In May 2024, AmCham Greece partnered with the US Embassy in Athens and UNHCR to host an exchange titled “Refugee Integration: How Can Refugees Help Your Business Grow?”, showcasing the untapped potential of refugee inclusion as a catalyst for business growth and societal progress.
In this Q&A, Maria Clara Martin, UNHCR Representative in Greece, discusses UNHCR’s work and elaborates on how investing in refugee integration and employment yields benefits for all—refugees, businesses, and society.
To begin, tell us a bit about the work of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a humanitarian organization mandated by the UN Member States to lead international action, working with governments to protect refugees, that is, people forced to flee because of conflict, persecution, and human rights abuses. We deliver life-saving assistance such as shelter, water, and other basic necessities, and we help safeguard fundamental human rights and develop solutions that ensure people have a safe place to call home where they can build a better future and participate to the growth of the countries that host them. Our work is not easy; the number of forcibly displaced around the world keeps rising every year and now exceeds 110 million.
UNHCR has been present in Greece since 1952. In 2015–2016, it provided immediate operational support to the government and humanitarian assistance to refugees and asylum seekers, and today it continues to provide advice and support to the government on matters relating to asylum, promotes refugee protection standards, and supports asylum seekers and refugees with information, legal aid, and opportunities for self-reliance and integration. In this pursuit, we reach out to businesses as they can play a crucial role in helping refugees rebuild their lives while simultaneously filling businesses’ labor needs—a win-win that can positively contribute to social cohesion and to the communities that host refugees.
How exactly can businesses support refugees?
First of all, businesses can hire refugees. Refugees tend to make highly motivated workers. They’re eager to contribute and can bring valuable talents and useful experience from their home countries. It’s not true that all refugees have a low educational background. A recent UNHCR survey showed that 17% of refugees in Greece have university degrees, another 40% have secondary education, and many come with professional experience from their country of origin. Sometimes what they need is to learn the ways of the new country, so offering internships, apprenticeships, on-the-job training, and language training are also ways to support them in finding jobs.
Fostering refugee integration not only benefits refugees but also strengthens the social and economic fabric of Greek society
Donating to agencies such as UNHCR is often an effective way for businesses to support those who have been forced to flee their home. Another way is by putting money into funds that invest in refugees, offering returns when refugees achieve milestones such as finding paid work. While businesses can help support individual refugees in many ways, smart philanthropy can have a transformative impact on entire communities, integrating refugees into society rather than isolating them.
Any business, no matter how small, can make a difference simply by leading by example. By demonstrating the benefits of employing and investing in refugees and advocating for more progressive policies, companies can change the narrative, challenge misconceptions, and turn social responsibility from a good PR source into a true source of pride and inspiration.
Apart from doing the right thing, why is hiring refugees good for business too?
Numerous studies have shown that hiring refugees can benefit companies and society at large. This is particularly true in countries, such as Greece, where demographic shifts and ageing populations have led to labor shortages across industries, leaving firms facing growth constraints and compromising their competitiveness. The Union of the Hellenic Chambers of Commerce estimates the number of vacancies at 400,000. Companies can help tackle this issue by turning to the pool of refugees and asylum seekers in Greece—over 90,000, of whom two thirds are of working age. It may take some initial investment, in the form of on-the-job training, language programs, or some extra administrative support, but it’s an investment that pays off: In 2017, a Boston Consulting Group (BCG) survey of 300 companies that integrated 2,500 refugees into the German labor market showed that their investment was offset quickly, sometimes in just six months, by the added earnings generated by refugees, especially in understaffed industries.
And it’s not just about filling vacancies. Several studies—including by the Harvard Business School, BCG, McKinsey, and Deloitte—indicate that including diverse people improves productivity and stimulates innovation: Companies with diverse teams are up to 35% more likely to outperform their competitors, up to 70 % more likely to capture new markets, and 1.7 times more likely to be innovative. They also have a higher degree of employee engagement: especially millennials and Gen Zers are 83% more likely to be engaged at work at inclusive companies.
Other benefits for the economy include increased tax collection due to an increase in workers and consumers. A 2020 World Bank study of Venezuelans in Ecuador (making up 2% of the population) said that they had the capacity to grow the economy by 2% if allowed to work in jobs in line with their expertise. A 2017 US government study showed that between 2005 and 2014 the federal government spent $206 billion in supporting refugees, but refugees paid more than $269 billion in taxes—a $63 billion net benefit for the state. Importantly, a New American Economy study said that in 2015 alone, some 2.3 million refugees generated $77.2 billion in household income and paid $20.9 billion in taxes, leaving $56.3 billion of disposable income to spend in the economy.
And while we’re making a business case, this isn’t just about business. It is about the type of society we want to build and create. Do we want a society that integrates and shows the values of tolerance, respect for diversity, and social cohesion, or do we want a society that excludes, discriminates, and is at higher risk of social unrest and marginality?
What is UNHCR doing in Greece to deliver solutions and results for both refugees and businesses?
UNHCR uses its long experience in integration programs worldwide to help Greece realize solutions for refugees and yield benefits for all. We support the government’s National Integration Strategy and act as a catalyst in these efforts, working with national and local authorities, refugees, NGOs, and the private sector. We have created programs that help refugees gain new skills, receive certifications for their abilities, learn Greek, and find work in areas where the local economy has needs. Working with partners, UNHCR has established employability centers that help refugees navigate the bureaucracy to ensure they have the relevant documentation to work legally, advise companies on how to hire refugees, and provide after-hire follow up support. UNHCR has also established an online job-matching platform, Adama, connecting job-seeking refugees in Greece with prospective employers. Since January 2022, 1,800 refugees have been hired through such programs. In cooperation with the Ministry of Migration and Asylum and partners, UNHCR also organizes job fairs in various locations to promote refugee employability and raise awareness among employers and the general public. In 2024 alone, we organized seven job fairs, resulting in 1,120 job offers. Our efforts to foster refugee integration through skill development, employment support, and collaboration with various stakeholders not only benefit refugees but also strengthen the social and economic fabric of Greek society.
