ROME, MAY 24 – Today, UNHCR announced the names of 107 large, small and medium-sized enterprises and 41 civil society organisations that have been awarded the Welcome and WeWelcome 2020/2021 logos for their commitment to refugee integration.
Among the award-winning companies stand out, among others, the names of Barilla, Carrefour, Decathlon, Gucci, Ikea, Leroy Merlin, Mutti, Nespresso, Reale Mutua. The award ceremony will take place, as part of the celebrations for World Refugee Day 2022, on 13 June during a public event hosted by the City of Rome.
The award, now in its fourth edition, emphasizes the great commitment of the business world in the area of refugees. Growing in the number of participating companies, today ‘Welcome – working for refugee integration’ is not just a prize, but a real work inclusion program. In recent years, thanks to the project, numerous corporate partnerships have been established between Italian companies and civil society organizations. In addition, support for refugees has increasingly become an important focus of the diversity & inclusion policies of companies operating in Italy. In four editions of the project, more than 350 companies have been awarded for facilitating the employment of more than 10,000 beneficiaries of protection.
“Welcome is a particular source of pride for us – said Chiara Cardoletti, UNHCR Representative for Italy, the Holy See and San Marino – the project clearly demonstrates how the synergy between the private sector, civil society institutions and organisations can have a strong positive impact for everyone, for refugees themselves and for the entire productive apparatus. It is a project that also confirms the potential in terms of skills and professionalism that refugees bring with them in the countries that welcome them and that can represent an added value for businesses operating in Italy”.
Companies involved in the project help UNHCR to pursue the goal of a model of society that works to prevent and combat xenophobia and racism against those who have been forced to leave their homeland and have found protection in another country. The initiative is supported by the Ministry of Labour, Confindustria and the Global Compact Network. It also has the support of the Tent Foundation and the European Commission.
Program and details of the award event of the fourth edition of the Welcome – Working for refugee integration will be available at welcome.unhcr.it. (@OnuItalia)
