenegro - Help for refugees and asylum-seekers. If you are particularly interested in reaching out to refugees from Ukraine, you can contact the Good Deed Association of Ukrainians in Montenegro, which has a vast network of members and promotes the cultural, economic, and social development of the community through events, activities, courses, among others. Another organization working in the field is the Red Cross of Montenegro, which provides refugees with support in accessing education, employment and psychosocial support; Caritastas Montene, which offers psychosocial and humanitarian support; and the NGO Civic Allia, once which offers free legal aid. With regards to employment of stateless people, companies can contact UNHCR which provides free legal assistance and advice to stateless persons in Montenegro.
What can I do to support refugee and stateless employees?
Employers interested in hiring refugees and stateless people can do several things to support their access to suitable positions. First and foremost, the recruitment process needs to consider the communication channels most used by refugees and stateless people and vacancies that may be published in Ukrainian, Russian, or English. Second, employers can assist new hires with administrative procedures such as verifying diplomas or opening a bank account. Finally, companies can facilitate integration and teamwork through language courses, opportunities to practice the Montenegrin language, team-building activities, and mentorship/buddy programs among employees.
Useful resources
Employment grants
UNHCR is partnering with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to provide grants for employment and entrepreneurship development for refugees in Montenegro. The project is still in the early phase of its implementation in Montenegro, but it already provides a great platform for supporting refugees’ employment and entrepreneurship. Find more information in this post.
“Skills for Employment” toolkit prepared by IKEA with best practices on how employers can open employment pathways for refugees
A report by the TENT partnership for refugees on “How Hiring Refugees Helps Brands: Europe (2023)”
2023 Briefing Paper by the World Economic Forum titled “Enabling the Economic Integration of Refugees: Lessons learned on refugee employment and employability from the rapid response to Ukraine” .