After fleeing war or persecution, one of the most effective ways people can rebuild their lives with dignity and in peace is through the opportunity to work and earn a living.
UNHCR Armenia works to promote livelihoods and economic inclusion for refugees. We advocate for their right to work and support them in becoming more resilient and achieve self-reliance.
Rebuilding one’s life implies more than having a roof over your head and a safe place to sleep. It means reclaiming control of your future.
How does UNHCR Armenia help?
We help people who were forced to flee their homes and are now living in a new community by promoting their economic inclusion and advocating for their right to work.
We support refugees to gain access to the labour market in their host communities, which in turn allows them to seize economic opportunities.
A powerful way to do so is to work for a living. Through decent work, refugees and displaced people can provide for their families’ needs, maintain their dignity, become more resilient and be empowered to shape their future. Being able to work and making use of their skills and talents also allows refugees to contribute to their host communities.
Integration
Armenia is a State party to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, the 1967 Protocol, the 1954 and 1961 Statelessness Conventions. Armenia is full member of UNHCR EXCOM since 2015. Currently, UNHCR Armenia is actively promoting the mainstreaming of displaced populations into the nationalization of the SDGs and into the Armenia Development Vision 2030. The newly formed Government’s Action Plan, approved by the National Assembly, for the first time includes substantial references to refugees and migration. The Plan therefore provides a good platform for UNHCR to work with the Government to improve reception and integration mechanisms, including unified policy integration. However, insufficient reception capacity, penalization of asylum-seekers for illegal entry and national security considerations may hinder effective refugee protection.
Main activities on Integration
- Further build on generous access to education opportunities for persons of concern to improve integration and self-reliance possibilities.
- Provide Armenian and Russian language courses to asylum-seekers and refugees to promote integration.
- Advocate for stronger state support structures for supporting reception and integration facilities for asylum-seekers, including providing technical support and advice to the Migration and Citizenship Service for a new reception centre to be constructed.
- Advocate to shift the focus from a humanitarian response towards the promotion and facilitation of durable solutions, primarily by way of local integration.
- Providing advice and support in the development of a government led comprehensive integration policy for refugees, displaced persons, migrants and returnees.