How can we achieve a world without long-term refugee camps?

The number of forcibly displaced people around the world reached a staggering 110 million in May 2023. Nearly half of all internally displaced people (IDPs) and 20% of the world’s refugees live in camps as default. Despite a growing body of evidence that living in cities creates better levels of wellbeing as well as more economic opportunities, many host governments require refugees to live in camps. This hybrid IIED Debates event brings together three leading thinkers to reflect on the possibility of a world without long-term refugee camps. Join us online or in-person to discuss how can we disrupt the current system that incentivises the building of camps. What are the political and institutional barriers to a change in approach by the international community and hosting governments? What evidence could help to dissuade decision-makers from establishing camps in the first place, or for keeping them open once a displacement crisis has become protracted? Join us in-person in London and online to discuss.