The Centre for Public Policy PROVIDUS and the UNHCR Regional Representation for Northern Europe invite all those interested to participate a discussion on workplace and integration, which will take place on 10 October at Pullman Hotel. Registration for the event is available here.

Currently, there are about 50 000 foreign nationals living in Riga, many of them working in companies of various sizes and fields. As data of OCMA shows, the volume of immigration is slowly, but steadily increasing, and employment or studies are prominent reasons for immigration. In addition, the number of asylum seekers is the highest in Latvia’s recent history – in 2017 alone around 300 people received status of international protection.

The skills and attributes of these newcomers represent significant economic potential for Latvia. However, for this to be fully realised, well-coordinated efforts by a range of actors and entities are required. Employers can and should play a central role in this process but need to be supported by sound policy and actions from other stakeholders, including at the local level.

While several companies have developed in-house integration support programs or have implemented diversity management programs, they recognize the lack of targeted integration activities that respond to the specific needs of newcomers and aim at their participation and voluntary involvement, as well the lack of informational support to employers on administrative procedures and integration services readily available.

This event will offer two different, yet complementary approaches to labour market integration of newcomers. First, Centre for Public Policy PROVIDUS will present the results of their research on best practices of workplace integration support mechanisms to foreigners in the Riga area, along with a roadmap to assist employers in their future endeavours and recommendations to the Riga City Council on their possible role in facilitating integration in cooperation with employers. Second, UNHCR Regional Representation in Northern Europe will present “Engaging With Employers in Hiring Refugees: a 10-point multi-stakeholder action plan for employers, refugees, governments and civil society,” an action plan developed in partnership with OECD. The aim of this action plan is to provide concrete steps on truly embracing the economic potential of refugees for host societies. In addition, a short introduction to the ‘Openness in Value’

The presentation of these reports will be followed by a panel discussion, involving employers and municipality representatives to identify their possible future commitment in embracing the character of the labour market for integration promotion.

The Centre for Public Policy PROVIDUS and the UNHCR Regional Representation for Northern Europe invite all those interested – policy makers, employers, civil servants, representatives of municipalities and the civil society, as well as foreign nationals themselves – to participate in this discussion!

This event is co-organized by Centre for Public Policy PROVIDUS and UNHCR Regional Representation in Northern Europe with support of Education, Culture and Sports Department of Riga City Council.