IGC Public Lecture - Refuge: Transforming a broken refugee system

DATE AND TIME: Wednesday 29 March, from 18:30 to 20:00
VENUE: Old Theatre, Old Building, London School of Economics

This event was open to the public. Follow the conversation via #LSErefuge.

Watch a full recording of the lecture here, and listen to the podcast here. 

Presenting their new book on 29th March 2017 at the LSE, Paul Collier and Alexander Betts discussed how the world is facing its greatest refugee crisis since the Second World War, yet the institutions responding to it remain virtually unchanged from those created in the post-war era.

As neighbouring countries continue to bear the brunt of the Syrian catastrophe, European governments have enacted a series of ill-considered gestures, from shutting their borders to welcoming refugees without a plan for their safe passage or integration upon arrival. With a deepening crisis and a xenophobic backlash in Europe, it is time for a new vision for refuge.

Going beyond the scenes of desperation which have become all too familiar in the past few years, Paul Collier and Alexander Betts looked to show that international policy-makers should be focusing on delivering humane, effective, and sustainable outcomes – both for Europe and for countries that border conflict zones. Refugees need more than simply food, tents and blankets, and research demonstrates that they can offer tangible economic benefits to their adopted countries if given the right to work and education.

This event marked the launch of Refuge: Transforming a Broken Refugee System.

For more information, visit the LSE event webpage here or contact Elisabetta Pilati, [email protected].