The pandemic has exacerbated the situation of people on the run; refugee reception has decreased at the same time as the situation in the refugee camps is difficult. Great focus has been on national management, but how are people affected by the pandemic on the run? And how has Sweden responded to the situation?
According to the UNHCR, about 79,5 million people are refugees in the world, of which about 34 million are children. Even before the pandemic, these people often lived in difficult conditions, which with the pandemic have become even worse. In many cases, they live in cramped conditions, have limited access to sanitation and are greatly affected by travel restrictions and closed borders. In 2020, we saw the lowest number of quota refugees in almost two decades (UNRIC) and in Sweden the number of quota refugees decreased from 5 people in 253 to 2019 people in 3 (Migration Board), despite the fact that the number of refugees in the world continues to increase. We will therefore highlight the pandemic's consequences for migration from a global perspective, but also how Sweden has acted and why. During a panel discussion, we will discuss issues such as: How have the conditions for refugees been affected by the pandemic? What long-term consequences can it have? How and why has Sweden's refugee reception changed during the pandemic?
contribute:
Åsa Widell, Secretary General, Sweden for UNHCR
Mikael Ribbenvik, Director General, Swedish Migration Agency
Alan Fresh, Deputy Humanitarian Director, Save the Children
Karin Gyllenring, Lawyer and founder, Asylbyrån
Daniel Silberstein, Investigation Secretary, Delmi
moderator: Donna Hariri, Lawyer.
The conversation is arranged by FUF's local group Stockholm södra and is part of Almedalen 2021's official program. The call does not require a notification and can be found via Almedalen Play, but by signing up, you will receive a reminder 30 minutes before the call starts with a direct link.
