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I. I. Berchin et al.
“Already, one-third of the world’s urban population, about 1 billion people, live
in slums: in poor quality housing with limited clean water, sanitation and education
services. By 2030 it is estimated that this number will rise to 1.7 billion people.
High population densities and high contact rates help to spread disease, while
health and education services are often inadequate. In India, for example, unplanned
urbanization has been associated with the spread of dengue fever” (IOM 2008, p. 32).
The United Nations recognizes migration as a means for many people in vulnerable situations to find better living conditions, and to seek job opportunities, study or
escape conflicts that put their lives at risk, such as terrorism and the effects relating to
climate change and natural disasters. Migration is a major challenge in the twenty-first
century, threatening sustainable development by exposing millions of people.
In 2015, the United Nations implemented the Agenda 2030 for the 17 Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) and its 169 targets. The SDGs represent the continuation
and improvement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), aiming to promote
a holistic and more comprehensive approach for sustainable development, which
establishes indicators and targets that can be measured and implemented with greater
cooperation between organizations and countries around the world (UN 2020b).
To achieve its goals the world community must overcome the obstacles to the
education of all sorts of migrants, including refugees (UNESCO 2016). Within the
reach of SDG 4, regarding quality education, immigrants have access to better opportunities and to achieve other goals such as SDG 1 (No poverty), SDG2 (Zero Hunger),
SDG 3 (Good Health and Well Being). It also contributes to the reduction of gender
inequalities established in SDG 5 and to promote climate change strategies proposed
in SDG 13 (Nicolai et al. 2016). The SDGs address targets and indicators for migration (e.g. SDG 10.7) regarding the goal to reduce inequalities to “facilitate orderly,
safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through
the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies” (UN 2020a).
“Sustainable development is a development that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”
(United Nations General Assembly 1987). This concept is strongly linked to the
quality of life of societies in the face of major changes that impact people’s daily
lives. The literature on sustainability still has a major focus on environmental studies,
while the social and economic dimensions are rarely discussed (Lozano 2008).
By ignoring the human side of migration, governments and civil society are
condemning entire generations of people to a life of misery, segregation, emotional
imbalances and lack of possibilities for the future (Crea 2016). This perverse side
of migration is particularly concerning when about half of any refugee population
consists of children. Which requires additional efforts from the refuge country and
the international community to promote an educational experience of quality for all,
including the challenges imposed by language barriers, social wellbeing, housing
and post-trauma (Hirano 2014).
Universities are important to raise awareness about the difficulties and needs
of refugees, being knowledge-disseminating institutions and key actors in the relationship between society, organizations and governments. Universities also promote
I. I. Berchin et al.
“Already, one-third of the world’s urban population, about 1 billion people, live
in slums: in poor quality housing with limited clean water, sanitation and education
services. By 2030 it is estimated that this number will rise to 1.7 billion people.
High population densities and high contact rates help to spread disease, while
health and education services are often inadequate. In India, for example, unplanned
urbanization has been associated with the spread of dengue fever” (IOM 2008, p. 32).
The United Nations recognizes migration as a means for many people in vulnerable situations to find better living conditions, and to seek job opportunities, study or
escape conflicts that put their lives at risk, such as terrorism and the effects relating to
climate change and natural disasters. Migration is a major challenge in the twenty-first
century, threatening sustainable development by exposing millions of people.
In 2015, the United Nations implemented the Agenda 2030 for the 17 Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) and its 169 targets. The SDGs represent the continuation
and improvement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), aiming to promote
a holistic and more comprehensive approach for sustainable development, which
establishes indicators and targets that can be measured and implemented with greater
cooperation between organizations and countries around the world (UN 2020b).
To achieve its goals the world community must overcome the obstacles to the
education of all sorts of migrants, including refugees (UNESCO 2016). Within the
reach of SDG 4, regarding quality education, immigrants have access to better opportunities and to achieve other goals such as SDG 1 (No poverty), SDG2 (Zero Hunger),
SDG 3 (Good Health and Well Being). It also contributes to the reduction of gender
inequalities established in SDG 5 and to promote climate change strategies proposed
in SDG 13 (Nicolai et al. 2016). The SDGs address targets and indicators for migration (e.g. SDG 10.7) regarding the goal to reduce inequalities to “facilitate orderly,
safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through
the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies” (UN 2020a).
“Sustainable development is a development that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”
(United Nations General Assembly 1987). This concept is strongly linked to the
quality of life of societies in the face of major changes that impact people’s daily
lives. The literature on sustainability still has a major focus on environmental studies,
while the social and economic dimensions are rarely discussed (Lozano 2008).
By ignoring the human side of migration, governments and civil society are
condemning entire generations of people to a life of misery, segregation, emotional
imbalances and lack of possibilities for the future (Crea 2016). This perverse side
of migration is particularly concerning when about half of any refugee population
consists of children. Which requires additional efforts from the refuge country and
the international community to promote an educational experience of quality for all,
including the challenges imposed by language barriers, social wellbeing, housing
and post-trauma (Hirano 2014).
Universities are important to raise awareness about the difficulties and needs
of refugees, being knowledge-disseminating institutions and key actors in the relationship between society, organizations and governments. Universities also promote