Challenges in receiving refugees at the 9th University and Development Cooperation Congress
From 27 to 29 November representatives of the FAS took part in the 9th University and Development Cooperation Congress organised by the University of Alcala under the title of "New Scenarios and Challenges". The congress, meant to be a meeting point for universities from across Spain, seeks to foster the network, knowledge and improvement of international cooperation for development through the treatment of 16 thematic lines focused on areas such as social, economic, green and educational transition.
,0.jpg)
Rosana Carvalho and Safiya Kerchaoui, cooperation and education technicians for global justice, and Jordi Prat, director of the UAB Solidarity Foundation (FAS), attended the 9th University and Development Cooperation Congress and presented a paper focused on the theme of human mobility.
The congress, entitled "New Scenarios and Challenges", was a meeting place for Spanish universities to promote networking, knowledge and improvement in international cooperation for development, through the treatment of 16 thematic lines focused on areas such as social, economic, green and educational transition.
The FAS representatives took part in the session of the strategic line entitled “University and Refuge: advances and challenges in the implementation of academic refuge programmes” with the aim of presenting the diversity of support actions at university, highlighting the strengths, weaknesses and challenges they present.
The analysis was based on an internal review of the UAB Refugee Programme, complemented with a comparison of 24 universities in Spain that have programmes for people with refugee status, as well as a more detailed study of four of them, including the UAB programme managed by the FAS. The data for this session were compiled by Marta Batalla and Xènia Gavaldà, then technical staff of the FAS, and Kateryna Kurochkina, a member of the technical research support staff of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
During their session, the role of universities as safe and legal spaces for people seeking refuge was highlighted, with emphasis on cooperation with entities such as UNHCR, the Red Cross, CEAR or UNICEF. In addition, the challenges faced were discussed and recommendations were proposed in order to carry out the initiative in an optimal manner.
In short, the communication presented was an opportunity to highlight challenges such as: the instability of funding programmes and the lack of medium and long term perspective, the late payment and impossibility to validate previous studies, or the violation of guaranteed rights to asylum in Spain. As for the recommendations, emphasis was placed on the institutionalisation of the programmes and the existence of standardised protocols for action and coordination between the different actors. Finally, the accompaniment and support for socio-academic and labour inclusion, and the fight against social and administrative instability of people seeking refuge were also highlighted.