Enterprising Refugees Invited to Show Off Their Business Acumen in Europe
An organization in Amsterdam, Netherlands is making a concerted effort to combat the stigma that the increase of immigrating refugees over the past few years is taking a burden on European countries. After reflecting on how they could help with the refugee crisis, bidx set up an online platform with the intended purpose of connecting entrepreneurial refugees with investors and mentors in their new countries. Refugee members of bidx can present a business plan and then investors and business owners within the country will provide tips, mentorship and maybe even funding for their plan. The site (previously used primarily by European patrons) is being translated into Arabic, and while some refugees may not have computers, according to bidx, a large amount have smartphones, and the platform is being worked to be accessible for mobile users.
Although asylum laws in the Netherlands do not permit refugees to work for the first 6 months of their time in-country, bidx does not discriminate based on immigration status. Hopefully, opportunities like bidx provides will sprout up in other countries in Europe and affect the perception that many people currently hold about refugees. Bidx sheds light on the multiple stories of refugees and contributes to ending a single story viewpoint.