There is huge talent in the world’s refugee camps. We must realize this overlooked potential

Forced migration is the political hot potato of our time. With new global records of displaced people set every year, foreign aid falling and an expected surge of climate refugees on the horizon, we will all be affected by forced migration in the years to come.

There are numerous policy and practical barriers preventing displaced people from contributing to the global economy, including lack of working papers in host countries and limited freedom of movement. Concerns over the impact of migration on host countries are landing a whole section of global society in a state of seemingly permanent displacement. But this means we are foregoing the invaluable entrepreneurial spirit these migrants can offer our economies – and ignoring the research that shows investing in them can reap significant returns.

Can we afford to do that? Due to demographic shifts and an ageing population, the workforce in a number of G20 countries is forecast to shrink significantly over the coming decades. In the EU alone, the labour force is expected to decrease by 9% by 2030 and 28% by 2060. These labour shortages could be answered by the incredible talent living in refugee camps. Some countries, like Canada, are already attuned to the economic potential that refugees present and are filling labour shortages with refugee talent.

 
Συνέχεια ανάγνωσης εδώ: www.weforum.org