Ask HN: Remote Work for Refugees and Asylum Seekers?

Couple of thoughts come to mind.

- I think the closest thing to this would be something like the silkroad or whatever it's modern incantation is.

- I think solving a problem like this would be more about branding and abuse than technical. Abuse will be a hard since a platform like this will have to be censorship resistant by design.

- why do I want to hire a refugee in the conditions that you describe? I'm running a business here and it's difficult to sell me on refugee talent. (Not trying to be callous, genuinely curious)

- Finally, is their real problem work? I think the thought you have is noble, but I suggest reaching out to refugee communities (no idea how to do this) and asking them what are the things that you need right now.

The questions I have are out of naiveté so if I am mistaken please point out my mistakes.

I'm not sure about employing a person anonymously, but I would expect it is more viable for a US/EU/etc company to purchase a deliverable instead. I'm unaware of any actual requirement for companies to verify that the foreign entity is legit if they are simply purchasing a "product" from them, at least. If our hypothetical engineer simply presented himself as an Afghan consulting company and sold code, I doubt anyone would question anything, especially if the invoices looked legit. Being able to sell code for crypto anonymously is my dream though, I'd love to see someone work that out.

Oh hell no. You make a payment to some web developer who you thought was a refugee/asylum seeker, but couldn't verify their status. Let's say things go great.

Then let's say that person ends up getting denied for asylum seeker status, because they worked for the Taliban - let's say that part is even wrong, they never did that, or they did it under duress - let's say all that matters is that they showed up in this database.

Now you've just given a cryptocurrency payment to someone who was denied asylum seeker status, and because of an (incorrect) database entry, it looks like you've funded a terrorist organization.

No, thank you. You'd have to be extremely naive to believe somebody, then pay them in cryptocurrency because you believed their sob story about being an asylum seeker. You're likely actually funding somebody who might be in danger - because they were captured and forced to do work for some regime you don't agree with.

"I'm in North Korea and I need you to pay in bitcoin!" - That money isn't going to them, it's going to the North Korean state.

"Help me, I'm a computer science student of Kabul University!" - Congratulations, your btc payments funded the Taliban. They ARE a CS student of Kabul University, but they've been captured and are forced to work for the Taliban.

Nobody should even THINK about doing this.

I think emulating existing darknet market infrastructure makes sense to address a couple of the issues you mentioned- like public reviews & messaging for employment + moderation & escrow/multisig for transactions.

+ your third point, I think another issue is basically verification: what's stopping cheap, non-refugee laborers from scooping job postings from refugees? I don't think it would be possible to verify the refugee status of someone without leaking identifying info.

I guess your last suggestion sounds like the best thing to do.

Asylum seekers usually don't have the right to work until their request for asylum is approved.

Paying freelancers abroad could work - but what happens if they don't deliver? Or disappear with your data or code?

Bitcoin doesn't solve issues of legal liability.