World Refugee Day 2024
More than 500 refugee start-ups (and counting) since 2017: amidst the urgency of the challenges refugees have to face, Generali and The Human Safety Net reaffirm their commitment to supporting refugee integration through work and entrepreneurship
A total of 117.3 million people worldwide are displaced, having been forced to flee their homes due to persecution, conflict, violence, human rights abuses, and events that seriously disrupt public order. This is the dramatic data from the latest edition of the annual Global Trends report, released on the 13th of June by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
According to the report, the world’s refugee population increased by 7% during 2023 to 43.4 million, including 31.6 million refugees and people in a refugee-like situation, and 5.8 million who are in need of international protection under the mandate of UNHCR, as well as 6 million Palestinian refugees under the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
The total number of refugees worldwide has more than tripled compared to ten years ago. Afghanistan and Syria account for the largest number of refugees in the world, with 6.4 million each, and together account for a third of all refugees under UNHCR’s mandate, followed by Venezuela (6.1 million) and Ukraine (six million).
Generali and The Human Safety Net standing with refugees
These alarming figures have risen steadily in recent years as a result of the proliferation of conflicts and global crises, including the climate crisis. Again this year, to mark World Refugee Day and pursuing their goal to address such issues, Generali and its The Human Safety Net foundation reaffirm their commitment to promoting refugee inclusion in host countries and supporting their integration through work and entrepreneurship.
Promoting integration and inclusion: over 500 new refugee start-ups created since 2017
Indeed, amidst the urgency of the challenges refugees have to face, there is also some reason for hope: thanks to the dedicated “For Refugees” programme managed by The Human Safety Net and its partner NGOs across Europe, more than 500 refugee start-ups have been created since 2017, leading to almost one thousand additional jobs.
The Human Safety Net’s partners promote refugee entrepreneurship and labour market integration by offering training programmes, business start-up advice, and - in the case of the partners in Germany and Luxembourg - direct access to micro-credit channels.
The beneficiaries of the project come from different countries around the world, mainly Ukraine, followed by Afghanistan and Syria, but more than 80 nationalities are represented. The most popular sector in which beneficiaries set up their businesses is wholesale and retail trade, followed by food services and professional services.
Just one testament to these refugees’ determination and hard work is the five-year survival rate of these enterprises, which at 56%, is higher than the average of 51%1. The vast majority of the total number of enterprises supported by The Human Safety Net, about 70%, are micro-businesses or those with fewer than three employees.
The entrepreneurs typically have business experience and have lived in their host country for 2-3 years, which gives them the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of the language and market in which they will be operating. Many of the supported enterprises replicate business models that are familiar to the entrepreneurs from their home country, especially those in the catering, small trade, or craft sectors, and directly target their own community living in the host country. Others focus on promoting economic activity in their country of origin, conducting import/export activities, and promoting trade and the exchange of knowledge.
The Human Safety Net’s “For Refugees” programme
Created in 2017 with the aim of helping the most vulnerable people in society, today The Human Safety Net operates in 26 countries across three continents (Europe, South America, and Asia). In addition to a programme dedicated to vulnerable families with children aged 0-6, the Foundation supports people forced to flee from their home countries with the “For Refugees” programme, aimed to promote their integration through work and entrepreneurship.
All the achievements and ongoing activities across Europe are possible thanks to this dedicated initiative, which works side by side with refugees to achieve their business goals through training, coaching, access to workspace, and funding.
Providing refugees with the tools they need to become successful entrepreneurs or to receive vocational training that can facilitate their integration into the local labour market, “For Refugees” is active in France, Germany, Switzerland, and - from May 2023 - in Luxembourg with a microcredit programme.
Discover more on the 500 start-ups and The Human Safety Net’s activities for refugees on the foundation’s website: https://www.thehumansafetynet.org/500-Startup.
