Supporting and Developing Refugee Enterprise, a conference taking place this Friday in London, will examine the work of a new project, Refugees into Business, which has been set up to encourage and support refugee enterprise.

The aim of the project is to help refugees succeed in business, and provides a range of online information and support guides to help both refugees themselves and mainstream business advisers.

The conference will celebrate the achievements of Refugees into Business, as well as share lessons learned, and look towards the future. It features a keynote speech from Margaret Hodge MP, Minister of State for Industry and the Regions.

Anna Reisenberger, acting Chief Executive of the Refugee Council and chair of the conference, said:

“Too many refugees are unemployed or under-employed. Many had thriving businesses in their home countries, which they were forced to abandon when they fled. This project provides valuable resources to help refugees start up their own businesses here in the UK, which we hope will go some way to addressing the current employment issues facing refugees and help them to successfully rebuild their lives here.”

The project is led by the Refugee Council, in partnership with a diverse range of organisations including Refugee Action, the Prince’s Trust, Refugee Women’s Association, Community Action Network, Social Enterprise London and Education Action International.

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