Introduction
Refugees move to host countries hoping that they get opportunities to improve their lives. While refugees are often seen as a burden for host countries, they can contribute to the improvement of the host countries. While some refugees get the opportunity to work legally in host countries, others do not. Host countries should consider allowing refugees to work legally and not just see them as burdens. Therefore, this essay will argue that refugees should be provided with opportunities to work legally in host countries because allowing the refugees to work legally in host countries would be beneficial for both the refugees and the host countries in that the refugees can contribute to the host countries’ economies by, for example, starting up businesses, the host countries would reduce aid costs for providing food, water, and security, among other things, and that there will be refugees integration to host countries.
Providing refugees with opportunities to work legally in host countries will help the host countries to reduce aid costs for providing food, water, and security, among other things. The policy of Uganda of giving refugees the opportunities to work legally and self-settle has resulted in refugees becoming more self-reliant, which reduces their dependency on aid (Miller, 2018). For example, the refugees who settled in Australia from Vietnam demonstrate a strong desire and motivation to work and achieve economic self-sufficiency fast (Harb, Kassem & Najdi, 2019). Moreover, refugees can contribute efficiently to their local communities when they become self-reliant. For example, the Somali refugees interviewed indicated they did not wish to be refugees forever but to work and secure their futures (Zimmermann, 2011). Allowing such refugees to work legally would make them work hard to the point of not requiring any aid.
Moreover, the Somali refugees’ holistic life approaches involved striving to prosper and restart their lives. The Somali and Afghan refugees believe that when one goes to a foreign country, it is better to settle where they can rebuild their lives (Zimmermann, 2011). Harb, Kassem & Najdi (2019) further explains that refugees have great value for work since they are determined to assist their families after resettling. Therefore, refugees should be provided with opportunities to work legally in host countries since working legally will enable the host countries to reduce refugees’ aid costs.
Providing refugees with opportunities to work legally can enable the refugees to contribute to the host countries’ economies by, for example, starting up businesses. Working legally can also help refugees to create facilities, services, and jobs or contribute to agricultural production. Miller (2018) gives the example of Canada, where refugees report high employment rates and income and pay reasonable taxes. Refugees can be assets in a host country’s economy since most are networked transnationally and nationally within settlements. Such refugees highly create or use technology through mobile phones and the internet compared to the residents of the host countries. In Uganda, for example, many refugees have become successful entrepreneurs (Miller, 2018). Refugees can also positively affect their host countries’ economies by attracting developers to collaborate with aid workers in the local community. Attracting developers can increase consumer goods sold in the host countries’ local shops. Miller (2018) also describes a study on Mozambican refugees, where refugees were allowed to start businesses, which created employment, stimulated local commerce, and resulted in accrual benefits among the local population. The presence and the ability of refugees to work legally in the Kakuma area in Kenya has also promoted the gross regional product and led to a 3% increase in employment. In Turkana, the refugees’ presence has resulted in development and economic integration, which has increased the per capita income of the hosts by 6% (Miller, 2018). Also, Syrian entrepreneurs in Hamra highly contribute to Hamra’s economic life. Syrian entrepreneurs in Lebanon also compete with local entrepreneurs in healthy ways since they complete and add offers to the existing market in the commercial neighborhoods (Harb, Kassem & Najdi, 2019). Harb, Kassem & Najdi (2019) further explain that refugees who work and settle outside camps contribute to providing economic inputs, diversification, and enhancement of the host population’s skills, fostering flexibility and innovation. Therefore, refugees should be provided with opportunities to work legally in host countries since by working legally, they can contribute to the host countries’ economies.
Providing refugees with opportunities to work legally can help promote refugees’ integration to host countries. The presence and the ability of refugees to work legally can help improve human security since the economic activities undertaken by the refugees promote the recreation of the economic and social interdependence between communities (Miller, 2018). Inclusive policies can also benefit host communities and refugees, increasing resiliency. When refugees are allowed to work legally, they can access their rights and integrate into better ways, increasing social cohesion in the community. Harb, Kassem & Najdi (2019) give an example of Hamra, Lebanon, where refugees are allowed to work legally, resulting in neighborliness practices and active life in the streets with no hostility. Working legally also allows refugees to create social networks with local citizens, which is among the most potent elements of entrepreneurship. The interviewed Syrian immigrants, for example, indicated that most of their operations were linked to Lebanese sources, which made it easier to operate their businesses (Harb, Kassem & Najdi, 2019). The comfort of working legally helps refugees to engage more in leisure activities together with the host citizens. Refugee entrepreneurs can also explore places like cities easily. For instance, a female entrepreneur interviewed in Lebanon said they could go to the local gym, while another mentioned that they had fun riding motorbikes with friends (Harb, Kassem & Najdi, 2019). Therefore, refugees should be provided with opportunities to work legally in host countries since working legally can help promote refugees’ integration to host countries.
Conclusion
Refugees should be provided with opportunities to work legally in host countries because allowing the refugees to work legally can help the refugees to contribute to the host countries’ economies by, for example, starting up businesses, creating facilities, creating services, creating jobs, or contributing to the host countries’ agricultural production. Also, when the refugees have opportunities to work legally in host countries, the host countries can reduce aid costs for providing food, water, and security, among other things. The refugees have a high determination to work and improve their living conditions and that of their families, thus allowing them to work legally would help them to be self-reliant. Finally, providing refugees with opportunities to work legally in host countries can promote the refugees’ integration to host countries. In this case, the refugees’ integration into host countries can lead to social interdependence, increases in social cohesion, and ease of operating businesses.
References
Harb, M., Kassem, A., & Najdi, W. (2019). Entrepreneurial refugees and the city: Brief encounters in Beirut. Journal of Refugee Studies, 32(1), 23-41.
Miller, S. D. (2018). Assessing the impacts of hosting refugees.
Zimmermann, S. E. (2011). Reconsidering the problem of ‘Bogus’ refugees with ‘Socio-economic Motivations’ for seeking asylum. Mobilities, 6(3), 335-352.
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