This paper is a result of an ongoing research at the Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA) on the socio-demographic profile of Refugees in Brazil and their process of integration. The concession of refuge has been gaining importance as an instrument of international cooperation and in the national political agenda; specific laws on the subject have been created, as well as governmental institutions, which alongside ACNUR, work with civil society and private business. Specifically, this paper aims to identify and analyze a few strategies deployed to integrate refugees in the Brazilian labor market, where private businesses play a fundamental role. Private business’ strategies developed in partnership between the government, international organizations and civil society, incorporate initiatives of CSR from a human rights perspective. It is working in partnership, creating networks, that these strategies are enhanced, multiplying opportunities. These strategies search to provide opportunities for the self sufficiency of refugees and asylum seekers in their daily subsistence and of their families by facilitating their recruitment and hiring, the valorization of the workforce, respect to diversity, raising awareness regarding their status as refugees and asylum seekers, searching for a greater degree of social justice in the labor market. Notwithstanding, these initiatives are subject to conflict and debate, and assessing the impact and success of these strategies, while guaranteeing human rights, has been a challenge. Thus, a few questions guiding this study are: Considering the national context, how do private businesses come into play in the integration of refugees and asylum seekers in the Brazilian labor market? What strategies are being developed and what responses do these provoke? What is the participation of refugees and asylum seekers in these strategies? This paper is an introductory reflection on a topic that has only recently been regaining political, economic, social, and cultural importance nationally.
