The Wealth of Refugees: How Displaced People Can Build Economies

Centre for Health and Wellbeing across the Lifecourse presents…  
 
Open Lecture: The Wealth of Refugees with Professor Alexander Betts  

We live in an age of displacement. Refugee numbers are increasing due to a proliferation of fragile states, and this problem will be exacerbated by climate change and the impact of COVID-19. And yet, rising populist nationalism has undermined the political willingness of rich countries to accept migrants and asylum seekers. Given these contradictory trends, how can we create sustainable refugee policies that enable displaced people to live in safety and dignity, while operating at scale? 

The Wealth of Refugees argues that the key lies in unlocking the potential contributions of refugees themselves. Refugees bring skills, talents, and aspirations and can be a benefit rather than a burden to receiving societies. Realizing this potential relies upon moving beyond a purely humanitarian focus to fully include refugees in host-country economies, build economic opportunities in refugee-hosting regions, and navigate the ambiguous politics of refugee protection. 
 
Alexander Betts is Professor of Forced Migration and International Affairs, William Golding Senior Fellow in Politics at Brasenose College, and Associate Head (Doctoral and Research Training) of the Social Science Division, at the University of Oxford. 

His research focuses mainly on the political economy of refugee assistance, with a focus on Africa. He is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, was named by Foreign Policy magazine in the top 100 global thinkers of 2016, and his TED talks have been viewed by over 3 million people.  

For joining instructions, please register HERE 
 

This event is one of many lively sessions at the Brunel Research Festival in May. Explore the full programme at brunel.ac.uk/BRF