The case for tailored employment and integration support for refugees

Rethinking Research Blog Series - New ideas for refugee and migrant integration - February 2025

“[My suggestion] is to take care of those who are experienced, and who are skilful because there are some points which they are lacking now, but they are trying to stand on their own feet and do something in the country and work like any other citizens and pay their taxes and be helpful and everything”, Amna.

This advice to policymakers from one of our research participants[1] reflects what we hear time and time again from our clients and the refugee communities we work with. People who seek sanctuary in the UK bring a wealth of skills and experiences which they are keen to utilise and to contribute to their new society. Yet they often face significant barriers to leading fulfilling lives and achieving their potential. Unleashing this potential will provide benefits for individuals, communities, employers and economies and help address skills shortages. There is a strong social and economic case for providing appropriate and tailored integration and employment support to enable people from refugee communities to achieve their potentials.

The benefits of improving refugee employment outcomes are clear. Research suggests that providing tailored English language and employment support as soon as refugees arrive in the UK could generate a net economic benefit of £1.2 billion over five years. [2] This is due to increased employment opportunities, which would lead to higher tax contributions and lower social housing costs.

Better employment conditions are key to improved outcomes in other aspects of integration, including physical and mental health, financial security, housing, and social relations.[3]

With an estimated 819,000 job vacancies in the UK (still 2.9% more than pre-COVID levels), there is a clear opportunity to utilise the untapped potential of refugees and migrants, who possess valuable skills, multilingual abilities, resilience, and are often highly educated[4].

Employers benefit from a diverse workforce[5] which brings a range of experiences and approaches, fostering cognitive diversity[6]. A more culturally diverse workforce can improve organisational effectiveness as it better reflects the diversity of customers or service users.

Research also shows that there is no evidence to support claims that access to the labour market is a "pull factor" for refugees. [7] In fact, investing in employment support benefits individuals, communities, the economy, and society as a whole.

Compared to UK born people, refugees are less likely to be employed[8] and are more likely to be underemployed, in precarious work, on temporary or zero-hour contracts, be in shift work or night shifts, or to be overqualified for their jobs. [9] They also face significant barriers to accessing higher education.[10] Refugee entrepreneurs face many barriers to accessing mainstream business support [11] and to building a sustainable business[12].

To enable refugee communities to achieve their potential we need tailored English language and employment support, and for maximum benefit, these should be provided from the moment of arrival in the UK.[13]

Improving English language proficiency improves refugees’ chances of gaining work that matches their skills and abilities.[14] ESOL and skills funding should be remodelled to increase availability and ensure free access for those who need it. To maximize accessibility, support with transport, childcare, and flexible learning options—such as online, intensive, or part-time courses—should be provided.  ESOL curricula and provision should be responsive to the learners’ needs, with more courses that include vocational training and pathways to further or higher education. Regional ESOL Hubs with unified waiting lists, which streamline access, should be implemented nationwide.

Tailored employment support enhances job outcomes.[15] Employment initiatives should be developed in partnership with employers and should include these key elements:

• Quality work experience with specific pathways for people without recognised UK qualifications or work history.
• Training and support that builds on existing skills and qualifications.
• Support with recognising and accrediting existing skills and qualifications. [16]
• Tailored guidance to navigate career progression pathways.
• Specialist support for refugee and migrant entrepreneurs.

Additionally, improving access to further and higher education will unlock the untapped academic and professional potential of refugee communities.

The Home Office funded Refugee Employability Programme (REP) has been a step in this direction, but this will end in June. New programmes must be developed which include the key elements which we have identified. These programmes will require increased funding, with the flexibility to adapt to evolving needs, and should be designed for delivery by grassroots organisations that are best positioned to support refugees effectively.

Not only will this ensure that these communities can fulfil their potential, it will have clear benefits for employers, the economy and society.

References:

[1] ACH, 2024. From Sanctuary to Opportunity 2024 Full Report: Better Training and Job Outcomes for Refugees and Migrants. Bristol: ACH.

[2] Commission on the Integration of Refugees, 2024. From Arrival to Integration: Building Communities for Refugees and for Britain. Cambridge: The Woolf Institute.

[3] Court, J (2021). ‘Here is a long way’. Language learning, integration, and identity: A mixed methods exploration of ESOL learners’ trajectories. PhD thesis. University of Bristol.

Commission on the Integration of Refugees, 2024. From Arrival to Integration: Building Communities for Refugees and for Britain. Cambridge: The Woolf Institute.

Ndofor-Tah, C et al, 2019. Home Office Indicators of Integration framework 2019

OECD and UNHCR, 2018. Engaging With Employers in the Hiring of Refugees : A 10-Point Multi-Stakeholder Action Plan for Employers, Refugees, Governments and Civil Society. Paris: OECD Publishing, Paris.

Tip, L K et al, 2020. Believing is achieving: a longitudinal study of self-efficacy and positive affect in resettled refugees. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 46(15), 3174–3190..

[4] Commission on the Integration of Refugees, 2024. From Arrival to Integration: Building Communities for Refugees and for Britain. Cambridge: The Woolf Institute.

[5] Kline, R, 2014. The "Snowy White Peaks" of the NHS: A survey of discrimination in governance and leadership and the potential impact on patient care in London and England. Middlesex university.

[6] Sulik, J, Bahrami, B, Deroy, O, 2022. The Diversity Gap: When Diversity Matters for Knowledge.

Perspectives on Psychological Science, 17(3), 752-767.

[7] Home Office, 2020. Sovereign Borders: International Asylum Comparisons Report. Section 1: Drivers and impact on asylum migration journeys. Migration and Border Analysis. September 2020.

[8] Kone, Z, Ruiz, I, Vargas-Silva, C (2019). Refugees and the UK Labour Market. COMPAS. University of

Oxford.

[9] Fernández-Reino, M, and Brindle, B, 2024. Migrants in the UK Labour Market: An Overview . Oxford: Migration Observatory.

[10] Miri, M A, Rooke, H, and Squire, C, 2025. ‘It’s not just opening the doors’: The perspectives of refugees and those working with them in the south-west of the UK on refugees’ higher education access.   University of Bristol.

[11] Singleton, A, Lutz, R, and Salmon, U, 2023. Refugee and Migrant Business Support. Working Towards Best Practice. Bristol: ACH.

[12] Kašperová, E, Roberts, R, & Ram, M, 2022. Time to Change: A Blueprint for Advancing the UK’s Ethnic Minority Businesses  Aston: CREME

[13] Commission on the Integration of Refugees, 2024. From Arrival to Integration: Building Communities for Refugees and for Britain. Cambridge: The Woolf Institute.

Commission on the Integration of Refugees, 2024, The Asylum System and Refugee Integration: Economic Analysis The Asylum System and Refugee Integration: Economic Analysis

[14] Ruiz, I and Vargas-Silva, C, 2021 What Works for Improving Refugee Outcomes in High-Income Countries? Policy Insights for the UK. COMPAS, University of Oxford.

[15] Ruiz, I and Vargas-Silva, C, 2021 What Works for Improving Refugee Outcomes in High-Income Countries? Policy Insights for the UK. COMPAS, University of Oxford.

Commission on the Integration of Refugees, 2024. From Arrival to Integration: Building Communities for Refugees and for Britain. Cambridge: The Woolf Institute.

[16] Commission on the Integration of Refugees, 2024. From Arrival to Integration: Building Communities for Refugees and for Britain. Cambridge: The Woolf Institute.