“It’s not just the opening doors”: How are diverse voices shaping refugee access to higher education?
- Mir Abdullah Miri, University of Bath
- Holly Rooke, University of Sheffield
- Corinne Squire, University of Bristol
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Worldwide, only around 7% of refugees attend university, despite the financial, psychological, social, and career benefits it offers. Recognising these benefits, UNHCR has set a target of 15% of refugees accessing higher education (HE) by 2030. Drawing on interviews with participants from refugee backgrounds, universities, Further Education colleges, NGOs and local authorities, this research explores the barriers and possibilities for refugees’ access to HE in the UK, with a focus on the south-west region. Findings highlight how increasingly hostile immigration policies, rigid academic systems, and resource shortages combine to restrict access to HE, while also documenting the growing expertise and support offered within some sectors. It calls for coordinated, transformative action to remove systemic barriers and build a socially just, refugee-centred approach, including enhanced financial support, alternative entry pathways, and transparent institutional accountability. View the full report and policy briefing here.
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Mir Abdullah Miri is a refugee scholar with a PhD in English Language Teaching and pursuing a second PhD in Refugee Education at the University of Bath, where he is also a lecturer in the Department of Education. His extensive research and advocacy are dedicated to improving educational access and equity for refugees, migrants and people in crisis and challenging contexts.
Holly Rooke is an interdisciplinary researcher and doctoral candidate at the University of Sheffield. Her research focuses on the urban governance of asylum and city-making practices of people who have been forcibly displaced. She previously worked in the third sector in homelessness and refugee support services, as well as in local government policy.
Corinne Squire is Chair in Global Inequalities in the School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol. Her research interests are in refugee education, HIV and citizenships, and narrative theory and practice.