Governance Through Uncertainty: Implications for Refugee Labour Market Integration

Support for labour market entry and a focus on self-sufficiency have become central pillars of refugee reception and integration policies across both the Global North and South. Increasingly shaped by ideas of self-reliance, activation, and economic inclusion, these policies place strong responsibility on refugees to integrate into the labour market. However, despite extensive policy efforts, many refugees continue to experience prolonged uncertainty, insecure employment, and limited recognition of their skills and qualifications.

This policy brief examines how labour market integration is governed in Turkey, Jordan, and Sweden, and how governance structures themselves can create barriers to meaningful inclusion. Drawing on a comparative study of Syrian refugees’ experiences in Adana, Irbid, and Gothenburg, the analysis shows that while all three countries formally promote labour market inclusion, they often fail to provide the practical conditions needed for real participation. In Turkey and Jordan, barriers stem primarily from legal ambiguity and widespread informality, while in Sweden they arise through standardised procedures, digitalisation, and resource constraints. Across all contexts, refugees are expected to be self-reliant without being given adequate institutional support to succeed.

Overall conclusions and policy recommendations

The findings demonstrate that labour market integration is not hindered solely by individual or structural obstacles, but also by governance models that generate uncertainty and exclusion. Fragmented systems, insufficient resources, and poorly coordinated measures push refugees into precarious or low-paid work and prevent full use of their skills. Despite differing national contexts, the outcome is similar: responsibility is shifted onto refugees, while the support required for sustainable labour market integration remains inadequate.

Achieving meaningful inclusion therefore requires a fundamental shift in how labour market integration is governed—from short-term, standardised, and underfunded approaches to stable, coordinated, and inclusive systems that recognise refugees’ competencies and long-term potential.

• Strengthen institutional capacity: Ensure adequate staffing, particularly in frontline organisations such as the Public Employment Service and municipal actors. Create opportunities for in-person meetings and individualised guidance, especially during the early stages of the integration process.
• Individualise support measures: Reintroduce personalised case management and planning that draws on refugees’ prior experience, education, and career goals. Avoid standardised solutions that risk leading to skill loss.
• Accelerate validation and bridging programmes: Expand fast-track systems for the recognition of foreign qualifications and invest in complementary education and mentorship programmes across a broader range of sectors – including those beyond traditionally prioritised fields.
• Design vocational training based on actual needs: Develop training programmes that align with both labour market demand and refugees’ ambitions. Follow up initiatives with a focus on long-term outcomes rather than short-term participation statistics.
• Address digital exclusion: Combine digital services with access to personalised, language- and culturally adapted support. Ensure that digitalisation does not become a barrier to participation.
• Engage employers in inclusive recruitment: Support employers in applying competence-based and fair recruitment practices. Develop tools and routines that reduce unconscious exclusion and promote diversity in the workplace.
• Link labour market measures to broader social investment: View labour market integration as part of a wider system. Invest in parallel in housing, education, language training, and proactive efforts to combat discrimination.

About the author

Andrea Spehar is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg.