A Ukrainian journalist who once worked in television news took a job in a French warehouse. A former business owner who fled her country with her husband and three children found work as a cleaner. Both are refugees in France. A French language instructor who taught them told The Borgen Project that their experiences point to a barrier refugees can face: without strong French, professional experience gained abroad can be difficult to put to use. French language programs, from workplace classes to national training schemes, aim to help refugees overcome that barrier.

Refugees are part of a broader group of migrants who face employment barriers. Among non-EU citizens ages 20-64 living in the European Union, unemployment fell from 20% in 2015 to 12.3% in 2025, according to Eurostat, yet it still remains nearly two and a half times the 5.2% rate recorded for nationals.

In France, 36% of refugees who received their first residence permit in 2009 had a low level of French proficiency when surveyed in 2010, according to a 2018 study by DARES, the research and statistics department of the Ministry of Labor.

Outcomes also differ by group. Refugee women are more likely than refugee men to be unemployed in France, and many refugees who were employed in their countries of origin end up accepting lower-skilled jobs once they arrive, according to the U.N. Refugee Agency.

Inside a Workplace French Language Program

Workplace French language programs are one way companies support the refugees they hire. The instructor, who taught workplace classes for refugees employed by a private company in France, requested anonymity to protect the identities of the refugee employees and the company involved. The program combined language lessons with administrative support, including help with residence permits, transportation and employment contracts, the instructor said.

Each class centered on a practical theme, such as grocery shopping, paired with listening exercises, grammar games, short role-playing scenes and simple writing tasks tied to daily life. The company also organized “French déj,” or French lunches, where only French was spoken regardless of participants’ level, giving refugee workers a chance to hear everyday conversation and break the ice with colleagues they did not work with directly. The instructor said participants’ confidence grew day by day.

Employment Rises Over Time

One year after obtaining refugee status in France, 42% of refugees are employed, while 22% remain unemployed and 19% are inactive and not in education, according to a 2022 study that UNHCR cited. Another study published in 2024, which followed people granted protection in 2018, indicates that 63% were employed four years after obtaining status.

Isolation Compounds the Challenge

Beyond language, the instructor said navigating French bureaucracy, adjusting to a new culture and being separated from family create ongoing strain for refugees, who often seek out others from their home regions to combat loneliness.

Refugees face compounded disadvantages because of displacement experiences and legal uncertainties, on top of the language barriers, skill downgrading and legal obstacles that hinder migrants generally, according to a 2024 European Parliament policy study.

A National Program Expands Language Access

The HOPE program, launched in 2017 by AFPA, France’s national agency for adult vocational training, combines 400 hours of French instruction and an introduction to a trade with 450 hours of trade training. Training is delivered through a work-study or temporary-work contract, in fields where employers have unfilled positions. Participants also receive housing, meals and administrative, social and medical support throughout the program.

The program grew out of a May 2017 pilot project for 200 migrants from Calais, the site of the camp known as “the Jungle,” and expanded into a national initiative with an initial target of training 1,000 refugees. According to AFPA, two experiments that year in the Île-de-France and Hauts-de-France regions produced strong early results: 71% of participants earned a certification and 62% were employed by the end of training.

By October 2021, the program had trained more than 3,000 refugees across France, according to the Pays de la Loire regional prefecture. In that region, the prefecture reported a 93% job-placement rate, a regional result rather than a national one.

Both the workplace initiative and the HOPE program combine French language programs with practical support, ranging from administrative assistance to housing and meals in HOPE’s case. Without the language, the instructor said, refugees become invisible and lose recognition of their social standing. Even small acts of help can mean an enormous amount to people who often carry painful life stories, the instructor added.

– Naveeshaa Rengasamy

Naveeshaa is based in Lille, France and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons