Starbucks has announced plans to hire 2,500 refugees in its European stores by 2022, as part of a global program announced in January.
The Seattle-based coffee house chain said Tuesday that the figure will be part of Starbuck's commitment to hire 10,000 refugees around the world.
Starbucks said it will work with agencies that aid refugees in eight countries to launch the hirings. They are Britain, France, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Germany and the Netherlands.
The Refugee Council, which works for refugee rights in Britain, welcomed the partnership, saying it could "make a positive difference to the lives of refugees."
The council's head, Maurice Wren, said that "refugees bring an incredible wealth of skills, knowledge and experience which are hugely beneficial to society."
Starbucks said it will hire 10,000 refugees over the next five years in January in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's indefinite suspension of Syrian refugees and temporary travel bans that apply to six other Muslim-majority nations. Howard Schultz, the coffee retailer's chairman and CEO, said that the hiring would apply to stores worldwide and the effort would start in the U.S. where the focus would be on hiring immigrants "who have served with U.S. troops as interpreters and support personnel."
