Private sector partnerships and inclusive public policies support the integration of hundreds of thousands of refugees across Latin America

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PANAMA CITY – Two new publications on private sector engagement and self-reliance for refugees and people in need of protection in Latin America show how supportive public policies and partnerships with private companies can drive long-term solutions for refugees while creating prosperity in host countries. Through experiences in eight countries across Latin America, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, showcases a wide range of good practices for inclusion and integration that, in 2025 alone, helped more than 30,000 people to find pathways to stability and self-reliance. These efforts are central to UNHCR’s regional priorities to promote solutions for people forced to flee, and as co‑lead of the Inter‑agency Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants (R4V), UNHCR advances integration as a core strategic priority across the Americas.

UNHCR engaged with more than 1,500 companies across the region in programmes ranging from relocation to specialized training. At the same time, national and local governments supported those efforts through policies and concrete measures that facilitated access to documentation, formal employment, and financial services, among others. Flagship initiatives such as the Internal Relocation Programme in Brazil and the Local Integration Programme (PIL) in Mexico provided stable integration opportunities for more than 200,000 people over the last decade, while contributing to the local economy and tax base. In fact, tax revenues generated by the Local Integration Programme beneficiaries in Mexico amount to 15 million US dollars per year.

With more than 1,300 companies recognized by UNHCR for their commitment to socioeconomic integration of refugees and people in need of protection, networking proved to be key for supporting self-reliance and long-term solutions. The establishment of national recognition, as well as company networks sharing best practices among peers in countries like Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Mexico, reflected the steady commitment of the private sector in Latin America to inclusive practices in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Compact for Refugees. As a result, tens of thousands of refugees and people in need of protection were hired across the region, like in Brazil, where more than 17,000 people were hired under the umbrella of the Companies with Refugees Forum.

Through its engagement with the private sector, UNHCR is also supporting refugee entrepreneurship as a means for self-reliance. In Ecuador, Buy with Purpose, a joint UN initiative connecting refugee and local businesses to supermarkets, restaurants, and corporate procurement chains, helped more than 150 entrepreneurs to increase their annual sales by 75% in 2025. In Brazil, more than 190 refugee-led businesses – 56% women-owned – were showcased in a digital marketplace across 50 cities and 17 states, connecting them to customers, corporate buyers, credit opportunities and training. In Guatemala, the Renacer en Guate initiative helped to establish more than 400 market-oriented businesses through seed capital and technical assistance.

Self-reliance and sustainable solutions for refugees and people in need of protection wouldn’t be possible without inclusive public policies. Governments in the region have a longstanding tradition and consolidated practices in supporting the integration of refugees, and they keep innovating to ensure access to essential services that enable employability and self-employment, including documentation, financial inclusion, and labour placement services. In Ecuador, simplified requirements allowed an increase in bank account access rates for refugees from 14% in 2022 to 48% in 2025. In Mexico, almost 13,000 refugees opened bank accounts by the end of 2025, without requiring a passport. In Guatemala, a digitalization programme allowed reducing the processing time for work permits from 5 months to just 4 days.

Women’s economic empowerment and support for youth employability contributed to stability and self-reliance. In Brazil, initiatives to empower refugee women through training for employment and entrepreneurship helped hundreds of women, including single mothers, while vocational training for young refugees was linked with a nationwide apprenticeship programme. In El Salvador, the Super Ready programme provided training and seed capital to internally displaced women to help start their own businesses, while the programme My First Job, a joint initiative with the Ministry of Labour, resulted in formal employment contracts for youth with more than 200 companies.