‘There is no language barrier’

Improve refugee integration

Record-breaking numbers of refugees and migrants are moving across international borders, fleeing conflict, persecution, poverty and other life-threatening situations, or responding to labour and skill shortages and demographic changes, and seeking better opportunities elsewhere. The large displacement of populations has broader implications for the social, economic, and political landscape.

According to the UNHCR, education empowers and enlightens refugees, giving them the knowledge and skills to live productive, fulfilling and independent lives, and enabling them to learn about themselves and the world around them, while striving to rebuild their lives and communities. Today, only 1 percent of eligible refugees have access to higher education, compared to 36 percent of global youth.

How can we help educate migrants and teach them relevant skills?

Refugees{code} is a non-profit association in Vienna that offers refugees a program to develop coding- and software-development skills. They support refugees in getting qualified jobs, as well as enabling persons entitled to asylum status to lead a self-determined life. ‘Programming is a universal language (0’s and 1's). There is no language barrier.’

With an inspiring event in the Knights’ Hall in The Hague on 24 April, we kicked off the joint development of shared purposes to take on global challenges. Do you think that the solution of Refugees{code} can actively contribute to the shared purpose of educating refugees, help them learn new skills they can use in their new surroundings and improve integration?

Then let us know how we can try to help Refugees{code} reach that goal and if you can be a part of that development. Share this post and your thoughts using the hashtag #IdeasfromEU, tweet us or visit our website: ideasfrom.eu

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