Tackling Global Refugee Crisis

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TACKLING the global problem of uncontrolled migration is emerging as one of the biggest issues of 2016, prompting hundreds of experts to head Down Under for an inaugural world summit.

Up to 300 delegates from across the globe are expected to attend the World Summit on Uncontrolled Migration in Adelaide, South Australia, on March 8 and 9 at the Adelaide Convention Centre.

Delegates will include representatives from NGOs, policy institutes and academics.

More than a million migrants and refugees, mainly from the Middle East and Africa, made their way into Europe in 2015 while many thousands more attempted to cross borders in Asia and the Americas.

Summit convenor Mark Ryan said there was predicted to be between three and eight million refugees headed into Europe in 2016.

He said the next surge of refugees was expected in the coming months as Europe entered spring.

“The scale of the tragedy and the size of the migration into Europe is unprecedented,” Ryan said.

“Refugees fleeing war-torn countries, or simply seeking far better opportunities, will turn to countries that offer a perceived abundance of hope and prosperity.

“The summit will develop effective policies that leaders can use in attempting to solve issues and risks associated with uncontrolled mass migration.”

Ryan said war and civil unrest in Syria and Iraq were not the only factors driving the recent surge in refugees. He said Yemen in the Middle East had more refugees fleeing the civil war there than the numbers of people departing from Syria.

“Then you’ve got the African nations where there’s a lot of turmoil.”

Ryan said many European governments didn’t have policies in place to help them cope with the large influx of refugees.

He said the summit aimed to improve policies to help governments be more humanitarian focused and at the same time give them the border that governments require.

About 20 of the world’s top migration experts, including head of global migration for Price Waterhouse Coopers Julia Onslow-Cole, Director General of the International Organisation for Migration and President of the Migration Policy Institute Europe Demetri Papademetriou will speak at the summit.

“They will help us navigate the conversations around what isn’t working and what changes could be considered for new policies to be developed,” Ryan said.

“When you mix this range of people together we think it will be a very powerful outcome.”

Ryan said Australia was well placed as a hub for global discussion.

“Adelaide, in particular, is seen as one of the safest collaborative high tech environments in the world and has been specifically chosen as the location for this timely World Summit,” he said.

Papademetriou said the summit would involve “robust closed-door workshops with key policy makers and experts to think outside the box and to generate new strategies”

“We have to be rational about the subject – if we do not think hard and have a variety of options then governments will fall,” he said.

More than 200 universities from around the world had been invited to stream sessions from the summit online and be encouraged to evolve the conversation.

Organisers are also expecting major international news teams from media organisations such as CNN, Aljazeera and France 24 in Adelaide for the conference.

Journalists from The Lead South Australia will cover the event and can provide you news content.

Mark Ryan mark@uncontrolledmigration.com