Higher Education for Refugees: Policies and Practices in the UK, Germany, and France

Introduction

Education plays a key role in assisting refugees in integrating into their new host countries. It provides them with a variety of academic and professional opportunities that can assist them in settling in to their new environment and becoming involved in the local community (Feinstein et al., 2022; Détourbe, 2018; Dryden-Peterson, 2015; Platts-Fowler & Robinson, 2015; McBrien, 2005). Furthermore, it can provide a sense of stability and security, which is particularly important for individuals who have been displaced from their home countries. In particular, higher education is essential for refugees in achieving social mobility and self-realisation. It can open doors to gainful employment opportunities and provide a path to a better quality of life. Refugees can also benefit from education by gaining the skills and qualifications needed to find employment in their new country and support themselves. A pathway to economic independence and security is especially important in this regard (see Arar, 2021; Ramsay & Baker, 2019; Morrice et al., 2019; Dryden-Peterson, 2015).

This study examines higher education policies and practices for refugee students in a selected number of countries: the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. The purpose of this study is to examine the policies and practices in place to identify the opportunities and challenges encountered by refugees during their stay at higher education institutions in the selected host countries. A further focus of this study will be on examining how the policies and practices adopted by the three countries selected are designed to assist refugees to integrate into the host communities. The analysis will be guided by Gidley et al. (2010)’s theory of social inclusion. The United Kingdom, Germany, and France were chosen for the comparison due to their large refugee populations, especially Germany, and their impressive track records of providing refugees with access to higher education. With this study, we seek to contribute to the understanding of current practices in higher education provided to refugees in the selected countries. The main questions addressed in this study are: What policies and practices do the selected countries have in place to provide higher education to refugees; what opportunities and challenges confront refugees seeking higher education; and how these policies and practices contribute to refugee integration.

Comparisons of these selected countries are based on the following themes: qualification recognition and equalization, language requirements, funding and support programmes, and common challenges. Overall, the themes discussed provide interesting insight into how these selected countries differ in terms of their qualifications, financial support, language requirements, and other factors. The unique approaches that each of these countries takes to support refugees further emphasize their individual characteristics. For example, some countries may have a greater focus on qualification recognition and equalization, while others may prioritize language skills. Additionally, the funding and support programmes of the countries also vary, which can have an impact on the opportunities and challenges that refugees face in each country.

For this study, desk research was conducted, and a variety of references were consulted. Among these sources are government reports, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reports, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports as well as academic publications. The authors conducted a literature review on existing policies and practices concerning refugees and their access to higher education and used comparative qualitative methodology for a more in-depth analysis of the data.