Strengthening Communities: The Positive Ripple Effects of Employing Refugees

Employing refugees has powerful benefits far beyond the individual refugee as well: employment supports families, strengthens community, and adds to the local economy. At the systemic level, enhancing refugee employment builds resilience and inclusion in society. By employing refugees, we build stronger, more vibrant communities that are more equipped to meet upcoming challenges.

Building Stronger Families Through Employment

The most immediate effect of refugee employment is the impact on families. For many refugees, work is a clear sign that they are on the road to stability and independence. With a steady wage, refugees can provide for their children, enabling them to attend school, get medical care and access other essential services. Employed refugees to support their children’s growth, which in turn helps them to integrate and build a future in Australia.

Often refugees have been separated from their families for months or years. Employment provides the wage that can reunite families, rebuild homes and allow them to regain a sense of normalcy after the trauma of flight. For many refugees, work, more than any other factor, empowers the individual while strengthening the family that lies at the core of any community.

Enriching Communities with Cultural Diversity

Refugees bring with them valuable traditions, wisdom and knowledge gained through their experiences. When refugees find or gain employment, they become an active part of their new community, sharing their skills and ideas with the wider community. This has cultural benefits, making Australian society more tolerant and more inclusive.

Diverse communities can be more vibrant and resilient The employment of refugees in national, local and private-sector workplaces can help to break down stereotypes and misconceptions, fostering a more open and welcoming society for all. Interactions between different groups of people become easier and more frequent, forming links and bonds that contribute to social cohesion, reducing the risk of tensions or pushback.

Economic Contributions to Local Communities

Work also brings in economic benefits to local communities: for instance, if refugees are employed, they contribute to the community by earning an income through work, which they then use to buy local goods and services – thus generating economic activity that stimulates job creation. This, in turn, generates even more economic activity in local economies, where there is a need for local businesses to find workers to meet increased local spending by refugees. Over time, as refugees invest in housing, schools, transportation and other local infrastructure, they contribute to the local and regional economies where they live.

Moreover, they address skills shortages – for example, in healthcare, agriculture or construction. When refugees fill these gaps, they keep local economies running and businesses staffed so they can provide essential services to their neighbours.

Promoting Long-Term Stability and Resilience

The knock-on effects of refugee employment reverberate long after the first hired individual leaves work. As time goes on, refugees’ career experience ensures that these newcomers continue to contribute to their communities. In turn, this promotes more socially and economically resilient communities, ultimately better equipped to weather the uncertainties of economic slowdowns, social crises and other disruptions.

Moreover, refugees who are employed are more likely to contribute to innovation and creativity. Many refugees have new thinking skills and can help with problem-solving, which can increase productivity and new ideas. This diversity of thought is valuable for business and communities where new ideas are generated that will produce better outcomes.

Conclusion

Employing refugees has knock-on effects that can reinforce households, strengthen communities and bolster local economies. When we enable refugees to work, we support them in rebuilding their lives, while also building stronger, more inclusive, more resilient communities. The advantage of refugees working goes far beyond the individual and, over the long term, makes for better societies.

With refugee numbers expected to increase as Australia resettles an ever-growing number of people from war-torn countries, it’s time to see beyond stereotypes and negative labels when hiring new workers. Seeking and employing refugees are not just acts of generosity but have tangible economic and social benefits for employers and all Australians. Refugee employment builds a strong, prosperous and inclusive Australia. This article was written by Jah amd Kate Galea, and was funded by an Australian Government Research Training Program scholarship.