Monday Chat | Sep 8, 2025
📌 Question: "Do refugees “take jobs”? Look at the numbers. You will be surprised.
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From Survival to Success: How Refugees Build Tomorrow's Economy
Refugees don't take jobs. They make them.
One question came up at dinner last night.
My neighbor leaned back. Crossed his arms. "But don't refugees take jobs from locals?"
I'd heard it before. The same worry. The same assumption.
Time to set the record straight.
The Global Reality Check
Right now, 100 million people are displaced worldwide.
100 million.
That's every person in Germany. Plus the UK. Combined.
Where can they work legally? The answer might surprise you.
Germany: Yes, after three months. Jordan: No, until 2016. Now yes, with permits. Turkey: Yes, since 2016. Lebanon: Technically no. Reality? It's complicated. Australia: Yes, immediately. United States: Yes, after 150 days.
See the pattern? Half the world says wait. The other half says welcome to work.
But here's what the numbers don't show. What happens when refugees can't wait for permission slips.
They create their own opportunities.
The Invention Born from Necessity
Meet Tareq. Syrian refugee. Arrived in Jordan in 2013.
No work permit. No legal job. Family to feed.
What did he do? Started small. Sold phone cards on the street.
Then mobile phone repairs. From his kitchen table.
Six months later? A repair shop.
Two years? Three employees. All locals.
Today? Twelve staff members. Annual revenue: $180,000.
Tareq didn't take jobs. He manufactured them.
The Silicon Valley Refugee
Ulduz fled Afghanistan in 1996. Age 16.
Spoke no English. Had $200.
Cleaned offices at night. Studied computer science by day.
Fast forward: Founded three tech companies.
Employs 47 people. Revenue: $2.8 million annually.
Her last startup? Acquired by Google.
The girl who cleaned floors now creates floor plans for innovation.
The Numbers Don't Lie
Research from the Tent Partnership reveals the truth:
Every 100 refugees create 205 jobs for locals within five years.
Not 95 jobs. Not 100 jobs. 205.
Double what they "take." Plus interest.
In Uganda, refugees are 21% more likely to start businesses than locals.
In the United States, refugees are 13% more likely to become entrepreneurs.
In Germany, refugee-founded companies employ 132,000 people.
That's 132,000 paychecks. For locals.
The Underground Economy Becomes Overground
Maria escaped Venezuela in 2018. Landed in Colombia.
No work permit for months. Bills don't wait.
Started selling arepas from a cart. $3 profit per day.
Saved every peso. Reinvested everything.
Permit approved? She didn't just get a job. She registered her business.
Hired two locals. Then four. Then eight.
Now? Five food trucks across Bogotá.
Revenue: $400,000 annually.
Employment created: 23 positions.
Maria didn't steal opportunity. She baked it from scratch.
The Ripple Effect Reality
Hassan. Iraqi engineer. Refugee in Canada.
Couldn't get engineering work immediately. Started driving Uber.
Noticed a problem. Language barriers between drivers and passengers.
Developed an app. Real-time translation for ride-sharing.
Sold the app to Uber for $1.2 million.
Founded a tech incubator. Focuses on refugee entrepreneurs.
Funded 34 startups. Created 312 jobs.
One refugee's frustration became 312 people's employment.
The Global Statistics Speak Volumes
World Bank data shows the multiplier effect:
Every refugee who starts a business creates 2.3 local jobs
Refugee-founded companies have 35% higher survival rates
They reinvest 89% of profits locally (vs. 62% for other businesses)
Generate $13 billion in annual revenue globally
Not billions taken. Billions created.
The Innovation Advantage
Why do refugees build successful businesses?
Necessity breeds innovation. Constraints spark creativity.
They see opportunities others miss. Solve problems others ignore.
Experience with scarcity teaches resource efficiency.
Cultural bridges create market advantages.
Risk tolerance? Already survived the ultimate risk.
The NGO Revolution
Not every refugee creates a for-profit business.
Many build organizations that serve communities.
Amira from Somalia. Started a women's literacy program in Kenya.
Now reaches 2,400 women. Employs 31 teachers. All local.
Budget: $340,000 annually. Funded by international donors.
Jobs created: Direct employment plus ripple effects. Total: 127 positions.
The Voice from the Ground
"People think we come with empty hands," says Fatou, a refugee entrepreneur from Mali.
"We come with ideas. Skills. Determination. Dreams bigger than survival."
Her textile cooperative in Burkina Faso employs 67 women. Revenue: $89,000 annually.
"We don't take. We give. We build. We create."
The Movement Begins Here
To every refugee reading this: Your journey isn't just about survival.
You're not a burden. You're a builder.
Your struggle isn't weakness. It's strength training.
Your displacement isn't loss. It's positioning for opportunity.
The world needs your solutions. Your perspective. Your drive.
What you can do today?
Share this story. Not for sympathy. For understanding.
When someone asks if refugees "take jobs," show them these numbers.
When fear talks, let facts speak louder.
When assumptions spread, share actual stories.
The narrative needs rewriting. From take to make. From burden to builder.
If you are a refugee yourself, join this community and you will find the resources you need to move forward to the next stage of life.
The Final Count
Tonight, 100 million displaced people will sleep under foreign stars.
Tomorrow, thousands will start businesses. Create jobs. Build futures.
Not despite being refugees. Because of it.
The question isn't whether refugees take jobs.
The question is: How many jobs will they create tomorrow?
The answer starts with opportunity. Continues with determination.
Ends with transformation.
Theirs. Ours. Everyone's.
Share this story. Change the conversation. Build the future.
📣 If you know a refugee with a business idea, connect them with local entrepreneur networks. If you're a refugee reading this, your next chapter starts now. The world is waiting for what only you can build.
The Voice Behind the Writing
I focus on creating pathways that make it easier for people to move forward in a new setting. My goal is to raise a community of newcomers who are strong, informed, and prepared for their next steps.
I begin by entering their lives, listening, and building trust. I walk with them through trauma, helping them heal and find strength again. As stability grows, I guide them toward safe transition options and prepare them for what lies ahead.
Community integration is not the starting point. It is the final step of a long and difficult journey. Along the way, I make information clear and open so newcomers know their choices, and so the public knows how to act with them.
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