Managing the refugee and migrant crisis: The role of … · Global Crisis Centre Globally, according to UNHCR, one person in every 122 is now either a refugee, internally displaced

Managing the refugee and migrant crisis:The role of governments, private sector and technology

Organisations today face more frequent crises – and the impacts of those crises are becoming more significant.

Global Crisis Centre

Globally, according to UNHCR, one person in every 122 is now either a refugee, internally displaced or seeking asylum¹. This represents an increase of over a third in the last five years.

As the number of refugees continues to rise and even though an immediate resolution seems unlikely in the near future, it is crucial for governments, non-government organisations and the private sector to work together to find solutions. But how can they address the underlying drivers of migration?

The first task is to understand these drivers. War is clearly not the only one: there are other push and pull factors to migration as well.

Push factors include the numerous reasons why migrants might choose or need to leave their homes. This includes humanitarian concerns (including conflicts), overpopulation and destruction of the local environment, wage stagnation or job scarcity.

These differ from pull factors, which are reasons for which migrants might decide to migrate to a certain country, region, or city. They include work opportunities, benefits, ease of travel, the possibility of permanent settlement and the opportunity to reconnect with family and community networks.

These factors are often created inadvertently by governments. However, the same governments also often directly address and try to minimise pull factors, namely by tightening border controls, cutting benefits, restricting settlement opportunities and working rights.

What can governments do?Migration policy inevitably requires effective coordination at the local, national and international levels, as well as between governments, NGOs and the private sector players. This is most evident in Europe, as governments strive to harmonise national and EU-wide migration policy.

However, areas such as common border policies and security cooperation have often been reactive rather than proactive.

National governments can take action to reduce push and pull factors that drive unmanaged migration in the first place, as well as manage the current crisis, both within and at their borders, but this is not without challenges. Figure 1 shows the

complex issues that governments need to tackle, not only to manage the flow of people but also to integrate migrants when they arrive.

One approach to reduce push factors is to invest in the creation of sustainable livelihoods at the source of conflicts and economic malaise, so as to help create opportunities and decrease unmanaged migration in the first place. Governments can also forge quid pro quo bilateral or multi-lateral agreements, such as the 2016 EU-Turkish agreement to stem the flow of migrants into the EU.

To address the technical challenges, governments and the private sector need to work together to enable the linking up of systems, or perhaps create a new, centralised, all-encompassing database on asylum seekers, immigrants and visitors. Breakthroughs in biometrics—finger printing, facial recognition and iris scanning – are increasingly playing a key role in identity verification, border controls and tracking. For example, Smart Borders is a European Commission initiative to modernise and more efficiently manage the EU’s external borders through innovative technologies. While, some countries, such as Spain and Portugal are testing biometric screening systems at border control points which match facial biometrics against those on travel documents, with additional provision for fingerprinting.

But there is more to the technological play than the legal and protective side. There are smart phone applications for meeting a number of basic needs for displaced persons. For example, apps focusing on safety, fundraising, aid, housing, healthcare, jobs matching etc provide solutions and the breaking up of societal silos in order to reduce cost and pressure on the welfare system of the recipient society. In essence, it helps refugees start their new life and integrate.

To address pull factors, governments should be able to better detect illegal migrants, quickly process their asylum applications and return migrants that are not granted asylum. One of the incentives for unmanaged migrants is the knowledge that the EU’s return system – meant to return unmanaged migrants or those whose asylum applications have been refused – is not infallible. Governments need to take further measures to strengthen security at borders, as well as better track the entry and exit of migrants across borders.

Currently, more than 80% of all refugees live in communities (and not in remote refugee camps) and cities, often in crowded conditions, sometimes working informally and so running the risk of being exposed to exploitation. So to enhance the positive potential impacts – both societal and economic – and mitigate the risks associated with evolving global migratory flows, individuals, technology, private sector and governments must work together to help resolve these complex issues and challenges and give a strong collaborative response.

Figure 1: The challenges Europe faces are complex

Successfully caring for and resettling migrants1

Differentiating between genuine asylum claims and economic migrants2

Integrating new migrant arrivals into society3

Assessing the infrastructure and ability of the accepting countries to deal with the number of refugees and migrants

4

Securing funding for humanitarian aid and assistance provided upon arrival5

Protecting borders and ensuring the security of nationals in the context of unmanaged migration and increasing threats from terrorism

6

Developing innovative and advanced technology to help respond more quickly and effectively to the situation on the ground, in real time

7

Responding to the refugee crisis in a way that preserves the values and legitimacy of the EC and its member states

8

1 http://www.unhcr.org/558193896.html

Contacts

For further information, or if you would like to arrange a discussion on how the refugee management framework can help you, please contact your local PwC partner. Alternatively, do not hesitate to contact:

George Alders Global Government Security Network Lead Partner, PwC Netherlands

Melanie Butler Global Crisis Centre Lead Partner, PwC UK

T: +31 88 792 32 85 E: [email protected]

Wim Wensink Global Government Security Network Driver PwC Netherlands

T: +31 88 792 33 15 E: [email protected]

T: +44 (0)20 7804 5158E: [email protected]

Ray Jackson Global Crisis Centre PwC UK

T:+44 (0)7790 554806 E: [email protected]

Julia Onslow-Cole Global Immigration Lead Partner, PwC UK

www.pwc.com

This publication has been prepared for general guidance on matters of interest only, and does not constitute professional advice. You should not act upon the information contained in this publication without obtaining specific professional advice. No representation or warranty (express or implied) is given as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this publication, and, to the extent permitted by law, PwC does not accept or assume any liability, responsibility or duty of care for any consequences of you or anyone else acting, or refraining to act, in reliance on the information contained in this publication or for any decision based on it.

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161213-175203-KK-OS

T: +44 (0)20 7804 7252E: [email protected]

Nadia IdriesGlobal ImmigrationPwC UK

T: +44 (0)20 7212 6017E: [email protected]