Refugees and their access to education: A sobering reality

There are 70.8 million people who have been forcibly displaced worldwide, as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, or human rights violations. Tens of millions more are on the move, having lost their homes and livelihood due to environmental degradation, natural disasters and climate change. Today’s worldwide refugee and migrant crisis is one of generational significance. It requires both immediate and long-term responses.

We cannot afford to not provide education to migrants and refugees. Without education, they will not be able to live a dignified life in refugee camps, integrate themselves in a new country when resettled, or rebuild their country or region if and when they decide to return.

Refugee children are five times more likely to be out of school than their non-refugee peers. As a result, 3.5 million refugee children of school age are currently not enrolled in school, and only one per cent of refugees will ever enrol in a college or university (Source: UNHCR). Yet, many of the Syrian and Iraqi refugees who have reached developed countries in recent years have already graduated from high school and would greatly benefit from a university education. Some even hold university degrees, which are however not recognized in the host countries, due to bureaucratic hurdles.

We can do something about this — not alone, as single individuals or institutions, but together in a global network: the Refugee and Migrant Education (RME) Network.