A milestone for refugee access to higher education
On 19 November a major milestone was reached for the recognition of refugees’ qualifications when ministers of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) concluded the ministerial meeting hosted by Italy by adopting a communiqué welcoming the European Qualifications Passport for Refugees and supporting its use in their systems.
This significant acknowledgement of the results achieved since the Council of Europe project was launched in 2017 is a hopeful move when it comes to refugees and higher education.
The latest UNHCR figures relating to the period before the COVID-19 pandemic show that only 3% of eligible refugees have access to higher education globally, whereas about 63% of all refugee children are enrolled in primary level school and 24% are enrolled at secondary level.