6- Educación y refugio (Rafael Soler)

Título original: "Educación y refugio: el papel de las instituciones de educación superior como espacios seguros de integración para las personas refugiadas ".
Esta ponencia fue presentada por Rafael Soler (Universidad La Salle, México) el 22 de enero de 2021, durante la 2ª sesión dedicada a las "Soluciones duraderas en Latinoamérica" de la VII Conferencia Latinoamericana sobre los refugiados, organizada por el Comité Helsinki Húngaro, con el apoyo del ACNUR, como parte de la Iniciativa RELATE (Refugee Law Teaching Support).
English summary:
The La Salle University in Mexico provides an inclusive space for refugees in the context of higher education. As a result, refugees feel a sense of belonging and active members of the society while getting access to education. The main obstacles that refugees face when accessing higher education are the lack of economic resources and not being able to transfer their previous studies to the host university; as well as administrative requisites to register, and challenges regarding cultural integration. In this sense, the role of the university is to be an access path so that migrants can enter regularly (for example, by granting scholarships that will entitle them to enter with a student visa). The university can also joint its efforts in the fight against xenophobia as an active player, and also incorporate courses on the benefits of multiculturalism. In turn, the university benefits from the fact of being a multicultural and inclusive space. To achieve this objective, the university needs to duly train their staff and sensibilize and raise-awareness among the student body. In the long-term, refugees who access higher education will be empowered citizens who will contribute both culturally and economically to the host society.