Conference on refugees
Strasbourg, 27 September 2012 - A conference co-organised by the UN Refugee Agency and the Council of Europe on the right to work for refugees – entirely open to the media – assessed how Europe protects and ensures the right to work of refugees.
The gathering on 27 September at the Council of Europe took stock of how refugees access the job market in Europe today – and included a wide range of experts and three refugees living and working in Europe.
It was opened by Council of Europe Deputy Secretary Gabriella Battaini Dragoni and UNHCR Europe Bureau Director Daniel Endres.
In a difficult economic environment, budgets for integration and employment programmes are under threat: the meeting revealed how countries are managing the obligation to secure the right to work of legally-recognized refugees living in Europe in this challenging era.
Recent statistics disclosed at the colloquium also indicate how many refugees are living in which host countries. The statistics are cumulative over the past 10 years, and indicate the estimated number of total refugees as of January 2012 .
Two refugees living in Nuremburg, Germany and one refugee living in Strasbourg, France, told participants about their experiences, including their search for work and their integration in society.
The colloquium was held under the auspices of the Albanian chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers. The Council of Europe’s Secretariat of the European Social Charter is the co-organiser along with the UNHCR.
- Speech by Gabriella Battaini Dragoni
- Podcast: Daniel Endres, Director of the UNHCR Bureau for Europe