Izza Leghtas is a senior fellow at Refugees International where she focuses on refugees’ access to the labor market. Izza was previously the organization’s Senior Advocate for Europe. She has researched and authored reports on the plight of refugees on Greece’s Aegean islands, refugees’ access to work in Turkey and Jordan, and abuses people on the move face in Libya, among others. She also led the organization’s advocacy efforts toward the European Union. Before joining Refugees International, Izza was a researcher at Human Rights Watch and, prior to that, Amnesty International. She also worked as a consultant for UNHCR’s Special Envoy for the Central and Western Mediterranean Situation and for the International Rescue Committee. Izza has a Masters degree from the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, and a Law degree from the University of Montpellier, France. She is fluent in English, Arabic, French and Spanish.
Shifting away from a model of humanitarian assistance to one of refugee self-reliance will be an economic boon to Rwanda. But it needs to take a more comprehensive approach.
September 14, 2023
As policymakers in Kenya continue to implement the new Refugee Act, they can learn from models other countries have adopted.
May 18, 2023
Kenya’s Refugee Act 2021 has introduced key changes that can enhance the economic inclusion of refugees living in the country.
March 24, 2023
Izza Leghtas and David Kitenge spoke with Allan Mukuki, an advocate at the High Court of Kenya and legal expert, about what can be expected from Kenya’s new Refugee Act.
May 4, 2022
The question is not “How can Kenya afford to include refugees in its labor market and economy?” but “How can it afford not to?”
November 19, 2021
Venezuelans in Peru can make positive contributions to the Peruvian economy if given the chance to access work.
December 16, 2020
The economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic has hit displaced Venezuelans in Colombia particularly hard.
October 28, 2020
Turkey is home to the largest refugee population in the world. But with an economic downturn and a rising unemployment rate, refugees in Turkey are facing increasing hostility.
September 19, 2019
Several countries around the world including Jordan are slowly recognizing the right of refugees to work and providing them opportunities to join the formal labor market.
June 20, 2019
The fate of Venezuelans in Curaçao might very well be the worst of those seeking refuge in the region.
April 26, 2019
