Displaced talent in Europe

Hire displaced talent in Europe

Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB) is transforming the way displaced individuals access skilled migration opportunities in Europe. Since 2021, we have collaborated with governments, employers, funders, and civil society across Europe to advocate for and launch displaced labour mobility pathways across a number of countries. In close collaboration with our partners, we have supported over 600 individuals to relocate to safety in Europe, including candidates and their dependants.

TBB is driving this change through diverse frameworks tailored to the unique contexts of each country, ensuring that pathways are both effective and sustainable.

 

Country Programmes Overview

Active Programmes:

 

BELGIUM

Programme Launch: 2022

Projects: the International Organization for Migration (IOM)-led and European Union Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF)-funded Displaced Talent for Europe programme.

Key partners: IOM, Fragomen, VDAB (Flemish Employment and Vocational Training Service), and FedAsil.

Programme description: Belgium's programme creates employment pathways for skilled displaced individuals from Jordan and Lebanon. Working with key stakeholders, the initiative addresses labour market needs while providing refugees with sustainable career opportunities.

Learn more: here

 

ITALY

Programme launch: 2023

Projects: Labor Corridors for Refugees

Key partners: UNHCR Italy, Diaconia Valdese, Pathways International, Caritas Italiana, the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy (FCEI), and IOM.

Programme description: Italy's programme focuses on sector-specific initiatives across IT, craftsmanship, shipbuilding and other industries. This targeted approach matches skilled refugees with specialized employers while providing industry-specific training and integration support.

The programme is supported by the AMIF-funded STEP project (Skills, Talent and Empowerment through pathways) and by Fondazione Reale, Compagnia di San Paolo, ACRI, The Human Safety Net.

Learn more: here

 

IRELAND

Program,e launch: 2023

Projects:
Displaced Talent for Europe (DT4E), 
Skills, Talent and Empowerment through Pathways (STEP) programme, both funded by the EU Commission's Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF).

Key partners: The Open Community, FCEI, Fragomen, and the Government of Ireland. 

Programme description: Ireland's programme combines multiple EU-funded initiatives to create complementary pathways for skilled refugees. The approach emphasizes employer engagement and sustainable integration through tailored support systems.

Learn more: here

 

GERMANY

Programme launch: 2025

Key partners: German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ), Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI), Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Robert Bosch Stiftung, Fragomen, Pathways International, IOM, and UNHCR.

Programme description: Germany's programme leverages existing visa frameworks to connect employers with displaced talent, particularly in high-demand sectors. The initiative combines skills assessment, targeted training, and employment placement with comprehensive settlement support.

Learn more: here

 

UNITED KINGDOM

Programme launch: 2021

Projects:

  • Displaced Talent Mobility Pilot (DTMP), a UK Government programme established in partnership with Talent Beyond Boundaries.

  • Healthcare Pilot Programmes - Placed nearly 200 nurses and healthcare professionals in NHS and private sector since mid-2021.

Key partners: UK Home Office, Fragomen, and  IOM. 

Programme description: The UK programme pioneers innovative pathways for skilled refugees, with particular success in healthcare recruitment. Through government collaboration, TBB has developed sustainable models for addressing critical workforce shortages while providing life-changing career opportunities.

Learn more: here

 

Emerging Programmes:

 

FRANCE

Status: Programme development phase

Programme Launch: 2025

Projects:  IOM-led and EU AMIF-funded Displaced Talent for Europe (DT4E 2.0) 

Key partners: IOM, Fragomen, Pathways International, and Kodiko.

Programme description: France's emerging programme aims to establish sustainable pathways for skilled refugees in high-demand sectors, using existing skilled visa pathways. The initiative will focus on employer engagement and equitable inclusion of refugees in France’s labour market.

 

SLOVAKIA

Status: Programme design phase

Programme launch: 2025

Projects:  IOM-led and EU AMIF-funded Displaced Talent for Europe (DT4E 2.0).

Key partners: IOM

Programme description: Slovakia's emerging programme seeks to find innovations without the country’s managed migration programme, drawing on experience and expertise from the  DT4E partnership  to address local labour market needs. The initiative aims to create tailored pathways for skilled refugees while building stakeholder capacity.

 

SPAIN

Status: Programme development phase

Programme launch: 2025

Projects: FCEI-led and EU AMIF-funded Skills, Talent and Empowerment through Pathways (STEP).

Key partners: Pathways International, Cepaim, Fragomen, and local Spanish organizations.

Programme description: Spain's programme creates complementary pathways through the STEP initiative. The approach emphasizes skills assessment, targeted training, and sustainable integration through multi-stakeholder partnerships.

Learn more: here

 

 Our key projects and programmes in Europe

 DT4E and DT4E 2.0

The European Union (AMIF)-funded project Displaced Talent for Europe (DT4E), a three-year pilot led by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) (December 2021–December 2024), has evolved into DT4E 2.0.

In its initial phase, DT4E focused on connecting displaced talent in Jordan and Lebanon with employers in Ireland, Belgium, and Portugal. As the project transitioned to DT4E 2.0, the scope now includes Belgium, France, and Slovakia, continuing to expand in Belgium while introducing new opportunities in these additional European countries.

Through collaboration with our partners DT4E 2.0 aims to create sustainable complementary pathways for displaced individuals, enabling them and their families to integrate into Europe’s labour markets and rebuild their lives.

To learn more, please visit IOM’s programme website or email DT4E@iom.int

 
 
 

STEP

Skills, Talent and Empowerment through Pathways (STEP) is a programme co-funded by the European Union’s AMIF, led by FCEI (Italian Federation of Protestant Churches) and implemented by 8 partners across Europe, including Talent Beyond Boundaries. STEP gives employers and displaced people access to labour mobility pathways in Ireland, Italy and Spain.


STEP includes different approaches to candidate legal status; candidate skill levels; employer size; company engagement strategies; front-end partnerships and processes; and welcome and settlement support models.

 

 Our partners in Europe

Académie Avignon

Accenture Foundation

Accenture Foundation Italy

Action Emploi Réfugiés

BecomingX

Business Wales

Careers Wales

Caritas Foundation Italy

Cepaim Foundation for Comprehensive Action with Migrants

Convention of Scottish Local Authorities

Deeside Business Forum

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

Diaconia Valdese

Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (Fedasil, Government of Belgium)

Federal Government of Germany

Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy

Flemish Employment and Vocational Training Service (VDAB, Government of Belgium)

Government of France

Government of Ireland

Government of Scotland

 

Government of Slovakia

Government of Spain

Government of Wales

Imagine Foundation

Industrial Union Turin - Italy

Kiron

Lingoda

National Health Service Professionals UK (NHSP)

Open Doors Initiative

People Mobility Alliance

Pro Bono Italia

Robert Bosch Stiftung

Skillab Italy

The Open Community

UK Home Office

Welcome Saxony

Wales Regional Skills Partnerships

Step-by-step process

  • Magnifying glass with user icon inside, indicating search or user focus

    1) Identify role

    Tell us about a role you need filled in your business. We’ll identify suitable candidates, check their visa eligibility, and provide you with a shortlist.

  • Icon of two people in a meeting or presentation, with speech bubbles containing charts and a checkmark.

    2) Recruitment

    We facilitate remote recruitment, including video interviews and any other skills testing required. If a TBB applicant is your preferred candidate, you issue a job offer.

  • Icon of a resume or identification card with a profile picture and lines of text, with a checkmark symbol indicating approval or validity.

    3) Immigration

    We support you and the TBB applicant through the visa application process, and connect you with expert immigration advice.

  • Icon of an airplane with a briefcase on top, symbolizing business travel or corporate flight.

    4) Welcoming

    We help you prepare for the arrival of your new recruit. To ensure they are supported to flourish, we connect you with local immigrant service providers.

  • Icon of a hand holding a person in a suit, representing support or care.

    5) Post-arrival

    We provide ongoing support via regular check-ins with your new recruit and their direct manager for 12 months post-arrival.

Getting started

Interested in hiring displaced job seekers in the Europe?

Complete our request to hire form today.

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