On 7th September 2018 the NpM organised the conference Finance for Refugees; making it work, in The Hague, The Netherlands and EMEN was present.

NpM, the Platform for Inclusive Finance (NpM), is the leading national platform for inclusive finance worldwide and brings together Dutch development organisations, social investors and commercial banks active in the inclusive finance sector.

It was a very interactive and informative meeting, with representatives from Europe, emerging countries and international development organisations. They issue they had in common was how access to (new) finance for enterprising refugees can be improved. The members of NpM traditionally focus mainly on supporting people in emerging markets seeking financial assistance to generate income and create jobs. Microfinance providers are the main channels in those cases. But this conference did something different. It was a platform to exchange information about new financial initiatives and financial innovations that might be positive for migrant entrepreneurs. Some of those innovations might be quite relevant for EU-based organizations and institutions as well. Hence an invitation to all those interested in New Access to Finance for Refugees to read the conference report and background paper.

The conference papers and presentations are available here

The background paper REPORT “Finance to Refugees: the state of play” is accessible here