On Hold: Exploring Digital Work as a Pathway for Refugees in Dutch Asylum Centers

Abstract

Asylum seekers and refugees in the Netherlands are often accommodated in rural or peripheral areas where inadequate infrastructure, distances, and low employment opportunities hinder their socio-economic integration. Classic integration modes promoting formal employment are usually ineffective under these circumstances. Remote and digital work provides a potential solution by allowing refugees entry into the labor market irrespective of geography, and in addition, may circumvent hurdles related to the (delay of) official recognition of refugees' formal qualifications. Drawing on the Human Capital Theory and the Capability Approach, this qualitative study examines the interaction between institutional constraints and individual capabilities for digital and remote work for refugees and asylum seekers in peripheral regions. Data was gathered from 11 in-depth interviews with three participant groups: refugees, intermediary organizations like NGOs and training institutions, and employers who provide digital work. A thematic analysis of the interview data first revealed that refugees consider digital work a flexible and accessible way to earn income, develop skills, and attain autonomy. However, Refugees face several critical barriers to digital employment, including low digital skills, restrictive asylum policies, limited access, and employer discrimination. Despite these challenges, digital labor offers valuable potential for supporting refugees' socioeconomic involvement, mainly when it is supported by informed employers and mediator organizations. Targeting policy interventions and inclusive practices from employers and intermediates is essential to unlocking these barriers, such as designing early intervention programs within asylum centers to ensure access to digital infrastructure and language education and, at the same time, simplifying legal procedures to facilitate timely access to remote and freelance wor