Safeguarding refugee rights in business 

By Jerome Nhan, UNHCR Senior Private Partnerships Officer and Julia Olofsson, Ingka Group’s Global Director of Human Rights and Social Impact

Mariam is a 23-year-old Congolese refugee and welder from Kakuma camp in Kenya. She received training through a joint UNHCR and International Labor Organization (ILO) project that aims to provide refugees and hosting communities with access to livelihoods. © UNHCR/Charity Nzomo

In a world where over 120 million people have been forced to flee because of violence, conflict, persecution and increasingly climate-related emergencies, businesses have a unique and vital role to play in safeguarding the human rights of forcibly displaced people.

Today, the number of active conflicts is the highest since World War II, a trend likely to persist due to geopolitical tensions and the growing internationalization of conflict. For businesses, this means the likelihood of encountering refugees and other forcibly displaced people within their operations and supply chains is increasing, whether as part of the workforce, as customers or as members of the broader communities where they operate.  

Why Refugee-Sensitive Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD)?

Refugees are often pushed into informal economies, where they are at greater risk of exploitation. Many lack legal status or documentation, face cultural and language barriers, or have limited access to formal employment. Without robust safeguards, these vulnerabilities can lead to exploitative and unsafe working conditions, harming individuals and exposing businesses to reputational and operational risks. 

Companies often operate or source goods and services from supply chains in countries with large refugee populations. For businesses, integrating a refugee lens into HRDD frameworks helps address these vulnerabilities while also driving tangible benefits: 

• Resilient supply chains: Ethical practices reduce turnover, foster employee trust, and improve productivity. 
• Enhanced reputation: Consumers and stakeholders value companies that lead with integrity and compassion. 
• Regulatory preparedness: Proactively addressing risks faced by refugees ensures compliance with increasingly rigorous human rights regulations. 

By empowering refugees through fair employment practices, businesses also create lasting social impact. Inclusive workplaces foster stability in communities, support economic integration, and unlock the potential of refugees as employees, innovators, and customers. 

In Northern Kaya, Burkina Faso, internally displaced people and locals learn to build eco-friendly homes with the support of the association Voûte Nubienne and UNHCR. © UNHCR/Anne Mimault

How can businesses become more sensitive to refugees?

While the situation of refugees as a vulnerable group within business operations and supply chains remains largely underexplored, there are several actions businesses can take today to safeguard the rights of refugees and create positive social impact:  

1. Proactively understand and address the risks and impacts of conflict and displacement on their operations and supply chains by leveraging existing data, local partnerships and consultative processes with refugees to identify and mitigate refugee-specific rights abuses. 
2. Adapt HRDD processes and tools to address identified high-risk areas in specific geographic regions or supply chains, ensuring heightened due diligence where necessary.  
3. Identify and develop risk mitigation measures by reviewing and adapting existing policies and work processes to incorporate a refugee perspective where necessary.  
4. Invest in raising awareness within operations and among suppliers about refugees as a potentially vulnerable group, with intersecting additional vulnerabilities such as age, gender, disability, LGBTQI+ status and race, to better understand and address the specific risks they face.  
5. Develop refugee-sensitive monitoring and reporting mechanisms by ensuring existing grievance systems are accessible to forcibly displaced people, investing in two-way communication and dialogue with refugee communities, and adjusting KPIs in broader risk assessments based on identified prioritized risks.  
6. Partner with other businesses and jointly advocate for refugees’ rights, such as the right to work, decent housing, freedom of movement and financial inclusion.  
7. Speak out and share findings on heightened risks and adjusted human rights due diligence tools with other businesses to foster collective action and awareness in support of refugees.  

Bashir Salehi, an Afghan designer and refugee, started Palme Couture in January 2021 in La Rochelle, France, to provide tailoring services. To finance his workshop, he was supported by ADIE, an association for the right to economic initiative. © UNHCR/Benjamin Loyseau

Contact

• Julia Olofsson, Director of Human Rights at Ingka | view LinkedIn profile
• Jerome Nhan, Senior Private Partnerships Officer at UNHCR | view LinkedIn profile