Alternative ways of settling refugees in third countries have been outlined in a ground-breaking report that comes as the global humanitarian displacement crisis continues to spiral out of control.

The report by migration think tank the Migration Policy Institute says that it is increasingly clear that the traditional approaches to addressing these issues – the ‘durable solutions’ of resettlement, repatriation, and local integration – are not enough to address the huge scale of need.

“The global refugee crisis has become increasingly complex as, for most of the displaced, the circumstances of their displacement severely constrain opportunities to move beyond the confines of refugee status,” the report says.

The report, titled No Way Out? Making Additional Migration Channels Work for Refugees, says the exploration of other legal opportunities whether in first-asylum countries or via migration elsewhere is imperative.

It identifies three broad channels for legal migration: labour, education, and family reunion.

“Although in theory refugees are already eligible to move through many of these channels, in reality pathways are often blocked by practical, technical, and political obstacles,” the report says.

This report explains how governments, international organisations, and other actors can support refugees’ paths to self-sufficiency and stability by ensuring the accessibility of existing opportunities as well as creating new ones.

“Private sponsorship of refugees by individuals, local groups, or faith-based organisations, for example, can bring down costs to the state and accelerate integration outcomes, and has the potential to involve brand-new actors (and sources of finance) in the international protection regime,” it says.

The Washington-based and independent think tank says governments could improve mechanisms to recognise refugees’ skills and qualifications.

“Refugees often face higher barriers to proving their suitability for employment and study than other migrants and investing in improving the speed, scope and flexibility or qualification recognition would benefit both them and the economy,” the report says.

It says governments could increase the supply of work and study opportunities for refugees and provide opportunities for refugees to fill gaps in their own skill profiles that may prevent them from getting jobs.

The researchers also say programs to offer extra settlement channels to refugees must occur at a meaningful scale and not just as pilots. They recommend partnerships between government and the private and not-for-profit sectors along with thorough cost-benefit analyses.

“The innovative use of existing legislation geared towards the mobility of member state nationals under regional cooperation frameworks, meanwhile, offers an alternative approach in countries where traditional protection might be politically sensitive,” the report says.

But the researchers warned there was need to keep in place the guarantees and protections that come with refugee status.

Careful attention also needed to be paid to work conditions to prevent exploitation. And refugees themselves would need to be convinced of the viability of these new pathways because of their own considerable investment in time and money, the report said.

Laurie Nowell
AMES Australia Senior Staff