Given that the act of picking up and moving to another country is an inherently brave and risky decision, it should be of no surprise that refugees and immigrants have repeatedly been found to be more entrepreneurial than locals.
Economic activities of refugees are generally heavily restricted by legal constraints, including limitations on movement, no labour market access or only partial access, and denial of financial and nonfinancial services for entrepreneurs.
Dealing with the refugee crisis is a huge challenge, and it should involve people from both host and refugee communities working together to create greater opportunities. We need to breakdown walls between people and build an inclusive and collaborative community and exchange of time, experiences and expertise in order to achieve mutually beneficial results.
Refugees are more likely to start businesses than locals. They are hungry to succeed, which has more to do with playing to win and less to do with playing with percentages. It is a survival game.
