GETTING TEACHER MIGRATION & MOBILITY RIGHT
that flows are particularly strong between countries sharing a common language and within certain regional corridors. Unlike in other models, forced migration finds schools and governments in a reactive posture. Rather than recruiting teachers from abroad, they are responding to an influx for which they are often ill prepared. However, the examples profiled in this section make clear that, even under dire circumstances, teachers are eager to contribute to recovery and resettlement efforts. Forced migrant teachers from Syria, Burma, and Ecuador have self-organised in different ways in order to play constructive roles despite substantial structural obstacles.
Survey Highlights Of the 1,358 respondents who rated their motives for migrating, 144 cited instability, political upheaval, and natural disaster among the top three reasons for going abroad, although only 91 said it was a major factor. Of the latter, 19 were from Spain, 12 from Colombia, nine from Jamaica, seven from the Philippines and six from the United States, all countries that have experienced economic retrenchment, suggesting that economic factors are a strong incentive to migrate. Smaller numbers were from Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru, Lebanon, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
Forced migration context The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that an average 23,000 people became forced migrants every day in 2012. The total number of 45.2 million displaced persons includes a record high 7.6 million displaced within the past year. About one in four (10 million) were stateless, and more than half resided in countries with a GDP per capita under $5000. Forced migrants are most likely to move to a neighbouring country, so the global south hosts 80 per cent of this population, with the three largest refugee populations found in Pakistan, Ethiopia, and Kenya.104 The number of forced migrants is expected to rise significantly in the coming years.105 The 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees define who is a refugee, their rights (not to be returned to the country they fled) and the legal obligations of states. Countries that ratified the 1951 Convention are expected to “respect the right to asylum through the creation of national legislation” but they are not compelled to offer asylum. Thus, the right to asylum and determination processes differs by country. Teachers may have unique motivations to seek asylum, especially where political violence targets education
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UNHCR, Global Trends 2012: Displacement, 2012. Penson et al., “Beyond the Commonwealth Teacher Recruitment Protocol”, 2011.
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