UNESCO Qualifications Passport for refugees and vulnerable migrants: a presentation of the project

One of the main obstacles that refugee face when applying for higher education or seeking employment in host countries is a lack of recognition of prior qualifications acquired in their country of origin. Latest UNHCR figures suggest that out of 26 million refugees worldwide, only 3% of eligible candidates have access to higher education. Under such circumstances, the UNESCO Qualifications Passport for Refugees and Vulnerable Migrants (UQP) was launched to support and ensure that refugees have access to higher education and/or labour market. The UQP is meant to ease the burden of both refugees and host countries; it serves as a global tool to support local authorities, create an inclusive environment to facilitate global mobility, and foster a collective sense of “responsibility sharing” in the international community. The UQP is UNESCO’s way to support national education systems in the inclusion of forcibly displaced populations by providing technical assistance for systems strengthening and policy and planning.