Kenya’s Refugee Act passed in late 2021 promises to improve refugee access to a range of rights, including freedom of movement, the right to work, better access to financial services, better access to documentation and education, and the ability to start a business. If implemented well, this law could support self reliance for half a million refugees.
Impact Alpha’s Dennis Price discusses the growing field of refugee lens investing and RIN’s latest work in East Africa.
This RIN video spotlight tells the story of an R3 (Refugee Supporting) enterprise based in Uganda: Livara Cosmetics. Livara was founded in 2013 as an online store, and has since grown to 6 salons with over 64 employees. Livara has a 22% refugee workforce and plans to expand to 50 salons over the next 5 years.
RIN’s Refugee Entrepreneurship Lead Selen Ucak writes about the growing local activity in impact entrepreneurship and investment in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
RIN joined panelists at The Smart Communities Coalition’s (SCC) 5th Annual Meeting, where one theme resonated: there is a strong economic case for refugees, who present a large untapped market as productive members of their host communities and would benefit from tailored services, not just humanitarian aid.
John Kluge shares news about his transition, reflections on RIN’s progress over the past four years, and hopes for the road ahead.
The partnership will develop an evidence base to mobilize finance and explore how catalytic capital can advance climate resilience, refugee self-reliance, and social cohesion between those displaced and their hosting communities.
As the US government and private sector accelerate the flow of capital towards migration challenges, impact investment models like the refugee lens are critical to deploying that capital in ways that will boost local economies from the ground-up. RIN spoke to ImpactAlpha about its work in Latin America and trends in investors seeking out migration-focused solutions.
Lever for Change and ICONIQ Impact announced that the Larsen Lam ICONIQ Impact Award, a competition to secure a brighter, more durable future for refugees globally, has successfully raised $24.25 million in funding to distribute to five finalist organizations dedicated to improving the lives of refugees around the world.
The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) announced their global portfolio of partnerships to improve financial services for migrants and their families. These new private sector partners have collectively committed $1.32 million towards migrant-centric product development.
The changes under consideration could far surpass current international practices, experts said—potentially vaulting the United States to global climate leadership after President Trump spent four years dismantling the United States’ capacity for both climate action and refugee resettlement.
The U.S. closed the door to nearly all incoming foreign workers last year. The causes were Covid-19 restrictions that locked global borders and Trump administration policies that drastically reduced work visas, with the exception of farmworkers. The effect was an unexpected experiment in one of the country’s most hotly debated issues—the relationship between the labor market and immigration.
