H&M Group joins Tent, and reinforces its commitment to support refugees
At H&M Group we believe that with our size and scale we have the possibility, and the responsibility to drive positive change. In line with our ambition of being 100 % Fair and Equal, H&M Group joined Tent Partnership for Refugees, a global private sector network working to improve the lives and livelihoods of refugees.
The partnership is a continuation of the work that H&M Group already does to address the refugee crisis. One of our focuses to support refugees has a proactive, inclusive approach, to integrate and increase the number of refugees hired in our supply chain. In Turkey for example, we work to involve our suppliers and have partnered with local organisations to support refugees. As of today, there are 20 suppliers involved in this work and resulting in employment for approximately 500 refugees.
“Our partnership with Tent will further build our knowledge on how the private sector can work to support refugees. We have also entered a partnership with IOM (The International Organisation on Migration), which is essential for our work to ensure fair working conditions for migrant workers in our supply chain”.
David Sävman, Head of Production, H&M Group
In December, UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) hosted the first ever Global Refugee Forum in Geneva. H&M Group were present to engage, learn and to show our commitment to support refugees. In connection to the forum we also announced our goal to scale up our initiative in Turkey for a more sustainable integration of foreign workers, including refugees, into the textile sector. In this, we aim at doubling the number of suppliers involved (from 20 to 40) and reach at least 2000 refugees with employment by 2025.
We believe a collaborative approach is key in addressing the challenges refugees face and in actions taken to improve the lives and livelihoods of refugees. Hence, H&M Group works together with international institutions, such as IOM, UNHCR and ILO (International Labour Organisation) to advocate for a consistent and transparent regulatory approach that can facilitate the employment of refugees in our supply chain.
“Partnerships like Tent bring global support to what we are doing locally and bring this important issue of vulnerable workers in our supply chains to light”.
Julia Bakutis, Regional Sustainability Manager Turkey, H&M Group
