Refugee-led organisations (RLOs) work hard to build stable teams and sustain essential services for their communities. However, staff and volunteer turnover remains a major concern for RLO directors and their partners.
Team members may leave their positions for many reasons, including travel, resettlement to a third country, or personal protection concerns. In the current context, protection concerns have become one of the main reasons refugees leave their roles within RLOs.
For example, over the past three months, two team members left New Vision RLO to return to their home country. We have also observed similar patterns in other RLOs, where staff have left their positions for different reasons. Recently, however, the most common reasons have been returning to their home countries or moving to other countries.
Although it may be predictable that refugees will sometimes leave their positions because they are often on the move, the current situation has strongly influenced these decisions. Many team members feel they have no choice but to prioritise their safety and that of their families.
This turnover has a direct impact on RLOs’ work. When staff leave, organisations must recruit and train new team members, which takes time, money, and human resources. It also affects continuity: experienced staff carry institutional knowledge, community trust, and relationships that are difficult to replace.
What This Means for RLOs
High turnover makes it difficult for RLOs to maintain consistent services, retain skills, and plan for the future. It can also place additional pressure on remaining staff and volunteers, who must cover gaps while continuing their usual responsibilities.
These challenges are not unique to New Vision. Many RLOs face limited access to predictable funding, training, and long-term organisational support, which makes it harder to retain qualified staff and build sustainable teams. Research and sector reports also identify high staff turnover as a barrier to the growth and effectiveness of refugee-led organisations.link.springer+1
What Is Needed
To strengthen staff sustainability, RLOs and their partners should consider:
- Providing longer-term and more predictable funding so organisations can plan ahead and retain staff.
- Investing in training, mentoring, and skills development for both staff and volunteers.
- Creating clear handover processes so knowledge is not lost when someone leaves.
- Supporting staff wellbeing, safety, and protection needs.
- Building partnerships that recognise RLOs as long-term actors, not only short-term project implementers.
Refugee-led organisations are essential responders within their communities. Supporting their teams is not only an investment in individual staff members—it is an investment in continuity, community trust, and sustainable humanitarian response. Reports on RLO sustainability similarly highlight that predictable funding and investment in staff development are essential for retaining skilled people and sustaining services.
