Today sees the publication by Penguin Allen Lane of Refuge: Transforming a Broken Refugee System, a new book by Alexander Betts (RSC Director) and Paul Collier (Professor of Economics and Public Policy, Blavatnik School of Government).
Europe 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 and damaging gestures. With a deepening crisis and a xenophobic backlash around the world, it is time for a new vision of refuge.
Going beyond the scenes of desperation that have become all too familiar in the past few years, renowned development experts Alexander Betts and Paul Collier break new ground by showing how international policymakers can deliver humane, sustainable results that are better for refugees and host countries. Drawing upon years of research in the field and original solutions that have already been successfully trialled, they outline a compelling vision that can empower refugees to help themselves, contribute to their host societies, and even rebuild their countries of origin.
Refuge reveals how, despite the media focus on the 10% of refugees trying to make it to Europe’s shores, 90% of the world’s refugees live in developing countries, mostly in urban poverty or in camps. In light of this, their eye-opening book situates Europe’s refugee crisis in a global framework, offering a concrete diagnosis for a system that has, for too long, been institutionally broken.
Refuge shows how we can act for both moral and practical purposes in order to deal with the defining challenge of our time.
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