11.Q. Round table: Supporting migrants and ethnic minorities in crises through inclusive emergency policies and actions
Authors:   Organised by: Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (Finland), Uppsala University (Sweden), Koç University (Turkey),   Chair persons: Esperanza Diaz (Norway)
Published: October 2023

Background

During Covid-19, it was evident that crisis preparedness and response measures did not sufficiently consider the needs and living context of refugees and other migrants, and ethnic minorities. While not all persons belonging to these groups had greater challenges during Covid-19 compared with majority populations, they were more likely to experience social and health disadvantage and barriers to accessible and reliable risk communications. Many European countries are currently documenting the lessons learnt during Covid-19 and developing national strategies for better consideration of persons in vulnerable situations in future crises. This workshop brings together academics, experts working with crisis preparedness and response, and other relevant stakeholders, to avoid national silo-learning and to promote knowledge and capacity building across countries. The workshop links to Pillar 2 of the outcome statement from the WHO high-level meeting on migration and health held in March 2022, which calls for implementing inclusive emergency and disaster risk reduction policies and actions.

Objectives

The main objective is to promote capacity building and knowledge exchange among academics, crisis preparedness and response experts, and other relevant stakeholders on strategies for reducing shared vulnerabilities of refugees and other migrants, and ethnic minorities in future crises. The workshop will also stimulate a discussion on the need and feasibility of developing joint European guidelines.

Format

The format is roundtable. The workshop will start with brief presentations by the panelists from Finland, Sweden, and Türkiye on the key latest scientific research, policies and programmes developed at the country level aiming at reducing vulnerabilities of refugees and other migrants, and ethnic minorities in future crises situations based on the lessons learnt during Covid-19. These will be followed by a brief overview by a WHO representative on WHO's outcome statement's Regional Plan Pillar 2. These short presentations will stimulate an interactive moderated discussion among the panelists. Discussion will focus on the best way forward for building synergies in cross-country capacity building. The necessity and feasibility of compiling European level guidelines for reducing vulnerabilities of refugees and other migrants, and ethnic minorities in future crises situations will also be discussed.

Added value

The workshop will allow for knowledge exchange on country-level initiatives, which will facilitate capacity building across countries. The workshop will allow countries to exchange information on relevant planned, ongoing, and completed activities at the national level, which will bringing the countries out of their national silos. The interactive discussion will also focus on identifying strategies for continuing capacity building and cross-country collaboration in crisis preparedness and response.

Key messages

• Inclusive emergency and disaster risk reduction policies and actions that consider refugees and other migrants, and ethnic minorities are imperative for ensuring societal security as a whole.

• Knowledge and capacity building across European countries is needed to build synergies and to avoid national silos in developing crisis preparedness and response measures.

Speakers/Panelists

Natalia Skogberg

National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland

Soorej Jose Puthoopparambil

Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

Ilker Kayi

Koc University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey

Jozef Bartovic

WHO/Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark