What is the specific problem?

Despite labour market shortages, the labour market inclusion of migrants and refugees is challenged by several factors such as language barriers, missing cultural fluency in workplaces, and mismatches between migrants’ skills and available jobs. Also, the employment and skills development of vulnerable migrant groups—such as asylum seekers, refugees, young adults, former unaccompanied minors and women, single families — poses an additional challenge due to difficulties in recognising and validating foreign qualifications, limited access to professional training, ‘migrant pay gap’, high bureaucratic hurdles, and risk of labour exploitation. Migrants and refugees are likely to be exposed to labour exploitation due to language barriers, a lack of information or inaccessible services. Another issue is that regional and local authorities face difficulties in attracting and retaining migrant workers and their families. 

Labour market inclusion of migrants is a critical issue that spans local, regional, and national levels of governance. National policies on labour migration and integration set the framework, but it is up to local governments, municipalities, and regions to implement these policies, in the local economic context. 

What is the goal of this action?

The issue of integrating migrant talent into the European labour market is directly aligned with the Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion, that emphasises the need of enhanced employment opportunities and skills recognition to fully value the contribution of migrant communities, and migrant women in particular, and ensure that they are supported to reach their full potential. It specifically highlights employment as a key area for integration, noting that securing a job that matches an individual’s skills is crucial for their inclusion and overall well-being. It encourages collaboration between public authorities, migrant-led organisations, media and policymakers. 

This action aims to support local governments in delivering services, offering employment opportunities and supporting inclusion in the labour market. Two overarching activities are being considered by the Action Group Members: the exchange of good practices to support the early labour market integration of refugees, and the development of capacity building activities, including a guidebook that shows the journey of labour market integration, an engagement strategy for public/private employers, and a strategy for members to apply and test the guidebook internally and externally (e.g. through trainings, webinars, etc.).