International law sets forth a vision of work that is fair and equitable, freely undertaken in conditions of justice. Yet refugees across the globe experience work very differently: Exploitation and abuse are routine features of many refugees’ working lives.

What causes this rupture between work as experienced by refugees, and work as envisioned by a legal regime that has been in place for over 50 years? Why has this rupture persisted even in the face of widespread interest in supporting refugees’ economic integration? What new, emerging, and potential activism is or could be mobilized to bring refugees’ work experiences into closer alignment with the promises and potential of the law?

Drawing on empirical research, legal analysis, and extensive practitioner experience, this seminar will discuss how three key gaps contribute to the breakdown between rights on paper and refugees’ experiences in practice. While recognizing systemic elements that maintain and exacerbate these gaps, the seminar will identify ways that individual and community action can narrow these gaps and advance justice for refugee workers.