Pillar II: Building partnerships
and coalitions

These countries often manage asylum registration, issue travel documents, exit permits, have alternative methods for credential (skills and education) and relationship (family reunification) certification. They can also help ensure refugee protection throughout the journey by issuing protection-centred refugee travel documents and by providing the possibility for refugees to return upon completion of a contract or a study opportunity elsewhere. Large hosting States can work with UNHCR on including refugees in local education, livelihoods and social protection systems and, as such, are essential in complementary pathways preparedness.

Entities that are engaged in the local development and support of the biggest hosting countries and that invest significantly in refugee inclusion. This includes enhancing access to registration and documentation, ensuring equal opportunities for education and certification, and facilitating refugees’ access to the labour market. They work to build the capacity of local governments to provide services to their population. The inclusion of refugees in these services is the ultimate point of connection between UNHCR and development actors. Linking up this work with opportunities for third-country solutions through enhanced training, inclusion of refugees in education and training opportunities, access to documentation, information provision on opportunities abroad and travel support is essential.

Such groups can disseminate accurate information, signpost to legal and administrative service providers, and assist with some of administrative and migration-related components. Refugee-led organizations and diaspora groups may require additional fundraising and skills enhancement support. However, they are often best suited to fill gaps in administrative legal and/or context-specific practical support for admission through complementary pathways by building information provision frameworks, tailoring and delivering messages to communities, supporting with form filling, etc.

Legal services providers, such as national and international legal organizations (e.g. IRAP) provide specific assistance and counselling free of charge on family reunification procedures. Many, such as Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB) and local livelihoods partners, have been trained to support with sourcing against employment opportunities. They assist with soft skills, CV building and visa applications, conduct legal research to inform advocacy, build the capacity of partners to support through trainings and/or providing oversight, and produce materials/tools on procedures and eligibility.

Private law firms commit hours to representing refugee families, assist with applications, perform strategic litigation, conduct legal research to inform advocacy for family reunification and skills-based pathways admission, hire refugees on labour mobility, build the capacity of partners to provide legal support through seconding resources, trainings and/or providing oversight, and produce accessible information materials/tools on procedures and eligibility. These services are provided on both pro bono and commercial basis. Engagement with both types of legal support through cooperation, coordination, training could be considered.

Private sector entities are key in opening up skills-based pathways as both employers and advocacy actors for government-administered flexibilities to be put in place. They could equally provide financial solutions (loans and philanthropic support, and repayable grants).

Such entities can include complementary pathways and family reunification assistance in existent and new Project Framework Agreements and operational partnerships with protection/legal/ community outreach.