King Charles pops in to refugee jobs fair at St James’s Palace

The King was pictured schmoozing and shaking hands with attendees.

His Majesty The King meeting with Ali, refugee and employee at Diageo, at the Refugee Employment Network job fair (Photo: Ian Jones)Ian Jones Photography

Organisers stressed the importance of events like these, saying that refugees often didn’t have access to jobs where their skills were properly utilised and that 67 per cent of them were underemployed.

Hamed Amiri, a refugee, is a tech business partner at PwC and a bestselling author of The Boy with Two Hearts, which tells the story of his family’s escape from Afghanistan. He said that “access to meaningful work gives refugees far more than a job; it offers dignity, purpose, and the chance to rebuild a life. I know this personally.”

He continued: “Today, as an employer, I also see the other side. When businesses invest in refugee talent, they gain resilience, fresh perspective and deep loyalty. Jobs fairs like this are where belief turns into opportunity, and where people are finally given the chance not just to survive, but to belong,”

WJR aids Jewish communities in crisis worldwide. It was founded in 1933 and in its early years, rescued more than 65,000 Jews fleeing the Nazis.

WJR also helps other communities in crisis. It is one of the largest providers of employment support to refugees in the UK through its Specialist Training and Employment Programme (STEP), which provides tailored employment support and vocational training to thousands of refugees every year in the UK.

Mohsin, an attendee at the event, has been supported by STEP since he arrived here in 2019. He said: “In the UK, I have found a lot of people who want me to succeed and want me to do better. This is very important as a person building their life in a new country”.

His Majesty The King meeting Mohsin, a youth worker and refugee, at Refugee Employment Network job fair (Photo: Ian Jones)Ian Jones Photography

Janice Lopatkin, director of WJR and chair of trustees at REN, said: “WJR is proud to be a member of REN, working together to ensure that refugees can access appropriate, fulfilling paid employment or self-employment in the UK. We are extremely grateful to His Majesty, our Patron, for his leadership and committed support.”

REN is supported by more than 400 member organisations, including charities, employers, local authorities, and professional industry bodies. Its CEO, Jenny Walton, said: “At a time of skills shortages in the UK, we have a highly skilled, experienced, talented, and qualified global talent pool waiting for us, made of people who have been forcibly displaced.”

She continued: “Refugees rebuilding a life just want the things that most of us do – to take care of our families, support the people we love, feel safe at home, and be part of our community. A good job can help someone do that.”