OPEN founder Philippe Legrain was quoted extensively about the economic contribution of refugees in Lisbeth Kirk’s article for EUObserver on how to integrate refugees into the economy. Philippe Legrain, a former economics adviser to the European Commission, said there were quite a few businesses being proactive and recruiting refugees, but overall they needed to do more. He has led one of the first comprehensive, international studies on how refugees can contribute …
Continue readingHow refugees can boost the EU’s economy
Read Philippe Legrain’s piece for Brussels Times on 2 June here.
Continue readingInterviewed on France 24: Les réfugiés sont une opportunité pour l’économie de l’Europe
Philippe Legrain was interviewed about OPEN/Tent’s refugee study on France 24 on 30 May. Watch the video here.
Continue readingEuractiv on OPEN’s study: Les réfugiés, futur moteur économique des pays riches de l’UE
Georgi Gotev wrote about OPEN/Tent’s refugee economics study for Euractiv on 19 May. « Les réfugiés sont souvent perçus comme un fardeau que l’on se partage ou que l’on esquive, alors qu’en réalité ils représentent une véritable opportunité qu’il faudrait accueillir », explique Philippe Legrain, fondateur d’OPEN et chercheur émérite à l’institut européen de la London School of Economics. « Avec des investissements de départ adaptés, les réfugiés qui travaillent, quelles que soient leurs …
Continue readingQuoted in The Economist
OPEN founding partner Hosuk Lee-Makiyama was quoted in The Economist’s Charlemagne column on what pizza reveals about Italy’s economic woes on 6 June Chefs and farmers, pizza-makers included, have every right to brand their dish and set their own standards. The state must obviously ensure that food is safe. Governments have an interest, too, in guaranteeing the quality of some premium appellations—Champagne, say. But the profligate use of state-enforced GIs …
Continue readingInterviewed about refugees’ economic contribution on BBC World Service’s Newsday
Philippe Legrain was interviewed about OPEN/Tent’s study on BBC World Service’s Newsday. Listen here. From 37 minutes in
Continue readingIPS on OPEN study: Refugees Bring Economic Benefits to Cities
Tharanga Yakupitiyage wrote about OPEN/Tent’s refugee study for Inter Press Service (IPS) on 20 May. Author of a new study “Refugees Work: A Humanitarian Investment that Yields Economic Dividends”, Legrain found that refugees and migrants are more likely to start new businesses that create wealth, employ local residents, and stimulate investment. He cites the co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, whose father was a Syrian migrant. In Berlin, a Syrian refugee …
Continue readingPolitical Scrapbook: Investing in Welcoming Refugees can Yield Nearly Twice the Amount in Economic Benefits
Political Scrapbook reported on OPEN/Tent’s refugee study on 18 May. It is the first comprehensive, international study of how refugees can contribute to advanced economies, and focuses on what returns a country can get by investing in refugees. How a country responds to refugees makes a big difference, its points out. At one extreme, the US gives refugees a burst of initial help, after which they are expected to fend for …
Continue readingEUObserver: Refugees will give EU economy huge boost
Nikolaj Nielsen wrote about OPEN/Tent’s study for EUObserver on 18 May. “Refugees are often seen as a burden to be shared or shirked, when in fact they are an opportunity to be welcomed,” he [Philippe Legrain] said in a statement. “With a suitable upfront investment and wise policies, hard-working refugees of all skill levels have a lot to contribute to the economy, individual businesses and the public sector.” Read the …
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