Refugee women as a target group of labour market policies

As yet, little is known about the lives of refugee women in Germany, their plans, and the situations in which they find themselves. Information about their socio-economic profile, their educational experiences and their expectations is only insufficiently available. With regard to integration into the labour market, refugee women still play a subordinate role. Compared with refugee men, they are hardly reached by the integration offers of public agencies. Since 2015 Fachstelle Einwanderung, the Competence Centre for Immigration of the Network “Integration through Qualification (IQ)” has worked on the labour market integration of refugees as a part of its tasks, chosing the specific situation of refugee women as one of its key areas. Within the framework of several publications and events, the Competence Centre has dealt with this subject. Among several other issues, the need of further investigations into the matching of labour market integration offers with the life situations of refugee women was identified. The present case study aims at covering this need at least in parts. For this purpose, the criteria decisive for successful integration in language courses, qualification, education and training, or employment, particularly from the perspective of the refugee women themselves, were analysed. Furthermore, the function of specific measures offered to refugee women by the employment agencies and job centres (Jobcenter) in this context was investigated as well as the question how, from the perspective of the target group, such measures ought to be designed to improve the integration of the target group into the labour market in a sustainable manner. Hence, the study also serves to support the German Federal Employment Agency, which has developed and tested diverse specific approaches to supporting the labour market integration of refugees during the last three years with great commitment. The development of employment promotion offers to heterogeneous groups with specific needs places high demands on the Federal Employment Agency. The findings of the study are intended to facilitate even more differentiated action for these target groups, further develop successful approaches or scale them up, and identify existing gaps. The qualitative study was carried out during a period from September to December 2018. Throughout Germany, a survey was conducted with altogether 32 refugee women within the framework of six focus groups as well as 23 experts in individual and group interviews. Initial results from the interviews were put forward in an expert discussion with various stakeholders. In the publication at hand, the outcomes of this process are systematised and recommendations are made.