ISFiT: The Refugee System - In need of change?

ISFiT19 presents “The refugee system: In need of change?”, a panel discussion about how to tackle the international challenges related to the growing number of refugees across the globe. Kadafi Zaman, one of Norway’s most prominent journalists, will moderate the panel. To cover this topic, we are welcoming Dr. Evan Atar, a surgeon who helps people who have fled conflicts in South-Sudan, which he won the 2018 Nansen Refugee award for. Joining him is Harald Bauder, an expert on border studies and migration discourse. We have also invited the politicians Johanna Jönsson and Masud Gharahkhani, who are the spokespersons for immigration and integration for the Swedish Center Party, and the Norwegian Labour Party, respectively.

The global refugee system hasn’t changed much since World War II, and experts from both sides of the political spectrum argues that it needs an overhaul. But how can we shape the refugee system in a way that is sustainable for both the people fleeing war and crisis and for the countries taking them in? Is the answer to integrate them in Europe, or should the focus be on restoring their autonomy and independence as third country nationals?