The global task force on refugee labour mobility

Video length: 3:57 minutes

A child and an adult hold hands as they walk with other refugees. Aerial shots reveal a refugee camp where many people are being housed. Refugees flee through a corn field with their belongings.

Narrator: More than 100 million people are forced to flee their homes as the world faces its worst global refugee crisis in recent history.

Title Build: “The Global Task Force on Refugee Labour Mobility”, fades in over an animated map of Canada. The map of Canada zooms out and becomes highlighted in blue, follow by the United Kingdom and Australia.

Narrator: Canada and like-minded countries are working together to welcome refugees with open arms.

A baker is rolling dough for cookies. A health care worker in blue scrubs helps a senior. A mother reads to her child. An industrial technical worker explains the operation to his boss.

Narrator: Many refugees have enormous talent, but limited opportunities.

A web engineer discusses a project with her colleague. U.K. double-decker buses move across London’s Waterloo Bridge. A family arrives, as the man and child are greeted by an official representative. A woman walks across the living room floor.

Narrator: Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and some European Union members are finding new ways to welcome refugees, in addition to traditional resettlement programs.

A health care worker fills a syringe. A baker prepares dough, and “Labour complementary pathways” appears on the screen.

Narrator: One initiative that is gaining international support is labour complementary pathways.

A shot of the Shelburne water tower in Ontario shows the community. A family is gathered at the dining room table. One child grabs an orange. A worker in a factory moves a forklift. The factory worker and her boss walk past the full recycling operation.

Narrator: These pathways help skilled refugees and their families move safely to third countries through existing employment or economic migration pathways.

Text displays: “Crystal Howe (Gott), Director, Sustainability, Ice River Sustainable Solutions, Shelburne ON, Canada”.

Crystal Howe (golt): In our company, we produce 100-percent recycled bottles. And we require some technical skills that are difficult to find, in today’s market.

Two factory workers sort plastic at Ice River, a recycling operation. New green Ice River bottles move along the conveyor belt.

Crystal Howe (golt) cont'd: So when we found Abdullah, we realized that very quickly, that he has this diverse background.

Abdullah Aljalout: I have a degree. And I have a good education. I have skills. So, as soon as I told them, I see the appreciation and respect in their eyes.

Text displays: “Abdullah Aljalout, Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot newcomer”.

Crystal appears on the factory floor in conversation with Abdullah.

Crystal Howe (golt) cont'd: So he’s an electrical engineer. He’s got mechanical engineering experience. He’s got programming; HVAC. You name it. That’s very helpful for an organization like ours. We’re incredibly entrepreneurial and innovative. So, it just opens up some pathways, that may not have been open before.

Traffic drives over a bridge in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. A woman walks along the river pathway.

Narrator: These pathways work because everyone involved benefits.

A bakery sign comes into focus. A car drives past a borough in Adelaide, Australia. A woman exits the elevator past an “Aligent” promotional display. The same woman is working with a colleague at a computer. There is a round-table style discussion, with the woman and four other people. Two other women in health care attire walk by a building.

Narrator: Canada and Australia, along with employers across different industries, are pioneering and championing the growth of these pathways, globally.

Text displays: “Bahati Ernestine Maganjo, Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot newcomer, New Glasgow NS, Canada”.

Bahati and her husband are cooking together at the stove. We see Bahati and her husband stirring the pot of food. Bahati and her child are sitting in front of an aquarium, reading, then looking at the fish.

Bahati Ernestine Maganjo: Having people acknowledge the skills that refugees bring with them and how they can contribute to the community, to the society – is very important. And I love that we are seeing that shift – through programs like labour mobility - like EMPP, that really centre around what a refugee brings to the table. It meant that, coming to Canada to work, also meant that I was coming to build a new home.

“Global Task Force on Refugee Labour Mobility” appears on the screen, along with its logo. A map of the North America zooms in to show Canada highlighted in blue.

Narrator: The Global Task Force on Refugee Labour Mobility was launched in April 2022 with Canada as its first chair.

Various global stakeholder organization logos appear on screen: IOM – UN Migration, Australian Government, Refugepoint, ICC International Chamber of Commerce, UNHCR – The UN Refugee Agency, Talent Beyond Boundaries, Fragomen and the Canada wordmark.

Narrator: The Task Force is working with many stakeholders and refugees from around the world who have experience and interest in these initiatives.

Text displays: “Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot”.

The IRCC Global Task Force members are in discussion at a round-table meeting. IRCC staff appear in a video conference call.

Narrator: Canada’s work on the Task Force builds on the success of its Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot, or EMPP.

Text displays: Skilled Refugee Labour Agreement Programme. In the background, a man is working at his desk in his office. We see two colleagues reviewing material at a computer. Now one of the women is with her husband and two children reading at home.

Narrator: Australia’s Skilled Refugee Labour Agreement Pilot program offers a pathway for skilled refugees and their families to move there for work.

Text displays: “Jonathan Day, Founder and Managing Director, Aligent, Adelaide SA, Australia”.

We now see Jonathan in discussion with the same colleague.

Jonathan Day: Complimentary pathways are ones that go through different routes. And for skilled refugees, which is what we are talking about today, that’s a really interesting example of changing that model.

Text displays: “Sarya Alsayed, Software Engineer, Aligent, Adelaide SA, Australia”.

Sarya Alsayed: So I remember – I read a post on Facebook about (Talent Beyond Borders) TBB program and how this organization helped refugees to find their dream job. Then I applied and then I moved to Australia and started working with Aligent.

Sarya appears in conversation again with Jonathan in a series of shots. Sarya and her colleague continue to work together on the corporate computer.

Jonathan Day: For the candidate; for the employer, together we are so much better because of it. It is absolutely, a meaningful value exchange, in both directions. And the skills enable that person to be employed on merit.

A man in an industrial factory setting grinds down a metal plate.

Text appears: “Displaced Talent Mobility Pilot and Displaced Healthcare Talent Pilot”.

Colourful European row houses appear on screen. We see a crowded European street with pedestrian traffic. A shot shows staff working on their computers.

Narrator: These pilots aren’t the only ones – some EU members, as well as the United Kingdom, have one, while others are being developed around the world.

Bahati and her colleague, elated, walk down the street in a business district. A shot of the woman smiling and in conversation appears. Crystal reappears, in conversation on the bottling factory floor. Jonathan appears on screen.

Narrator: But to scale these up globally, we need to learn from each other and help new pilots take root and grow.

Fast cuts: Sarya is in conversation in a corporate setting. Abdullah smiles while in conversation on the factory floor. Abdullah and his son are at the kitchen table. Sarya and her children are colouring at the kitchen table. Bahati and her child are looking at fish in the family fish tank. Sarya is tossing a ball to her daughter in the yard.

Narrator: By sharing lessons learned, we can turn these pilots into permanent programs and engage more stakeholders and refugees around the world.

Text appears: “Visit our website: Canada.ca”. An animated search bar appears with text being typed in: “Global Task Force on Refugee Labour Mobility”.

Narrator: To Learn more about these pathways, visit the Global Task Force’s website.