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Institutions for the Economic Participation of Refugees (Refeco)

Financed by the European Commission, DG Justice and Home Affairs, in the framework of the programme 'Community Action 2002' of the European Refugee Fund.

Refugees now make up a significant proportion of European immigrant populations but they have usually been defined as non-labour migrants and in most EU countries they have been restricted from participating in the labour market. However, the European Council has agreed to begin integrating refugees into the labour markets in spite of the problems relating to refugees' varying citizen status. Programmes such as EQUAL have been set up to facilitate this process but most European states are still confronted with a deficit of institutions to assist refugee communities in playing a full part in the economic life of their country of settlement. This project is dedicated to the study of the formation of such institutions in member countries of the European Union. First of all, intensive studies will be done in three member states: in the United Kingdom, Italy and Germany. Other countries will be studied through literature and by contacting area specialists, who will meet to exchange experiences and good practices at a European conference to be held in Brussels at the end of the project. The results will be distributed to refugee activists, politicians and practitioners as recommendations for good practices in European countries.

Project partners:

  • CRER, University of Warwick
  • Berlin Institute for Comparative Social Research
  • University of Florence

Coordination: CRER

Contact for more information: d.s.joly@warwick.ac.uk

See also www.emz-berlin.de