Minister Stanton announces extended funding for female refugee employment projects
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Published on
Last updated on
Mr David Stanton TD, Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality with special responsibility for Equality, Immigration and Integration, has announced extended funding, worth almost €500,000 under the Dormant Accounts Fund, for 7 projects working on the labour market integration of female refugees.
These projects provide a platform for intensive, tailored interventions that address the specific barriers to employment for female refugees. The focus is on improving their employability through skills development, education and training and supports to access the labour market. The funding will allow the projects to progress their work for a second year.
Minister Stanton said:
“Employment is a powerful driver of integration. Getting a job is key to social inclusion and a sense of belonging. These programmes support their participants in taking that vital step and enabling them to contribute to Irish life.”
Refugees, in particular, face barriers to the labour market over and above those encountered by other migrants. The forced nature of their migration and the traumatic experiences frequently associated with it may lead to long employment gaps in CVs due to refugees’ migration journey and the asylum process also present obstacles for refugees seeking work.
Two of the projects funded under this programme are:
This initiative is just one of the funding programmes that Minister Stanton has made available under the Migrant Integration Strategy 2017-2020. In 2017, the Office for the Promotion of Migrant Integration granted €9.7 million to 40 national and 31 regional projects to support integration over the next three to four years, with both EU and Irish Government funding. Projects are aimed at promoting inclusion, employability, education, combating racism and xenophobia and increasing mutual understanding between migrants and their host communities.
ENDS
Read the Migrant Integration Strategy below:
Migrant Integration Strategy: A Blueprint for the Future
Cross-governmental strategy that includes 76 actions and runs until 2020
Dormant Accounts Fund: Measure 4 – Pre-activation Supports for Female Refugees and the Female Family Members of Refugees is administered by Pobal on behalf of OPMI. It is worth €500,000 per year.
Seven projects are operating under this programme:
These were selected via open competitive call in 2017 and are nearing the end of their first year of implementation. Today’s announcement extends their funding for a second year. The exact amount allocated is €485,018.
Other integration Funding Programmes administered by the Department of Justice and Equality/the Office for the Promotion of Migrant Integration: