Spain’s Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration and the Tent Partnership for Refugees Announce Formal Collaboration

• General Protocol of Actions establishes partnership to accelerate the economic integration of refugees in Spain 

Madrid, October 4, 2023 – Spain’s Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration and the Tent Partnership for Refugees (Tent) – a network of more than 300 companies committed to refugees’ economic integration – are today announcing a formal collaboration  to advance the integration of refugees and other forcibly displaced people into Spain’s labour market. The partnership was formalized through a General Protocol of Actions signed by Minister José Luis Escrivá and Hamdi Ulukaya, founder and president of Tent and founder and CEO of Chobani, a multibillion-dollar food company in the U.S. 

Through the signing of this protocol, both organizations have agreed to combine efforts, resources, and ideas to pursue initiatives that harness the business community to advance refugees’ integration into the formal labour market in Spain – a critical step to help refugees make a living for themselves and their family, learn the language, and build community. Hiring more refugees will also be a welcome boost for the Spanish economy, currently facing labour shortages in various sectors including construction, engineering, and hospitality . 

The collaboration between Tent and the Ministry recognizes Tent’s demonstrated expertise in mobilizing major companies to hire refugees, providing companies with hands-on guidance to hire at scale; as well as Tent’s significant global network of companies, uniquely positioning the organization as the preeminent private-sector convener on this issue.

Out of the over 300 major companies in its global network, Tent is already working with dozens of businesses that have operations in Spain – including Amazon, Inditex, Marriott International, and Sanofi – bringing them a wealth of international experience in their efforts to provide refugees with employment, training, and mentorship.

The Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, José Luis Escrivá, highlighted the importance of promoting collaboration with the private sector to identify employment opportunities and match these vacancies with migrants’ professional skills. This is one of the objectives also included in the agenda of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union to achieve orderly, regular and safe migration.

“The refugee employment rate in Spain is alarmingly low. There is an urgent need for businesses in the country to step up – doing this is good for business and good for society,” said Hamdi Ulukaya, founder of Tent and CEO of Chobani. “We are so proud to work with the Ministry to encourage more companies in Spain to hire refugees – and we commend the government’s efforts to ensure refugees in Spain can live lives of dignity.” 

To find out more about Tent, please contact [email protected].

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About the Tent Partnership for Refugees
With more and more refugees displaced around the world, businesses have a critical role to play in helping refugees integrate economically in their new communities. Tent was launched in 2016 by Hamdi Ulukaya, the CEO and founder of Chobani – a multibillion dollar food company in the U.S. – to mobilize global businesses to fill this gap. Today, Tent is a network of over 300 major companies committed to helping hundreds of thousands of refugees access local labor markets by helping them become job-ready and connecting them to work.