?? Unlocking Opportunities & Building Dreams

Message from the Global Program Director Noura Ismail

We’re excited to kick off this newsletter with a momentous milestone: TBB has helped candidates from 21 different nationalities secure employment pathways out of 24 asylum countries! ??

This breakthrough is a testament to the resilience and potential of displaced people around the world. Each person in our catalog represents a dream waiting to be realized, a family ready for a new home, and a talent underutilized.

In countries of first asylum, TBB has been the expert in identifying and overcoming systemic barriers that prevent refugees from accessing skilled migration and relocating internationally. Examples include:

?? Working with official language testing providers to adopt flexible policies for refugees who lack valid documentation so that they may sit exams required for immigration;

?? Engaging with financial institutions to transfer funds needed for relocation to those without access to bank accounts;

?? Technical solutions to ensure that particularly vulnerable refugees including women and those in camps with low bandwidth are made more visible to international employers;

?? Engaging with local governments to assist in smoother exit processes.

We’ve harnessed this expertise to open doors for over one thousand refugees across the Middle East, Central Asia, and South Asia, and we are thrilled to implement our programs at an international scale, providing breakthrough solutions for refugees across East Africa and Latin America. This growth would also not be possible without the support of our partnering organizations in replicating these efforts globally.

We’ve already seen the impact of these efforts, with candidates hailing from source countries such as Venezuela, Myanmar, and Uganda set to take on new opportunities in our destination programs. They include personal support workers, web developers, mechanics, operations managers, chefs, and financial consultants - each paving the way for thousands more to follow.

But our work doesn’t stop there. Our vision remains clear: to ensure that every refugee around the world has the option to transcend displacement using their skills.

We are deeply grateful for your continued commitment to TBB’s work. Thank you for being an integral part of this journey.

Refugee voices ??

“I was waiting for a long time for this moment; it was unbelievable. I didn’t have any answer except to say, “Yes, for sure!”

Hamzah's dream of becoming an engineer was sidelined when he became a refugee. But an email from TBB changed all that.

Read Hamzah’s Story

Program updates ??

Africa:

We’re pleased to welcome Josué Musoda to the team as our East Africa Recruitment Lead. Josue will spearhead TBB’s growing efforts to support displaced people across the continent, which has seen notable progress as of late: earlier this quarter, we welcomed job offers for our first cohort of French-speaking candidates from Uganda.

Australia:

In July, we successfully advocated for the Australian government to extend and expand the Skilled Refugee Pilot Program. The Pilot will be extended for two years — with 500 additional places for primary applicants plus their family members! The government has also opened up to 200+ occupations under the Pilot and increased the age concession to visa applications from 50 - 55 years. This is a significant win, and we look forward to scaling the program and working towards co-designing a permanent displaced talent visa within Australia.

We are excited to share that our partnership with Fragomen has been announced as a finalist in TEMi's 2023 Australasian Workforce Management Awards, taking place in November! This award celebrates businesses and individuals who have surpassed expectations, delivered remarkable results, or demonstrated extraordinary excellence in specific tasks or projects over the past year.

Canada:

TBB Canada is working with RefugePoint and the UNHCR to host a Refugee Hiring Event and scoping mission in Kenya this October. Canadian employers will get the exclusive opportunity to meet and interview qualified candidates in a number of key industries.

In June, we were thrilled to introduce three new members to TBB Canada’s Board, including Omar Taha, a former candidate who relocated to Canada in 2021 to work for Shopify.

Europe:

The EU-funded and IOM-led Displaced Talent for Europe (DT4E) pilot project secured its first job offers in Belgium and Ireland as part of our partnership with IOM.

In these areas, we have also seen strong momentum towards emulating the UK's healthcare hiring model in Belgium and Ireland. We are heartened to see strong interest from employers in tech, logistics, and healthcare to expand complementary pathways for displaced talent into Europe.

Latin America:

TBB published its white paper that provides a blueprint for promoting and expanding labour mobility opportunities for people living in and displaced from Latin America. The document is a road map for how governments, civil society, and the private sector can coordinate to improve and expand immigration pathways across the region.

Middle East:

In August, TBB and UNHCR Jordan launched the first of a six-part webinar series designed to inform and engage over a thousand refugee professionals in the MENA region about labour pathways and their guidelines.

We are privileged to welcome three new members to the Lebanon Board: Melek El Nimer (Founder of Unite Lebanon Youth Project), Firas Abi Ghanem (Lebanon Country Director at IRAP), and Wissam Kahi, Co-Founder and COO of Eat Offbeat.

UK:

The UK welcomed Cohort 7 in August, the largest cohort of healthcare workers to relocate to the UK, and our first group to come through the EU-funded DT4E pilot project!

We contributed to the Overseas Development Institute’s latest working paper on how immigration policy can help solve workforce challenges concerning green energy transitions in the UK.

United States:

In June, TBB and Fragomen co-hosted a roundtable for stakeholders working in and supporting U.S. refugee labour mobility. Alongside key partners, we discussed the value of an ongoing platform for engagement on U.S. refugee labor mobility. Stay tuned for the potential launch of a roundtable on U.S. refugee labour mobility.

In August, Our U.S. Director, Betsy Fisher, was a guest on the Immigration Nerds podcast, sharing insights on her career as a woman in law and her work as a part of TBB

Partner spotlight ??

Canadian Employee Relocation Council (CERC)

The Armstrong Moving team takes a picture with TBB Canada Director Lara Dyer at the CERC Annual Conference in September 2023.

Canadian Employee Relocation Council (CERC)

TBB Canada was chosen as CERC’s charity for their 2023 Annual Conference on Championing Change in Global Mobility. In Vancouver, CERC organized a silent auction and a fun run sponsored by Armstrong Moving to support TBB’s work. We’re grateful for their continued partnership.

Link2Europe

Link2Europe has been one of the key contributors to the success of the EU-funded DT4E pilot project in Belgium through the provision of vacancies to IOM. They have continued to support our efforts by connecting us with several new job opportunities. We are thankful for their enduring support.

International Organization for Migration (IOM)

During the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Amy Pope — IOM Director General-elect — spotlighted TBB on social media. At the UNGA, Pope spoke with government representatives, partners, and other stakeholders about the importance of the private sector to #MakeMigrationWork for all.

TBB in the news ???

Scotland Providing Opportunities for Skilled Refugees

Scottish Business News

Sultan Al Qasimi honours Talent Beyond Boundaries

Atalayar

Inaugural Launch of the Displaced Journalists Initiative

Doughty Street Chambers

World Refugee Day: How Canada empowers refugees to succeed

CIC News

Support our work ??

Believe in what we’re doing? Donate to help refugees resume their careers and rebuild their lives.

Donate now

Hire Displaced Talent

Finding new ways to address talent shortages is an economic imperative. The global refugee population can be part of the solution.

Start recruiting!