Fifth colloquium on challenges in international refugee law

The right to work is a fundamental human right recognized in many international and regional human rights instruments, including the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (Refugee Convention), as well as international labor conventions.

However, in many countries, refugees are denied access to the labor market and opportunities for self-employment. The Michigan Guidelines on the Right to Work were adopted by participants at the Colloquium with the aim of assisting states in the proper implementation of the right to work for refugees and other similarly situated persons. The guidelines are intended for use by national policy- and decisionmakers— for example, those responsible for designing and implementing national asylum laws and national labor laws.