APC/CZA panel in Belgrade “Access to employment for refugees and asylum seekers. in Serbia: Experiences, Challenges and Lessons Learned ”

06.12.2019. Belgrade, – Within the APC/CZA international event “Integration Days 2019”, at the Hotel Zira, and within the project “Support to asylum seekers and persons granted protection in entering the labor market” in Serbia, funded by Switzerland Confederation, State Secretariat for Migration (SEM),

APC organized the panel “Access to employment for refugees and asylum seekers. in Serbia: Experiences, Challenges and Lessons Learned ”, bringing together international and domestic practitioners in the field of integration and employment of refugees. Among the panelists were representatives of institutions, employers, refugees, local and foreign civil society organizations and local authorities (eg Employment Bureau, local branches in Loznica, employers restaurant “Dva štapića”, food factory “Froneri”, UNHCR, JRS, People in Need, Check Republic, League for Human Rights, Slovakia, Vaša prava, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Menedek Hungary, Conzirtio Italiano Solidarieta – ICS -Ufficio Rifugiati, Italy, Belgrade Open School – BOŠ, NIRAS, etc.)

Some of the most prominent conclusions that emerged from the panel were: there is great potential and value in refugees becoming an active and progressive part of our societies and labor markets; it is not enough just to help refugees get jobs, we need to create space for intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding within the local environment; Self-employment and entrepreneurship are very important for the creation of refugees who are independent and able to contribute to the local environment and become an integral part of it, while the state must provide more opportunities to achieve this.
Many other participants shared their experience, and many thoughts were related to worker protection, training and prevention of exploitation. It was also underlined that we, as hosts in local communities, must not forget the labor rights of refugees, ensure their legal status at work and avoid putting refugees in a situation of serious problems, becoming homeless and the poor without the right to pension and social protection. .

After the panel and relying on the project “Support to asylum seekers and persons granted protection in entering the labor market” and the long-term experience of APC/CZA in employment of refugees and asylum seekers, APC/CZA completed recommendations to institutions / employers / system. improving / improving the employment of refugees and asylum seekers shared with partners, which you can take with PREPORUKE U OBLASTI ZAPOŠLJAVANJA TRAŽILACA AZILA I LICA KOJA SU DOBILA AZIL

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