Refugees Work: A Humanitarian Investment that Yields Economic Dividends

Refugees Work: A Humanitarian Investment That Yields Economic Dividends makes the case for countries to invest in welcoming refugees. The authors find that these investments not only fulfill humanitarian and legal obligations; they can also yield significant economic dividends. 

Calculated using International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates of the economic impact of asylum seekers and refugees on the European Union, Refugees Work: A Humanitarian Investment That Yields Economic Dividends demonstrates how investing one euro in welcoming refugees can yield nearly two in economic benefits within five years. The study outlines how empowering refugees to succeed in the workforce can lead to significant economic growth, increased productivity and wages, new businesses and jobs, and increased international trade and innovation. 

This study was co-published by the Tent Partnership for Refugees and the Open Political Economy Network, an international platform for progress whose mission is to break down barriers: between countries and within them; that privilege some and deny opportunities to others; and that entrench established ways of doing things at the expense of new, different and better ones.