In a recent Foreign Affairs essay, Alexander Betts argues that now is the time for Europe to reset how it treats refugees in the wake of the exodus of Ukrainians fleeing their country after Russia’s invasion.
“The discrepancy in the treatment of refugee populations is contrary to the spirit of international refugee law, which upholds the right of refugees to seek asylum anywhere in the world without discrimination,” writes Betts.
Forced displacement “will be a defining challenge of the twenty-first century everywhere. That reality has profound implications for how Europe aids refugees,” writes Betts, who is a s Professor of Forced Migration and International Affairs at the University of Oxford and author of The Wealth of Refugees: How Displaced People Can Build Economies.
“The continent can no longer act just as a distant donor of humanitarian and development aid; now, it must develop the capacity to welcome large numbers of refugees, no matter where they are from.”
Click here for his column.
The Immigration and Refugee News Digest 