(21 June 2017) – US coffee chain Starbucks Corp said yesterday (20 June) it will hire 2,500 refugees in Europe as part of a wider worldwide hiring plan, months after the policy prompted a backlash from some customers.
The news came as the EU executive announced plans to make it easier for hiring migrants across the EU. The plan is called EU Skills Profile Tool for Third-Country Nationals.
The world’s largest coffee chain said it would hire the refugees at its European stores starting in eight countries over the next five years and had already started recruitment.
The move is part of the Seattle-based company’s plan, unveiled in January, to add 10,000 refugees in 75 countries to its workforce. The company faced a backlash soon after, with several people using the hashtag #BoycottStarbucks on social media to urge customers to stay away from its stores. But there appeared to be no similar reaction on Tuesday with only a handful of people on Twitter voicing their disapproval or support of the Europe hires.
Starbucks will roll out the initiative in Britain, France, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Germany and the Netherlands. The refugees will represent about 8 percent of more than 30,000 people currently employed by Starbucks in Europe, data provided by the company showed. (EurActiv)