Starbucks to hire 10,000 refugees in response to Donald Trump’s Muslim travel ban
Coffee house chain Starbucks said it will hire 10,000 refugees globally over the next five years in response to US President Donald Trump's travel ban.
The company's chief executive Howard Schultz said in an open letter that the "American Dream" was "being called into question" by Trump's latest executive order. Trump has blocked visitors from seven mainly Muslim countries from entering the US.
Schultz said:
I write to you today with deep concern, a heavy heart and a resolute promise… We are living in an unprecedented time, one in which we are witness to the conscience of our country, and the promise of the American Dream, being called into question.
He said the company was doing everything possible to look after its employees who were affected by the ban and that it would be focussing on hiring refugees in the US, specifically those that had served or helped the US military.
"In the face of recent events around the world, let me assure you that we will stay true to our values and do everything we can possibly do to support and invest in every partner’s well-being while taking the actions that are squarely within our ability to control," Schultz added.
Tech firms throughout the world have been particularly vocal about the travel ban, saying that it was "at odds" with their values.