Europe ‘failing to take advantage of medical skills’ at its disposal, says higher education expert
Politicians and higher education institutions should be prioritising recognition of refugees’ qualifications in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the European University Association’s director of higher education policy has said.
Institutions have been telling the EUA they do not have time to respond to its survey on researchers at risk, while politicians have closed the EU’s borders, despite the presence of refugees needing to cross them, Michael Gaebel wrote in an opinion article published on 24 April.
This lack of consideration for the needs of refugees presents risks, Gaebel wrote, including that refugee camps could become “breeding grounds for communicable diseases”, and that refugees who could help tackle the pandemic are not being utilised.
“Refugees and those in refugee-like situations bring with them skills, qualifications and experience,” he said. “Recognition of their qualifications and employment can support their integration and enable them to contribute to their host country.”
Regions that have turned to refugees, such as Saxony in Germany, have recruited thousands of medical professionals from their ranks. It’s a win-win, Gaebel wrote, arguing for the more widespread use of a European Qualifications Passport for refugees, which would help governments identify those with specialist skills.
Such an approach could also reduce crowding in refugee camps and forestall the spread of Covid-19 in them, he suggested.
“Accelerated integration measures would not only mitigate such risks but also open new opportunities for the individual refugees and their host societies.”