1.3.2 Social inclusion of refugees and other beneficiaries of international protection
Refugees and other beneficiaries of international protection often face social exclusion in countries of destination. This may be due to their status or due to their race, ethnicity, religion, culture, among others.
Barriers to inclusion of refugees and other beneficiaries of international protection include language barriers, the inability to work, to access financial services, healthcare services, housing, social security or education. Such barriers may derive not only from legislation and policies of the host country but also from practices of institutions and organizations. In fact, although international legislation, in general, and EU legislation recognise certain rights to refugees, such as the right to work or the right to education, discriminatory practices, lack of information, language barriers, the impossibility of presentation of certain documents, or even “the fear of the other” may result, in practice, in impossibility of refugees and other beneficiaries of international protection fully participating in their host society. This may also be the result of
perceptions regarding refugees as dependents from social benefits in the host States or as an economic and social threat to the society. Also,
female refugees/asylum seekers, often the primary caregivers to their children, may face additional barriers in accessing employment due to lack of access to childcare in the host country. Focus on refugee inclusion is, therefore, of the utmost importance.
A
study focused on Turkey, Uganda, Lebanon, Jordan, Germany, and the United States, which, in total, host a considerable percentage of the world’s total refugee population, shows “that closing the employment and pay gaps for male and female refugees in these six countries alone could boost their GDP by USD $53 billion—five times the combined annual budget of the U.N. Refugee Agency and International Organization for Migration.” Although general policies adopted by Governments are crucial, as well as the elimination of barriers to participation existent in national legislation, they are not sufficient in fostering social inclusion of refugees. Inclusion requires policies, initiatives and other
efforts by enterprises, civil society organizations, higher education institutions, among others. These may include language courses, programmes directed at enhancing specific skills, housing, volunteer programmes, which put into contact individuals from the host country and refugees, employment opportunities and programmes.
