The Labor Market Integration of Asylum Seekers in France

Abstract

The refugee crisis in Europe has created a significant challenge for European policy makers, both in terms of receiving asylum seekers and integrating them into their new communities. Among other methods of refugee integration, the ability of asylum seekers to find work soon after arrival is particularly important to the future welfare of refugees and of their host countries. On this issue, the European response has been mixed: for example, France has historically taken a restrictive stance to prevent asylum seekers from working to make the country less attractive to “fake refugees,” while Sweden allows asylum seekers to work near instantly upon arrival in the hope they can find work quickly and sustain themselves as their claim is being evaluated. This paper evaluates best practices for the labor market integration of asylum seekers and refugees, before reviewing the historical development of labor market integration policies for asylum seekers in France since WWII. It uses the case of Sweden’s open labor market policy for asylum seekers to explain why France followed a different policy strategy, and finally suggest paths to improving the labor market integration of asylum seekers in France.