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Help refugees find meaningful employment

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Refugees flee their homes in fear. From war, persecution, and violence. With yet more hardship waiting in the UK. 

A new country and language. Stigma and suspicion. Four times more likely to be unemployed. A completely different work culture to navigate. 

Often, refugees and people of refugee background are left to face these barriers alone. Together we can break them down, so every refugee will be welcomed into the workplace. 

Breaking Barriers is a specialist refugee employment charity. Enabling refugees to build new lives. Step by step.  

Our mission

We welcome refugees into meaningful employment with advice, experience and education. We believe in the power of responsible business to change society for the better through our innovative partnerships. 

Our impact

Our research suggests that just eight hours of one-to-one support from Breaking Barriers’ advisors and volunteers could triple a refugee’s chances of finding a job. Impact measurements like these are vital to evaluating our work and ensuring we’re delivering effective support.

We don’t just focus on outputs, but also on outcomes for the refugees we work with. How many enter into employment? How many achieve other career-related goals? What is the impact on their confidence and outlook?

Here’s a snippet of the impact we had in 2022/2023:

Read Ahmad’s story

Ahmad studied engineering in Pakistan and dreams of becoming a Project Engineering Director.

After arriving in the UK, he experienced hardship living in limbo. Now, with a new sense of security and help from his Employment Advisor, Maria, he's able to pursue the engineering career he started in Pakistan.

Read Ahmad's story

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