Assessing the Criteria for Equality of the Right: Refugees’ Higher Education from the Perspective of Human Rights

Abstract

With the Syrian refugee crisis, the subject of refugees’ access to HE, which was only partially funded owing to donor reluctance, was prominently covered in the news, with concepts such as preventing the lost generation, resilience, reconstructing countries, and education as a human right. With the Ukraine crisis, the issue of supporting the higher education of refugees came to the fore again. By 2030, the UNHCR plans to have 30 per cent of refugees enrolled in HE. Although primary education is a right guaranteed by international agreements, equality of refugees’ right to higher education depends on some criteria. Through document analysis, this paper aims to examine the criteria for equality of the right to access to higher education in the context of human rights. International regulations, UNHCR’s education strategies and country policies are examined. Data were categorized into four groups as equality of the right and equal opportunities: success, legal statuses, state’s institutional support and donor support. The policies of Canada, Germany, Turkey and the United Kingdom are examined. Addressing refugee higher education within the scope of human rights only supports the availability of the service. Success and legal status are the criteria for ensuring the equality of the right. The access to higher education right and the provision of financial support only to recognized refugees will create inequality for groups such as asylum seekers who are not legally refugees. The support of countries and donors are necessary to ensure equal opportunities for refugees to access higher education. Furthermore, refugees’ access to higher education can be seen as a long-term and global strategy that should be supported by economic and social reasons.