We know how important employment is to our refugee clients, not only to help with their integration but so that they can support themselves and contribute to society.

The Work Programme is the government’s key approach to getting people into jobs, so we feel compelled to offer our expertise and advice to refugees taking part in the programme to ensure their needs are being met.

We want the Refugee Council’s involvement to consist of providing specialist ‘one-off’ services to support refugees involved in the Work Programme. Our involvement should also enable us to influence the main contractors running the programme by increasing their understanding of who refugees are and their rights to employment. We will also continue to lobby for changes that will ensure the Work Programme properly addresses the challenges faced by refugees in accessing work.