Resources for employers in Portugal
Resources for employers in Portugal
We use “refugees” as a term encompassing forcibly displaced people with different legal statuses, such as refugees, subsidiary protection holders, temporary protection holders, asylum seekers and other persons in need of international protection.
In cases where differentiating information relating to each status is essential (i.e. regarding the right to work), this is clearly indicated.
Why hire refugees and stateless people in Portugal?
Portugal is home to a diverse community of refugees and offers one of the most favorable legal frameworks on the right to work: both asylum-seekers and recognized refugees have full access to the labor market, without needing a work permit or a labor market test and without any waiting periods. Refugees and asylum-seekers benefit from the same working conditions as Portuguese nationals and have access to the same vocational training and employability measures. Stateless people who have been granted a residence permit, through asylum or other procedures, also have the right to work in Portugal.
Nonetheless, despite the favorable conditions, there are still challenges for refugees to access dignified employment and to achieve full professional realization. In this context, Portuguese companies play an important role to facilitate the recruitment of forcibly displaced persons and to help them thrive in their careers. This can bring benefits not only to the refugees but also to their employers and the economy as a whole. According to the World Economic Forum, refugees can fill labor shortages and skills gaps, make companies more diverse, and help to internationalize businesses through their language skills and personal networks.
Galp is a Portuguese multinational energy corporation, which is the largest oil and gas company in the country. Since 2022, Galp has allocated €6.5 million to invest in initiatives related to supporting Ukrainian refugees in Portugal, such as a scholarship program, an integration plan, contributions to humanitarian aid programs, and mobilizing employees for corporate volunteering events. In particular, through its Integration program, the company helped 50 professionals from Ukraine with a monthly financial allowance, a 12-month internship, support for housing and education, and help for integration in Portugal.
How many refugees and stateless people are there in Portugal?
As of mid-2024, there are 65,194 refugees in Portugal, coming primarily from Ukraine (53,919), Nigeria (2,384), Syria (966) and Morocco (965). In addition, the country is hosting 2,158 asylum-seekers, primarily from Afghanistan (351), Colombia (295), and Gambia (224). According to UNHCR’s Global Trends Data, there were 32 stateless people in Portugal as of mid-2024.
Visit the Refugee Data Finder to learn more
How many of them are working?
According to the Asylum Agency, as of 2024 there are 396 refugees in programmed movements (resettlement, relocation and humanitarian admission from Afghanistan), of whom 269 are in active age (18-66) and 92 are working. Most frequently, asylum-seekers and refugees work in sectors such as construction, cleaning, costumer services, civil construction, and agriculture. In the case of beneficiaries of temporary protection, according to information provided by ISS, 12,500 Ukrainian citizens accessed the labour market in 2023.
Read the report on Temporary Protection 2024 by the Asylum Information Database
What are the main challenges?
Some of the challenges faced by refugees and asylum-seekers in accessing employment in Portugal include: 1) Poor language skills and communication difficulties; 2) Professional skills that are misaligned with the needs of employers; 3) Difficulties in obtaining recognition of diplomas (particularly relevant for regulated professions), with the exception of temporary protection holders who benefit from a facilitated process; 4) Lack of a social security identification number which can only be acquired once a person registers with the Social Security Institute in relation to an employment contract or social support; 5) Difficulties in opening bank accounts, in particular due to the requirement to present documents such as a residence permit; 6) Reluctance by employers to hire asylum seekers due to lack of knowledge regarding their legal status; 7) Lack of support network and knowledge about the labour market and cultural norms; 8) Mental health challenges derived from the trauma endured; 9) Insufficient remuneration and lack of job opportunities in some local contexts; and 10) The number of schools and kindergartens to integrate children is insufficient. This is also a determining factor for families: They have to be able to integrate their children in schools in order to have the time to look for jobs or commence work.
In the absence of a dedicated statelessness determination procedure, stateless people in Portugal may face challenges to regularize their stay in the country and access employment.
Read the country report for Portugal on the Asylum Information Database
Beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine benefit from several measures which facilitate the recognition of qualifications and competencies: their requests have priority and are exempted from a number of bureaucratic requirements such as certification of documents issued by foreign entities, certification of copies, and recognition of translations. Applicants are also exempted from the payment of fees. Procedures are also available for situations of insufficient documentation due to the war.
| Status | Who it applies to | Right to work? |
|
Asylum seeker |
Individuals who have applied for international protection but still have not received a decision on their application. | Asylum seekers have the right to work in Portugal as soon as they lodge their application for asylum. |
| Refugee status | Individuals who have a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion. | Refugees have the right to work in Portugal. |
| Subsidiary protection | Individuals who do not qualify for a refugee status but who are unable to return to their home country because they could face serious harm because of situations of mass violation of human rights, conflict, death penalty, execution, torture or inhuman and/or degrading treatment. | Subsidiary protection holders have the right to work in Portugal. |
| Temporary protection | Residents of Ukraine and their family members who were forced to leave their country due to the current war. | Temporary protection holders have the right to work in Portugal. |
| Stateless person | A stateless person is someone who is not considered as a citizen by any country (whether recognized as such or not). | Stateless people and people of undetermined nationality have the right to work as long as they have a residence permit. |
Bear in mind:
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Refugees and asylum seekers who come to Portugal through resettlement, relocation, or a humanitarian admission program receive individual support for 18 months by their host institution which includes housing, pocket-money, and access to education, language training, labour market, opening a bank account, etc.
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The only restriction on employment enshrined in the law consists in limiting access to certain categories of the public sector for all third-country nationals.
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In the case of employment contracts of third-country nationals, there is a need for a written contract and its (online) registration with the Authority for Labour Conditions.
How do I connect with refugee and stateless talent?
Employers interested in hiring refugees can get in touch with AIMA (The Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum) which offers Employability Sessions to refugees and connects employers with suitable candidates in cooperation with the GIP Imigrante Network and the CLAIM network. Companies can also refer to several organizations which work with forcibly displaced communities. These organizations support the labor market integration of beneficiaries and provide additional services, such as language training, psychosocial support, access to childcare, etc. Some examples include: the Portuguese Refugee Council (CPR) which offers employers support in recruiting new employees, information about the legal framework and existing incentives, and post-placement follow-up; the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) which provides social support, psychological support, legal support and job integration; The Lisbon Project which offers skills development sessions, employability workshops, career services, CV clinics, and entrepreneurship support, most of which are volunteer-led; and CRESCER which offers several partnership opportunities to companies, such as employment support or corporate volunteering.
What can I do to support refugee employees?
Companies which wish to create a more refugee-friendly recruitment and onboarding process can take several steps, such as: 1) revising the language requirements for job advertisements in order to allow for applicants with limited language skills to apply where possible; 2) cooperating with NGOs in order to support employees in joining language courses; 3) supporting candidates in the process of diploma validation or opening a bank account; 4) informing HR and recruitment departments about the legal framework of residence permits and access to the labor market; 5) setting up mentorship or buddy programs in order to facilitate the insertion of the newly hired refugees into their team.
Employment and Professional Training Institute (IEFP)
Companies can get in touch with the IEFP, which has an area dedicated to refugees looking for a job in Portugal. Employers can benefit from referrals to qualified candidates and can offer full-time jobs or internships, You can find the list of Immigrant Professional Insertion Offices in different cities in Portugal here.
Financial incentives
Employers have access to several financial incentive programs such as Estágios ATIVAR.PT (which provides for 9 months paid internships) and Incentivo ATIVAR.PT (which provides financial incentives to employers who recruit employees for 12 months or longer under the obligation to provide them with vocational training).
Job platforms
Companies can submit vacancies directly on the job portal of the IEFP in order to reach suitable jobseekers registered with the Institute. In addition, the HelpUAPT association of Ukrainians in Portugal has launched the PlexHelp platform which is specifically targeted towards the employment of Ukrainian professionals.
“Skills for Employment” toolkit prepared by IKEA with best practices on how employers can open employment pathways for refugees
A report by the TENT partnership for refugees on “How Hiring Refugees Helps Brands: Europe (2023)”
“Tales of hope in Portugal” showcasing the stories of integration of three refugees