The 5th Annual RAW Discussion Panel Investigates the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Refugees.

• According to the UNHCR data, by mid-2020, the number of forcibly displaced people worldwide had surpassed 80 million.
• Approximately, 26.3 million of this population are refugees and 4.2 million are asylum seekers, while 45.7 million are internally displaced.
• According to the current data, developing and least developed countries host a total of 86% of the world’s refugees.
• As shown in the figure below, the number of refugees being resettled has drastically decreased from 63,726 in 2019 to 22, 770 in 2020, the lowest statistic seen in the last five years’ data.

It's common knowledge that COVID-19 has negatively impacted migration worldwide, with a heavier burden faced by refugees who are trapped in harsh environments with little to no hope of being served.

These facts inform the main theme of the 2021 RAW Discussion Panel which revolves around the challenges that refugees have and continue to face amidst the COVID-19 global pandemic.

This year, we will be navigating the impact of travel restrictions, put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on refugee populations.

We are delighted to announce that this year's panelists will be as indicated below.

Panelists:

Maame De-Heer, Policy Analyst at Public Health Agency of Canada, and Clinical Research Analyst at the University Health Network

Emmanuel Gasore, World University Services of Canada - Student Refugee Program (WUSC-SRP) Scholarship recipient, B.A in International Development and Political Science, EJ Contractors proprietor

Christine Mylks, Manager of Overseas Programming, Durable Solutions for Refugees at World University Services of Canada (WUSC)

Akuol Philip, World University Services of Canada - Student Refugee Program (WUSC-SRP) Scholarship recipient, B.A in Business and Technology Management, Masters in Public Policy (Candidate)