Going to work, receiving a salary and building a future are important for everyone, but for refugees and asylum seekers, the situation is more complicated. Most of them have had to flee their home countries, disrupting their lives, usually without any chance to prepare for the big changes that come with starting a new life in a foreign country. 

With the huge influx of refugees in Germany since 2015, the German government, as well as many chambers of industry, businesses and other organizations have launched initiatives to help refugees move forward with their lives and join the workforce. 

As Philippe Legrain, author of the Tent Foundation's recent report, How to get refugees into work quickly, points out, in order to work, refugees and asylum seekers need three things: the right to work, appropriate skills and job opportunities.

The right to work

Asylum seekers in Germany are not permitted to work during the period when their asylum application is being assessed. They are also barred from working while they are staying at a reception center, where they are required to stay for a minimum of six weeks. The maximum is six months.

People from countries that are deemed to be safe countries of origin are required to stay at a reception center for the entire asylum application procedure period. Their unclear legal status means that these people do not have access to the job market at all. 

After leaving a reception facility with the legal right to stay in Germany, people have access to the labour market, with restrictions. Asylum seekers must first apply for an employment permit. In order to do this, they have to prove that they have a definite job offer. 

The problem is that with so many applications in the last few years, the German authorities have not been able to keep up. The system has been significantly revised, with a view to speeding things up and numbers have gone down considerably.

Reception facilities now have all the relevant public authorities under one roof, so people can be registered and determinations made more quickly. Asylum determination waiting times have been reduced from an average of five months to three. As Legrain said, "Such is the backlog of asylum cases in many European countries… that many asylum seekers are left in limbo for a lengthy period, allowing their skills to rust, depressing their motivation and deterring future employers."

Appropriate skills

Despite the oftentimes lengthy wait, once a refugee or asylum seeker is able to work, the next important step is having the appropriate skills. The most important skill in terms of joining the German workforce is knowledge of the German language.

The statistics in the Tent Foundation report show that, "While refugees in the EU who speak the local language at beginner level or less have an employment rate of only 27 percent, this leaps to 59 percent  for those with intermediate language skills. Refugees who speak the local language at an advanced level have a higher employment rate (67 percent) than locals do (65 percent)."

The German government advises asylum seekers to use the waiting time reception facilities to learn German. There are several free options to choose from, some of which have been developed specifically to help asylum seekers in Germany.

WhatsGerman, for example, provides free basic language instruction using WhatsApp, the smartphone-messaging service. By adding a contact number, people can receive a language lesson everyday.  

There is also the "Ankommen app" developed by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) for newly arrived asylum seekers, which has a free language course component, as well as a lot of other useful information about navigating life in Germany. 

Then there is "Duolingo," which has a special version of its German app for Arabic speakers. It was created by the Egyptian computer linguist, Osama Haggag, who arrived in Germany about three years ago.

There are free online German courses run by the Goethe Institute,  and also a free program run by the German adult education organization. There is also Babbel, which since 2015 has provided over 1 million euros ($1.1 million) worth of free language courses to refugee projects in Germany.

The latest offering, developed for refugees by the Deutsche Welle, is called "Nicos Weg." It provides free online courses that can be done on a smartphone or tablet, with instructions offered in German, English or Arabic.

Education and experience 

Apart from competence in the German language, another step in finding a job is showing your level of education and professional experience. Many asylum seekers are not able to show any proof or certification of their education. 

In such cases, the person will be individually assessed on their knowledge and abilities. For certain jobs in Germany, such as in the medical profession, the person may be required to sit further examinations before they are allowed to work. 

If someone does have documentation of his or her education, it will need to be formally recognized. More information about it can be found here.

This can take some time and can cost several hundred euros, although it is possible to apply for financial assistance. Information about this can be found here:

The UNHCR recently published a report which stated that only 1 percent of refugees worldwide gain a tertiary education. One project to combat this is called Kiron. It is a free online learning portal where refugees can earn academic credits that can be used to apply for places at partner universities.

The project's founders, Vincent Zimmer and Markus Kressler, said that their motivation was to increase refugees' access to higher education. They found "that there were solutions to every single barrier refugees faced – except when they tried to access a university education." The project currently has 48 partner universities in Germany, France and Jordan.

Qualifications needed in a regulated labour market

Germany is a highly regulated labour market, where people are required to have training. For example, working as a bricklayer In Germany requires a three-year qualification.

The good news for refugees is that there are many professions, such as in the metal and electrical industry, where there is a shortage of workers. Other jobs where there is a shortage of people are butchers, bakers, nurses and geriatric carers. According to Germany's Federal Labour office, around 3,000 refugees started apprenticeships in the 12 months to January 2017.

There are many apprenticeship programs on offer to help with obtaining qualifications. One such program, funded by the federal government, is called the Perspectives for Young Refugees Program. Regional vocational centres provide a six-month preparatory course that includes basic training in certain trades, as well as language and integration instruction.

It is also possible to apply for assistance in finding an apprenticeship through the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

Internships and apprenticeships

One of the most successful programs for integrating refugees into the labour market is called “Wir Zusammen” (We Together), which now has more than 190 businesses taking part. By July 2017, it had secured internships for 3,500 refugees and apprenticeships for another 800. It had also created 2,130 permanent jobs.

A recent project funded by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy called "Start-Up Your Future," is focused on harnessing refugees' entrepreneurial potential. Those in the program are able to gain valuable work experience in participating businesses, receive training, attend seminars and be mentored. 

Another example is a pilot project run by two major metalworkers' unions, IG Metall and Südwestmetall, which has been so successful it will now be financed by the Jobcenter. It offers a combination of German language classes and a basic mechanical engineering course.

Nearly a million refugees arrived in Germany in 2015

Job opportunities 

Even with qualifications, many refugees and asylum seekers lack contacts and a network to help with finding a job. There are several digital platforms that connect refugees and employers.

The largest is called Workeer, which was started in 2015. This involves creating an online profile, which allows refugees to directly apply for jobs listed on the site. This bypasses the difficulty of having to write a CV. The site also provides information on other initiatives for refugees and asylum seekers.

Another site, with over 6,000 members is called Migrant Hire. It was founded by a Syrian refugee, Hussein Shaker, who had had to navigate the difficulties of job searching himself. Having found that many job-seekers lack qualifications, the site also links people with educational programs and non-profit organizations.

A third platform called Hire, which was also founded in 2015, aims to "integrate refugees through sustainable jobs into the job market."

The value of finding work for refugees cannot be underestimated. As Legrain said, "As well as being good for society, working benefits refugees themselves. While they have suffered immensely, they typically do not want to be treated as victims or charity cases. They want to start rebuilding their lives and become self-reliant again. In addition to providing an income, work makes refugees feel valued and proud that they are giving something back. An entry-level job can also be a stepping-stone to better things."