Every year on June 20, the world marks World Refugee Day, a day designated by the United Nations to honour the strength and resilience of people forced to flee their homes due to conflict or persecution. It’s a moment to reflect, and to consider how communities, businesses and governments can respond with inclusion and by creating opportunities and working together.
At Ingka Group, the largest IKEA retailer, World Refugee Day is also a moment to reaffirm a long-standing commitment: supporting refugees through practical steps that help them gain the skills, opportunities, and confidence to rebuild their lives. With the number of displaced people continuing to rise globally, this work has never been more needed, and Ingka Group remains focused on working with partners to create meaningful pathways to employment and inclusion.
Tolga Öncu, Global Retail Manager, Ingka Group
“Today, more than 120 million people are forcibly displaced, including over 42 million refugees. At the same time, the majority of Ingka markets are facing a long-term workforce challenge, with the working-age population continuing to shrink. These two realities are happening side by side. We know that most refugees want to work, contribute, and build a new life. We’ve seen first-hand the value that people with refugee backgrounds bring – their experience, their energy and their ideas. That’s why we believe inclusion is not just the right thing to do, it’s also a way to strengthen our communities and workplaces.”
Compared to a decade ago, the total number of refugees under UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency mandate has more than doubled. According to UNHCR, at the end of 2024, an estimated 123.2 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced, including 42.7 million refugees globally*.
At the same time, Europe is facing a long-term workforce challenge. The EU’s working-age population fell from 272 million in 2009 to 263 million in 2023 and is expected to drop to 236 million by 2050**.
Ingka Group sees refugee inclusion as part of a broader approach to supporting thriving, resilient communities and addressing labour shortages through meaningful employment. It has developed a comprehensive approach to refugee inclusion through its Skills for Employment programme, which offers job readiness training, language support and real work experience. The programme has trained over 3,700 refugees across 26 countries. The company is now committed to helping 3,000 refugees and asylum seekers into work by the end of 2027.
In March, Ingka Group co-hosted the event “We Are Better Together: Fostering Refugee Integration and Inclusion” with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Brussels. The event brought together voices from government, business, and civil society to explore ways to remove barriers and build more inclusive labour markets. The event featured Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, alongside contributions from Magnus Brunner, European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration.
“The aim of this event was to bring people together across sectors to share ideas, challenge barriers, and find practical ways to support refugee inclusion. We have seen first-hand that when refugees are given the opportunity to work, it’s not only good for them, it also benefits their employers and their new communities”, says Julia Olofsson, Human Rights & Social Impact Manager, Ingka Group.
“On World Refugee Day, it’s important to recognise that inclusion is not only a social responsibility, but a response to real workforce challenges, particularly in many of the countries where Ingka Group operates. Refugees bring valuable skills, drive and resilience that strengthen teams and support business growth,” she concludes.
Beyond direct support, the company is also committed to advocating for more inclusive labour market policies, sharing learnings, and amplifying refugee voices. The company is also participating in the Intergovernmental Group on Migration led by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), where government representatives from 15 of Ingka’s operating countries came together to discuss collaborative solutions.
To help further advance the conversation around workforce inclusion, Julia Olofsson will join the upcoming European Demographics Summit. Alongside Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness of the European Commission, they will explore how businesses experience labour and skills shortages in Europe and what solutions – including refugee inclusion – can help address these challenges.
Read more:
Let’s stand with refugees and Refugee stories – https://www.ingka.com/people-and-planet/fair-equal/skills-for-employment-lets-stand-with-refugees/
Open-source toolkit for refugee hiring and training available at https://www.ingka.com/
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*UNHCR Global Trends – https://www.unhcr.org/global-trends
**European Commission, Labour and Skills Shortages in the EU, 2023 – Read more
About Ingka Group
With IKEA retail operations on 31 markets, Ingka Group is the largest IKEA retailer and represents about 90% of IKEA retail sales. It is a strategic partner to develop and innovate the IKEA business and help define common IKEA strategies. Ingka Group owns and operates IKEA sales channels under franchise agreements with Inter IKEA Systems B.V. It has three business areas: IKEA Retail, Ingka Investments and Ingka Centres. Read more on www.ingka.com.
About UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, protects people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. They work in over 130 countries, protecting millions of people by responding with life-saving support, safeguarding fundamental human rights and helping them build a better future. Find out more: https://www.unhcr.org.
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