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Guillaume Capelle has a goal: to integrate refugees into our society as effectively as possible. But how should this be done, and what can it bring to a company?
During the summer break, the teams at impact.info invite you to (re)listen to one of our episodes published this year. This episode highlights Singa , a non-profit organization aimed at promoting the integration of refugees by creating bridges between local communities and displaced persons. Co-founded by Guillaume Capelle .
Enjoy listening!
Juliette Boulegon
impact.info journalist
Published on 1 August 2024
Transcript Audio in Français — text automatically translated· AI-generated transcript
0:00 Hello, this is Juliette, and welcome to the podcast for those who want to make a difference in their company. 0:08 Investing in favor of refugees is the bet that Guillaume Capelle has taken on, 0:10 founder of Singa, an organization that accelerates the integration of immigrants. 0:16 And today, he is a partner at Impact Partners, in charge of refugee inclusion issues. 0:20 My name is Guillaume Capelle, I'm 35 years old and I was born in Paris. 0:21 I co-founded the NGO Singa, and today I am a partner at Impact Partners. 0:26 I am responsible for all refugee and immigrant inclusion issues at Impact. 0:27 Guillaume Capelle, can you tell us more specifically about your activities? 0:32 So, 12 years ago, I created an NGO called Singa, which started in France and is now international, 0:36 it is in 7 countries, and it works on the 360-degree inclusion of what we call newcomers, refugees, and immigrants. 0:41 And I joined Impact as a partner to set up an investment fund, the first fund in Europe, on the inclusion of newcomers. 0:46 Very well, thank you. 0:51 Can you give us a definition of what a refugee is? 0:55 So, a refugee, first of all, is a woman. 1:00 We often forget this because the image we have when we look on a search engine, 1:01 in the media, is mainly the male image, but there are as many women, if not more, than men among refugees. 1:06 There are also many children, over 40% in France, so a woman, a child, 1:09 a man who had to leave because they were in danger either due to war, persecution, or now increasingly due to climate change. 1:10 And precisely, what are the current and future migration challenges? 1:15 If we look at the latest report from the United Nations Refugee Agency, we see 1:18 that there are currently 100 million displaced people in the world. 1:22 That's a figure, I believe, that is greater than has ever been recorded by this organization. 1:27 It has doubled and more, and it will likely triple in the next 20 years, 1:29 also due to climate change. 1:35 Our ability to anticipate, to solve problems, and to make the most of 1:40 migration today will also determine our ability to achieve a just transition 1:45 in the coming years. 1:50 Are we able to quantify the number of refugees in France? 1:54 In France, we know there are 690,000 exiled people, which is about 100 people 1:59 for every 10,000 inhabitants. 2:03 In absolute terms, it is the third largest host country in Europe after Germany. 2:05 2:10 2:12 2:17 2:21 2:23 2:29 2:36 2:37 2:42 and Poland, but in proportion to its population, it ranks twentieth in Europe, far behind 2:50 Cyprus for example, which is the first host country, hosting about 727 2:54 people per 10,000 inhabitants. 2:55 So, how does it work? Do they have to stay in France? Can they stay 2:59 in France? Do they have the right to work? How does it work? 3:02 If the war continues in their country and they can still be persecuted, they have 3:09 the right to stay in France, but often, it remains a very intimate and personal decision 3:15 whether to stay or go back. 3:17 There are some people who decide to return despite the risks that still exist, 3:22 and there are others who decide to stay their whole life in their new 3:25 host country because they have married, they have a family, they have also changed 3:30 their life. 3:31 You are never a refugee for just three months, it's several years since 3:36 generally, when you are persecuted for a reason, it doesn't disappear overnight. 3:40 Can refugees work? Yes, beneficiaries of international protection have the right to work in France, they can be hired 3:41 just like French people. 3:44 It should be noted that employers will be exempt from the OFI tax, as it is called 3:48 in France, which only applies to foreign workers. 3:50 On the other hand, nuance, asylum seekers, so these are people who have not yet 3:55 received their refugee status, they must have a work permit and 3:58 they can only obtain it after six months in the territory and upon request. 4:03 OK. 4:08 So, how would you answer our question of the day, which is why 4:14 recruit a refugee? First, we are going to recruit someone, a worker 4:15 who will have knowledge and skills that are normally useful for our company. 4:19 It's not just charity, it's simply that we also need this person. 4:24 This is a person who may also have unique skills, a talent that is one of a kind 4:28 that cannot be found in the territory. 4:32 It will also be a way for the company to become more representative of the society 4:37 in which it operates, since today refugees are part of that society. 4:40 There is a study by the Tent Foundation, which specializes in integration 4:45 issues for refugees, which also demonstrated that consumers are more likely to buy 4:48 products from a company that advocates for the welcoming of refugees, 4:52 that will hire them or that will make donations to organizations in this sector. 4:57 In terms of HR, it's also a way to attract talent and retain them, 5:01 because today employees are looking to find meaning in their work as well. 5:06 They want their company to also act on real issues, such as a humanitarian crisis. 5:10 And so when they see that their company allows them to also be citizens, 5:14 5:20 5:25 They have a stronger sense of belonging to this company and they also stay longer, they are loyal in their roles. 5:29 Thank you for that definition. 5:31 And do you have successful examples of economic integration of refugees? 5:34 There are countries where we have welcomed a huge number of people. 5:40 In Europe, this is the case in Germany, which in 2015 welcomed nearly a million 5:43 Syrian people, and in 2022 welcomed nearly a million people from Ukraine. 5:49 After a few years, over 50% of these people have managed to find 5:54 a job or vocational training. 6:00 There are 40 European companies committed to welcoming 250,000 refugees 6:02 into jobs or training in the next three years. 6:08 This initiative has been largely driven by a company called 6:11 Chobani, which was founded by a refugee in the United States, Hamdi Oulukayar, 6:14 who has over 30% of his employees who are refugees. 6:18 In France, we also have examples with Generali, which has not limited itself to hiring 6:21 refugees in the company, but has also thought about how the insurance products 6:27 it offers could be adapted to humanitarian crises. 6:31 For example, they allowed families hosting refugees 6:36 to drastically reduce their insurance during the hosting period, 6:41 but also to insure the people they were hosting throughout that time. 6:47 What fundamentally changes if we want to recruit someone who has just arrived in France? 6:51 If we want to recruit a refugee today, 6:56 I invite all companies to first sign the inclusion charter 6:59 that was created with Symbia and Utopie, because it will allow them to join 7:03 a collective of inclusive companies, but also to have access to many 7:08 resources for hiring, so already a job guide, but also a list 7:11 of specialized recruitment agencies that will help them identify the right profiles. 7:16 It’s important to understand that recruitment is just the first step, 7:21 but the most important thing is everything that will happen afterwards. 7:26 All companies that want to embark on these initiatives, 7:28 I also invite them not to do it alone, but to do it in collectives of companies, 7:31 to be able to exchange with others who have already done it. 7:36 OK, but is there no real barrier or is there something they should still consider? 7:38 No, there are none, there are absolutely no barriers. 7:43 On the contrary, I believe that the company will only benefit from it. 7:47 I don't know if it's a barrier, but one point of attention I would give to companies is 7:50 to quickly move away from 'we hired a refugee.' 7:57 It's essential to give them back their first name, their completely individual and unique journey, 8:01 because no two refugees are alike. 8:08 The issue is not so much about recruiting refugees, but about creating a space. 8:12 8:16 in which refugees can also give their full potential to the company. 8:20 Very well, thank you Guillaume. 8:22 Thank you as well, my pleasure. 8:26 When I was 16, I dreamed of being an architect or a diplomat. 8:30 And yet, I became a social entrepreneur and then an impact investor. 8:35 But I think I still use drawing to create innovation and my diplomacy to negotiate lives. 8:43 Thanks to Guillaume, who is the associate director at Impact Partners, 8:47 for this interview that you can find in our section Insertion, 8:51 which brings together all the episodes on the employability of the most vulnerable. 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