World Refugee Day: Promoting Inclusion And Employment

A United Nations initiative, June 20, 2020 will be World Refugee Day. As a member of the TENT Partnership for Refugees, and in line with our values, we want to restate our commitment to helping such vulnerable groups.

Every 60 seconds, 20 people leave all their possessions behind them in order to escape war, terror, or persecution.

Such people, whose personal situations are as varied as the number of refugees in the world, are all at risk.

With the current situation of the Covid-19 pandemic, inequalities are becoming ever greater and victims of discrimination are becoming ever more vulnerable. Meeting their basic needs, finding work, and leading a decent life are all daily struggles for refugees, particularly in the face of ever-increasing discrimination. To help these groups become integrated into society, it is essential to start out by supporting and promoting their move into the world of work. And as an international Group, this is where we have decided to take action.

Several integration programs around the world

In 2017, we launched the INTERNgration program in France and Germany. The initiative provides six-month internships for refugees, opening the door to the corporate world and enabling them to develop their skills by being in contact with our teams. Their integration within our Group brings added value to everyone in terms of opening minds, offering different perspectives, and developing skills and experience.

In the Netherlands, our teams have created a year-long training program for refugees wishing to become hairdressers.

Lastly, in 2019 we joined the TENT Partnership for Refugees. A worldwide network of 130 companies that support refugees, it gives us access to all the latest research and best practices, so that we can better support and promote access to employment, and help them to become part of society.

Expand the movement and increase its visibility

On World Refugee Day, TENT aimed to make the general public aware of this cause by releasing a video campaign that also highlights the numerous initiatives taken to help refugees to integrate.

At L’Oréal, we are glad to be part of such a movement, and we hope that other companies will join us. We hope that our voice will amplify theirs so that we can all get behind this cause and provide the visibility that it deserves.