Refugee Employees – Exploring How Refugees and Beneficiaries of Subsidiary Protection Access the Austrian Labour Market and Society

Abstract

Austria is one of the countries with the highest per capita intake of refugees in the European Union and therefore, immigration and forced migration are an important part of the political and social life. As a consequence the Austrian population is getting more and more culturally diverse. However, too often the public discourse focuses on the challenges that come with diversity. Politics often revolves around questions of security – how to prevent conflicts between ethnic groups? – or cultural differences – how to maintain a national identity? – or social challenges – how to provide housing and work for everyone? However, diversity also brings opportunities for the Austrian economy and society. Immigrants are often highly skilled, particularly refugees, as a significant number of refugees who come to Western countries are well educated and trained in relevant skills. Despite acknowledging the importance of employment for migrants and refugees, the EU struggles in this policy area. It has been observed that only about 25% of refugees find employment within the first five years after their arrival in the EU and after ten years this only increases to 56%. Austrian labour policies similarly rely on the domestic workforce in order to tackle future labour shortages that are likely to occur due to demographic developments. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to expand the existing academic literature on the process of integrating refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection into the labour market in Austria. Furthermore, by taking into account their experiences and comparing them to the perspectives of key informants who work in organisations related to employment, migration, and social integration, the aim is to give insight into social as well as labour market integration in Austria. Thus, this thesis will answer the question how employment in general and specifically apprenticeships affect the process of social integration of refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection in Austria.