Episode 157: The Refugee Crisis, Economic Integration and the Canadian Case Study with Lori Wilkinson

The International Risk Podcast

The International Risk Podcast is a weekly podcast for senior executives, board members, and risk advisors. In these podcasts, we speak with experts in a variety of fields to explore international risk. Our host is Dominic Bowen, Head of Strategic Advisory at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms. Having spent the last 20 years successfully establishing large and complex operations in the world's highest-risk areas and conflict zones, Dominic now joins you to speak with exciting guests from around the world to discuss international risk.
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The UN estimated there to be around 110 million displaced people worldwide; among these are around 36.4 million refugees. We are currently in the midst of a refugee crisis, spurred on by a rising number of people fleeing persecution, violence, and human rights violations caused by the negative effects of climate change and disasters need international protection. In 2022, 84% of refugees and asylum seekers fled nations particularly vulnerable to climate change, compared to only 61% in 2010. According to the UNHCR, 76 per cent of the world's refugees and others in need of international protection are housed by low- and middle-income countries, particularly countries that neighbour those where the refugees are from. The risks facing refugees are vast, from being displaced in some cases for years at a time, to facing rampant discrimination when seeking safety in another country; and yet we do not get the full picture through the news. In order to help us unpack this vast topic, we are thrilled to be joined by Lori Wilkison.

Lori Wilkinson is a professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology at the University of Manitoba. Her research centres on the economic and social outcomes of immigrants and refugees, with a special focus on women and youth. Her current projects include a national study of the pandemic arrival experiences of Afghan refugees, gender-based violence and newcomer women in Canada, international students and their perceptions of university and life in Canada, and the pandemic outcomes of Indigenous peoples and newcomers in Canada, USA and Mexico. She currently holds a Canada Research Chair in Migration Futures. In 2023, she was awarded Distinguished Professor at the University of Manitoba. For over a decade, she has served as the director of Immigration Research West, a multidisciplinary group of over 100 members who work together to educate Canadians about the contributions of newcomers. She volunteers with several international, national and local community organisations who are working toward the successful resettlement of newcomers.