Nationally, migrant entrepreneurs are responsible for founding 1 in 7 British companies and businesses, as well as creating 14% of all British jobs.
World Refugee Day 2019 was marked at the Bosnian House, with this year’s focus on individuals who came to Birmingham as refugees and migrants and overcame adversity to establish successful businesses and careers. The conference was attended by more than 80 people, representing different ethnic communities.
On the occasion of World Refugee Day, which is celebrated every year on June 20th, BH UK Network , in collaboration with Birmingham City Council , organized a conference with a traditional Bosnian lunch where it was planned to launch the MiFriendly Cities Birmingham Employability initiative with the aim of providing free advice and support to different ethnic groups.
On behalf of the host, BH UK Network, Anes Cerić welcomed the guests and gave a few introductory words. “BH UK Network was founded in 1996. The main goals include improving the quality of life of 10,000 BiH citizens living in the United Kingdom. Last year on BiH Statehood Day, the UK Minister for Religion, Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth officially opened the “Bosnian House” in Birmingham. It was a historic moment for a community that had survived genocide and ethnic cleansing in Europe and found refuge in the UK. For families living in the UK, the Bosnian House is the heart of the community – a space where people can get practical advice, psychological support and young Bosnians can learn about their heritage. Today we are here to mark World Refugee Day, to celebrate our differences and above all to unite our positive energy to create a better world for our future generations. “, said Dr Cerić. 
After the opening speech, the audience was addressed by members of different ethnic communities from Birmingham.
Alma Aganović came to England as a child refugee from Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1993. She currently works and builds a successful career as the Executive Director of Marketing at South & City College in Birmingham. She has a Masters in Marketing and is a former Governor of Birmingham Women’s Hospital . She is the Chair of the West Midlands Board for the charity Remembering Srebrenica . She is an advocate for the power of education as a tool to unlock potential and help with successful integration.
Omran Al Habbal is a refugee from Syria, the founder of the business platform Gladington and the director of the creative agency Bloomup. He was recently awarded the status of an inspirational young person in Birmingham. Omran’s mentoring work with business startups and graduate students is an example of his desire to motivate others to succeed and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Honorine Nzessie is a refugee from Cameroon and the owner of a successful restaurant and nightclub in Hockley. The food in her restaurant is inspired by her African heritage, and the restaurant premises are often used as a gathering place and for celebratory events. Honorine actively supports asylum seekers and refugees using her experience and knowledge, and makes food available to those who need it most.
Fuad Mahamed is a refugee from Somalia. In 2008, he founded an agency that assists in the resettlement of refugees (Ashely Community Housing-ACH). He successfully built the organization into a leading provider of integration support. ACH spans 3 cities, employs 70 people and works with 2,500 individuals a year, including providing housing for 700 tenants. Together with his colleagues from ACH, he advocates a new approach to helping refugees that is based on development, not just humanitarianism.
The speakers have shown tremendous determination to achieve their aspirations and have now shared their stories to inspire others and show how refugees and migrants make a positive contribution to our city. Nationally, migrant entrepreneurs are responsible for setting up 1 in 7 UK companies and businesses, as well as creating 14% of all UK jobs.
Project Manager of the MiFriendly Cities Birmingham Employability Initiative, Bethany Finch , presented the details of this initiative. She explained the essence of this project and mentioned that it is a project funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Urban Innovative Actions organization.
“We are delighted to launch the employment initiative as part of National Refugee Week. Today we have provided a platform for four inspiring speakers who came as refugees and have overcome challenges to establish successful jobs and careers. They have shown how projects such as MiFriendly can support cities by harnessing the skills of refugees and migrants and opening up opportunities in the areas of entrepreneurship, employment and training, and social rights-based activities. This has also been a great opportunity to work with BH UK Network whose experience of establishing and integrating their community in Birmingham is inspiring in itself. A decade and a half since their arrival, the Bosnian community is already making a significant contribution to the social, cultural and economic fabric of Birmingham, something we hope will provide hope, motivation and determination to the newly arrived ethnic groups.”
The closing words went to the city council member, Cllr John Cotton : “Birmingham is a friendly, cosmopolitan city that prides itself on its warm welcome to people from all over the world: it is the most ethnically diverse city in the UK with a population of 187 different nationalities .
“As a city of refuge, our welcome must be more than a greeting: it must mean inclusion, participation, recognition and appreciation. Migration for any reason tends to show a greater capacity for entrepreneurship than average. Being able to help newly arrived communities in the city engage with this and play an active role in the local community and economy is vital. “
“Similarly, our welcome to those refugees and migrants seeking employment must be equal, enabling them to develop new skills, and helping them find opportunities that match their existing experience, qualifications and skills,” Cotton said.
The main goal of this event is to encourage refugees and migrants to fight for their rights, inspire them to fulfill their potential, and go home motivated to achieve their ambitions, along with a network of people, ideas, and practical advice to support them in doing so.
In the UK, World Refugee Day is a seven-day national programme of arts, cultural and educational events that celebrates the contribution of refugees to the UK and encourages better understanding between ethnic communities.
