ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Alexander Betts - Social scientist
Alexander Betts explores ways societies might empower refugees rather than pushing them to the margins.

Why you should listen

In media and in public debate, refugees are routinely portrayed as a burden. Professor Alexander Betts argues that refugees, who represent a wide spectrum of professional backgrounds, are in fact an untapped resource that could benefit nations willing to welcome them into their economies. 

Betts is the director of the Refugee Studies Centre at the University of Oxford, where he spearheads research on refugee and other forced migrant populations. His book, Survival Migration, explores the predicaments of people who are fleeing disaster yet fall outside legal definitions of refugee status.

More profile about the speaker
Alexander Betts | Speaker | TED.com
TED2016

Alexander Betts: Our refugee system is failing. Here's how we can fix it

Alexander Betts: Gure errefuxiatu sistema ez dabil. Hona hemen nola konpondu.

Filmed:
959,835 views

Milioi bat errefuxiatu iritsi dira Europara, dio Alexander Bettsek, eta "gure erantzuna zinez patetikoa izan da". Bettsek behartutako migrazioa aztertzen du, familiek kanpalekuen, hiriko txirotasunaren eta bidaia ilegal eta arriskutsuen artean egin behar duten aukera. Hitzaldi zorrotz honetan, errefuxiatuekin dugun jokabidea aldatzeko lau modu proposatzen ditu, modu horretan euren etxe berriei berehala ekarpenak egiten has daitezen. "Ez da ezinbestekoa errefuxiatuak koste bat izatea. Gizakiak dira, gaitasunak, talentuak, helburuak dituztenak eta ekarpenak egin ditzakete -- horretan uzten badiegu".
- Social scientist
Alexander Betts explores ways societies might empower refugees rather than pushing them to the margins. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
There are times when I feel
really quite ashamed
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Batzuetan oso lotsatuta sentitzen naiz
00:16
to be a European.
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europarra izateaz.
00:18
In the last year,
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Azken urtean,
00:20
more than a million people
arrived in Europe in need of our help,
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milioi bat pertsona baino gehiago
iritsi dira Europara laguntza beharrean
00:24
and our response,
frankly, has been pathetic.
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eta gure erantzuna
benetan penagarria izan da.
00:29
There are just so many contradictions.
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Kontraesan asko daude.
00:32
We mourn the tragic death
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Negar egiten dugu
bi urteko Alan Kurdi-ren
heriotza tragikoaren aurrean
00:34
of two-year-old Alan Kurdi,
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00:38
and yet, since then,
more than 200 children
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baina, geroztik, 200 haur baino gehiago
00:41
have subsequently drowned
in the Mediterranean.
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ito dira Mediterraneoan.
00:45
We have international treaties
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Nazioarteko itunak ditugu,
00:47
that recognize that refugees
are a shared responsibility,
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iheslariak guztion ardura direla
aitortzen dutenak,
00:50
and yet we accept that tiny Lebanon
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baina onartzen dugu Libano txikiak
00:53
hosts more Syrians
than the whole of Europe combined.
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Europa osoak baino Siriar gehiago
hartzea babesean.
00:58
We lament the existence
of human smugglers,
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Giza trafikatzaileez kexatzen gara
01:02
and yet we make that the only viable route
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baina hori bihurtzen dugu bide bakarra
Europan asiloa eskatzeko.
01:05
to seek asylum in Europe.
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01:08
We have labor shortages,
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Eskulan urria dago,
01:10
and yet we exclude people who fit
our economic and demographic needs
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baina gure behar ekonomiko
zein demografikoak betetzen dituztenei
01:16
from coming to Europe.
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ez diegu Europara etortzen uzten.
01:19
We proclaim our liberal values
in opposition to fundamentalist Islam,
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Gure balio liberalak aldarrikatzen ditugu
Islam fundamentalistaren kontra,
01:24
and yet --
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baina...
01:27
we have repressive policies
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politika zapaltzaileak ditugu,
01:30
that detain child asylum seekers,
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asilo eske datozen haurrak
atxilotzen dituztenak,
01:33
that separate children
from their families,
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umeak beren familiengandik
banatzen dituztenak,
01:36
and that seize property from refugees.
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eta iheslarien jabetzak
konfiskatzen dituztenak.
01:40
What are we doing?
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Zer ari gara egiten?
01:42
How has the situation come to this,
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Nola iritsi gara egoera honetara?
01:45
that we've adopted such an inhumane
response to a humanitarian crisis?
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Nola hartu dugu horrelako jarrera ankerra
krisi humanitario bati erantzuteko?
01:51
I don't believe
it's because people don't care,
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Ez dut uste
jendeari axola ez zaiolako denik
01:53
or at least I don't want to believe
it's because people don't care.
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edo, behintzat,
ez dut hori sinetsi nahi.
01:56
I believe it's because
our politicians lack a vision,
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Arrazoia gure politikarien etorkizun-sen falta
dela uste dut,
02:00
a vision for how to adapt
an international refugee system
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duela 50 urte baino gehiago sortu zen
iheslarientzako nazioarteko babes sistemari
egokitzeko sen falta
02:04
created over 50 years ago
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02:06
for a changing and globalized world.
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mundu aldakor eta globalizatu bat lortzeko.
02:09
And so what I want to do
is take a step back
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Pauso bat atzera eman nahi dut
02:12
and ask two really fundamental questions,
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eta funtsezko bi galdera egin,
02:15
the two questions we all need to ask.
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guztiok egin beharreko bi galdera.
02:18
First, why is the current
system not working?
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Lehena: zergatik ez dabil
oraingo sistema?
02:21
And second, what can we do to fix it?
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Eta bigarrena:
zer egin dezakegu konpontzeko?
02:26
So the modern refugee regime
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Indarrean dagoen
iheslarientzako babes sistema
02:28
was created in the aftermath
of the Second World War by these guys.
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Bigarren Mundu Gerraren ondoren
sortu zuten tipo hauek.
02:34
Its basic aim is to ensure
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Oinarrizko helburua,
estatu batek porrot egitean, edo okerrago,
bere jendearen kontra jartzean,
02:37
that when a state fails,
or worse, turns against its own people,
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herriarentzako tokia bermatzea zen
02:41
people have somewhere to go,
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02:43
to live in safety and dignity
until they can go home.
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babesean eta duintasunez bizitzeko
etxera bueltatu arte.
02:46
It was created precisely for situations
like the situation we see in Syria today.
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Siriakoa bezalako egoeretarako
sortu zen hain zuzen.
02:52
Through an international convention
signed by 147 governments,
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147 gobernuk sinatutako
nazioarteko hitzarmen baten bidez
02:57
the 1951 Convention
on the Status of Refugees,
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(1951ko Iheslarien estatutuari buruzko hitzarmena)
03:00
and an international organization, UNHCR,
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eta nazioarteko erakunde baten bidez (UNHCR),
03:03
states committed to reciprocally
admit people onto their territory
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estatuek hitzeman zuten
beren lurraldean onartuko zituztela
03:08
who flee conflict and persecution.
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gatazka eta jazarpenetik ihesi zebiltzanak.
03:11
But today, that system is failing.
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Baina gaur egun,
sistema hori huts egiten ari da.
03:14
In theory, refugees
have a right to seek asylum.
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Teorian, iheslariek
asilo eskubidea daukate.
03:18
In practice, our immigration policies
block the path to safety.
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Praktikan, gure immigrazio politikek
babesa lortzeko bidea oztopatzen dute.
03:23
In theory, refugees have a right
to a pathway to integration,
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Teorian, iheslariek integraziorako eskubidea daukate
03:27
or return to the country
they've come from.
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edo beren jaioterrira bueltatzekoa.
03:30
But in practice, they get stuck
in almost indefinite limbo.
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Baina praktikan, linbo batean
geratzen dira harrapatuta.
03:34
In theory, refugees
are a shared global responsibility.
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Teorian, iheslariak guztion ardura dira.
03:38
In practice, geography means
that countries proximate the conflict
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Praktikan, geografiak adierazten duenez,
gatazkatik hurbil dauden herrialdeak dira
03:42
take the overwhelming majority
of the world's refugees.
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munduko iheslarien gehiengo izugarria
hartzen dutenak.
03:46
The system isn't broken
because the rules are wrong.
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Sistema ez da hautsi
arauak gaizki daudelako,
03:49
It's that we're not applying them
adequately to a changing world,
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aldatzen ari den munduan modu okerrean
erabiltzen ari garelako baizik,
03:53
and that's what we need to reconsider.
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eta hori da hausnartu behar duguna.
03:56
So I want to explain to you a little bit
about how the current system works.
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Hala, egungo sistemaren funtzionamendua
azaldu nahi dizuet.
04:00
How does the refugee regime actually work?
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Nola funtzionatzen du
sistemak benetan?
04:03
But not from a top-down
institutional perspective,
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Baina ez goitik beherako
ikuspuntu instituzionaletik,
04:06
rather from the perspective of a refugee.
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iheslari baten ikuspuntutik baizik.
04:10
So imagine a Syrian woman.
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Imajinatu Siriako emakume bat.
04:12
Let's call her Amira.
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Amira deituko dugu.
04:14
And Amira to me represents
many of the people I've met in the region.
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Eskualdean ezagutu nuen jendea
irudikatzen du Amirak.
04:19
Amira, like around 25 percent
of the world's refugees,
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Amira, munduko iheslarien % 25 inguru bezala,
04:22
is a woman with children,
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seme-alabak dituen
emakumea da,
04:24
and she can't go home
because she comes from this city
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eta ezin da etxera joan
hiri honetatik etorri delako,
04:28
that you see before you, Homs,
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aurrean daukazuen hori: Homs.
04:30
a once beautiful and historic city
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Noizbait eder eta historiko izandako hiria
orain hondakin azpian dagoena.
04:32
now under rubble.
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04:34
And so Amira can't go back there.
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Amira ezin da hara bueltatu.
04:37
But Amira also has no hope
of resettlement to a third country,
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Baina ez dauka beste herrialde batean
geratzeko itxaropenik ere,
munduko iheslarien %1ak baino gutxiagok
soilik lor dezaketen loteria txartela baita.
04:41
because that's a lottery ticket
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04:42
only available to less than one percent
of the world's refugees.
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04:46
So Amira and her family
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Amirak eta familiak
04:49
face an almost impossible choice.
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ia ezinezkoa den aukera bati
egiten diote aurre.
04:51
They have three basic options.
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Oinarrizko hiru aukera dituzte.
04:54
The first option is that Amira
can take her family to a camp.
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Lehenengoa: Amirak kanpaleku batera
eraman dezake familia.
05:00
In the camp, she might get assistance,
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Kanpalekuan, laguntza jaso dezake,
05:03
but there are very few prospects
for Amira and her family.
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baina ez dago aukera handirik
Amira eta familiarentzat.
05:06
Camps are in bleak, arid locations,
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Eremu latz eta lehorretan
kokatzen dira kanpalekuak,
05:10
often in the desert.
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basamortuan askotan.
05:12
In the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan,
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Jordaniako Zaatari kanpalekuan,
05:14
you can hear the shells
across the border in Syria at nighttime.
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jaurtigaiak entzun daitezke gauean
Siriako mugan zehar.
05:20
There's restricted economic activity.
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Jarduera ekonomikoa mugatuta dago.
05:23
Education is often of poor quality.
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Hezkuntzaren kalitatea baxua da sarritan.
05:25
And around the world,
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Eta munduan,
05:27
some 80 percent of refugees
who are in camps
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kanpalekuetako iheslarien %80 inguruk
05:30
have to stay for at least five years.
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gutxienez bost urtez
egon behar izaten du bertan.
05:33
It's a miserable existence,
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Bizitza tamalgarria da,
05:34
and that's probably why, in reality,
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eta baliteke horregatik izatea
05:37
only nine percent of Syrians
choose that option.
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siriarren %9k besterik ez hartzea
bide hori.
05:41
Alternatively, Amira can head
to an urban area
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Bestela, Amira hiri batera joan daiteke,
05:45
in a neighboring country,
like Amman or Beirut.
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hurbileko herrialde batean.
Amman edo Beirut, esaterako.
05:49
That's an option that about 75 percent
of Syrian refugees have taken.
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Hori da siriar iheslarien %75 inguruk
aukeratutako bidea.
05:54
But there, there's
great difficulty as well.
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Baina bertan ere
zailtasun handiak daude.
05:57
Refugees in such urban areas
don't usually have the right to work.
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Hiri horietan, iheslariek ez dute
lan egiteko eskubiderik izaten.
06:02
They don't usually get
significant access to assistance.
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Ez dute laguntza gehiegi jasotzen.
06:05
And so when Amira and her family
have used up their basic savings,
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Amirak eta familiak
aurrezkiak gastatu ondoren
06:09
they're left with very little
and likely to face urban destitution.
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ezer gutxirekin geratzen dira,
pobrezia larria jasateko arriskuan.
06:14
So there's a third alternative,
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Hirugarren aukera bat dago,
06:16
and it's one that increasing
numbers of Syrians are taking.
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geroz eta siriar gehiago
aukeratzen ari direna.
06:21
Amira can seek some hope for her family
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Amirak familiarentzat
itxaropena bila dezake
06:26
by risking their lives
on a dangerous and perilous journey
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bidaia arriskutsu batean
bizia arriskatuz
06:29
to another country,
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beste herrialde batera joateko.
06:31
and it's that which we're seeing
in Europe today.
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Hori da gaur egun
Europan ikusten ari garena.
06:35
Around the world, we present refugees
with an almost impossible choice
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Mundu osoan, ia ezinezko aukerak
ematen dizkiegu iheslariei.
06:40
between three options:
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Hiru dituzte:
06:42
encampment, urban destitution
and dangerous journeys.
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kanpalekuak, txirotasuna hirietan
eta bidaia arriskutsuak.
06:47
For refugees, that choice is
the global refugee regime today.
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Iheslarien babeserako sistema hori da
gaur egun iheslarientzat.
06:52
But I think it's a false choice.
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Baina aukera faltsua dela uste dut
06:54
I think we can reconsider that choice.
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eta birplanteatu dezakegula.
06:57
The reason why we limit those options
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Aukerak mugatzearen arrazoia zera da:
07:02
is because we think
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uste dugu
07:05
that those are the only options
that are available to refugees,
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horiek direla iheslariek dituzten
aukera bakarrak
07:09
and they're not.
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eta ez da hala.
07:11
Politicians frame the issue
as a zero-sum issue,
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Politikariek «gehiketa zero» emango lukeen
gai moduan azaltzen dute;
07:14
that if we benefit refugees,
we're imposing costs on citizens.
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iheslariei laguntzen badiegu,
herritarrei kostuak inposatuko dizkiegu.
07:18
We tend to have a collective assumption
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Guztiok pentsatu ohi dugu
07:20
that refugees are an inevitable cost
or burden to society.
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iheslariak kostu edo zama saihestezina
direla gizartearentzat.
07:24
But they don't have to.
They can contribute.
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Baina ez du zertan hala izan.
07:26
So what I want to argue
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Aukera-sorta zabaltzeko moduak daudela
eztabaidatu nahi dut,
07:28
is there are ways in which we can
expand that choice set
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07:31
and still benefit everyone else:
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eta, era berean, guztiontzat onura lortu:
07:33
the host states and communities,
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iheslarien helmuga diren herrialdeak,
07:35
our societies and refugees themselves.
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gure gizartea eta baita iheslariak ere.
07:39
And I want to suggest four ways
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Lau modu proposatu nahi ditut
07:41
we can transform the paradigm
of how we think about refugees.
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iheslariekiko dugun iritziaren paradigma
alda dezaketenak.
07:45
All four ways have one thing in common:
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Antzekotasun bat daukate:
07:48
they're all ways in which we take
the opportunities of globalization,
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globalizazioaren, mugikortasunaren
eta merkatuen aukerak
07:52
mobility and markets,
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aprobetxatzeko bideak dira,
07:54
and update the way we think
about the refugee issue.
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baita iheslariekiko
dugun iritzia eguneratzeko ere.
07:58
The first one I want to think about
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Aztertu nahi dudan lehenengo ideia
08:00
is the idea of enabling environments,
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«inguruneak egokitzea» da,
08:02
and it starts from
a very basic recognition
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eta funtsezko onarpen batetik abiatzen da:
08:05
that refugees are human beings
like everyone else,
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iheslariak gizakiak dira,
beste guztiok bezala,
08:08
but they're just
in extraordinary circumstances.
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baina ezohiko egoeran daude.
08:11
Together with my colleagues in Oxford,
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Oxfordeko lankideekin batera,
08:13
we've embarked on
a research project in Uganda
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ikerketa proiektu batean
abiatu nintzen Ugandara
08:15
looking at the economic lives of refugees.
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iheslarien bizitza ekonomikoa aztertzeko.
08:19
We chose Uganda not because
it's representative of all host countries.
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Ez genuen Uganda aukeratu
helmuga-herrialdeen eredu delako.
08:23
It's not. It's exceptional.
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Ez da eredua,
salbuespena baizik.
08:25
Unlike most host countries
around the world,
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Munduko helmuga herrialde gehienetan
ez bezala,
08:28
what Uganda has done
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Ugandak
08:29
is give refugees economic opportunity.
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aukera ekonomikoa eman die iheslariei.
08:32
It gives them the right to work.
It gives them freedom of movement.
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Lan egiteko eskubidea ematen die.
Mugitzeko askatasuna ematen die.
08:36
And the results of that are extraordinary
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Eta emaitzak txundigarriak dira
08:39
both for refugees and the host community.
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bai iheslarientzat bai herrialdearentzat.
08:42
In the capital city, Kampala,
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Hiriburuan, Kampala-n,
08:44
we found that 21 percent of refugees
own a business that employs other people,
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iheslarien %21ak
jendea enplegatzen duen negozio bat dauka
08:49
and 40 percent of those employees
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eta enplegatutako jendearen %40
08:52
are nationals of the host country.
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helmuga herrialdekoak dira.
08:54
In other words, refugees are making jobs
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Hau da, iheslariak lana sortzen ari dira
08:56
for citizens of the host country.
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helmuga herrialdeko jendearentzat.
08:59
Even in the camps,
we found extraordinary examples
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Kanpalekuetan ere
loratzen ari diren negozio bizi eta ekintzaileen
aparteko adibideak aurki daitezke.
09:03
of vibrant, flourishing
and entrepreneurial businesses.
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09:07
For example, in a settlement
called Nakivale,
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Esaterako, Nakivale izeneko kokalekuan
09:11
we found examples of Congolese refugees
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Kongoko iheslariak aurkitu genituen
09:14
running digital music exchange businesses.
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musika digitala trukatzeko negozioak kudeatzen.
09:16
We found a Rwandan
who runs a business that's available
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Ruandar bat topatu genuen,
eta bere negozioari esker
09:20
to allow the youth to play computer games
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gazteek bideo-jokoak erabil ditzakete
09:23
on recycled games consoles
and recycled televisions.
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birziklatutako kontsola
eta telebistetan.
09:28
Against the odds of extreme constraint,
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Muturreko bortxaketaren kontra,
09:31
refugees are innovating,
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iheslariak berritzen ari dira,
09:33
and the gentleman you see before you
is a Congolese guy called Demou-Kay.
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eta aurrean daukazuen gizona
Demou-Kay izeneko kongoar bat da.
09:37
Demou-Kay arrived
in the settlement with very little,
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Demou-Kay ezer gutxirekin
iritsi zen kokalekura,
09:40
but he wanted to be a filmmaker.
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baina zinemagile izan nahi zuen.
09:43
So with friends and colleagues,
he started a community radio station,
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3936
Beraz, lagun eta lankideekin batera,
eskualde irrati bat sortu zuen,
09:47
he rented a video camera,
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bideokamera bat alokatu zuen,
09:48
and he's now making films.
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eta orain filmak egiten ari da.
09:50
He made two documentary films
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Bi dokumental egin ditu
09:52
with and for our team,
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1976
gure taldearekin eta taldearentzat,
09:54
and he's making a successful business
out of very little.
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eta negozio arrakastatsua egiten ari da
ezer gutxitik abiatuta.
09:58
It's those kinds of examples
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Horrelako adibideak dira
10:00
that should guide
our response to refugees.
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iheslariekiko gure erantzuna
gidatu beharko luketenak.
Iheslariak giza-laguntzaren ezinbesteko zama
bezala ikusi ordez,
10:03
Rather than seeing refugees
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10:04
as inevitably dependent
upon humanitarian assistance,
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10:08
we need to provide them
with opportunities for human flourishing.
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aurrera egiteko aukerak
eman behar dizkiegu.
10:12
Yes, clothes, blankets, shelter, food
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Bai, arropa, mantak, aterpea, janaria
10:16
are all important in the emergency phase,
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garrantzitsuak dira larrialdiko fasean,
10:19
but we need to also look beyond that.
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baina harago ere begiratu behar dugu.
10:22
We need to provide opportunities
to connectivity, electricity,
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Konexiorako, argindarrerako eta hezkuntzarako
aukerak eman behar ditugu,
10:26
education, the right to work,
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lanerako eskubidea,
10:29
access to capital and banking.
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kapitalerako eta bankurako sarrera.
10:31
All the ways in which we take for granted
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Ziurtzat jotzen ditugun gauza guztiak,
10:33
that we are plugged in
to the global economy
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munduko ekonomiara lotzen gaituztenak,
10:35
can and should apply to refugees.
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iheslariei aplikatu ahal zaizkie.
10:39
The second idea I want to discuss
is economic zones.
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Aztertu nahi dudan bigarren ideia
«zonalde ekonomikoak» dira.
10:43
Unfortunately, not every
host country in the world
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Zoritxarrez, munduko helmuga herrialdeek
10:46
takes the approach Uganda has taken.
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ez dute Ugandaren irtenbidea jarraitu.
10:48
Most host countries don't open up
their economies to refugees
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Gehienek ez dituzte beren ekonomiak
modu horretan zabaltzen.
10:51
in the same way.
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10:53
But there are still pragmatic
alternative options that we can use.
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Baina baditugu erabil ditzakegun
beste aukera pragmatiko batzuk.
10:59
Last April, I traveled to Jordan
with my colleague,
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Apirilean, Jordaniara joan nintzen
garapenaren ekonomian aditua den Paul Collier-rekin,
11:01
the development economist Paul Collier,
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649720
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11:04
and we brainstormed an idea
while we were there
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eta ideia bat izan genuen
nazioarteko elkartearekin
eta gobernuarekin geundela,
11:07
with the international community
and the government,
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2456
11:09
an idea to bring jobs to Syrians
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657760
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siriarrentzat lana sortzen duen ideia
11:12
while supporting Jordan's
national development strategy.
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eta Jordaniako garapen estrategia nazionala
bermatzen duena.
11:15
The idea is for an economic zone,
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Gune ekonomiko bat sortzea da ideia,
11:19
one in which we could potentially
integrate the employment of refugees
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iheslarientzako enplegua
integra genezakeen gunea
11:22
alongside the employment
of Jordanian host nationals.
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jordaniarren enpleguarekin batera.
11:26
And just 15 minutes away
from the Zaatari refugee camp,
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Eta Zaatari kanpalekutik
15 minutura soilik,
11:30
home to 83,000 refugees,
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83.000 iheslariren bizitokia,
11:32
is an existing economic zone
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badago gune ekonomiko bat
11:34
called the King Hussein
Bin Talal Development Area.
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Hussein Bin Talal Errege
Garapen Gunea izenekoa.
11:37
The government has spent
over a hundred million dollars
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Gobernuak milioi bat dolar
baino gehiago gastatu ditu
11:40
connecting it to the electricity grid,
connecting it to the road network,
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688720
3816
sare elektrikora
eta errepide sarera konektatzeko
11:44
but it lacked two things:
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baina bi gauza falta zaizkio:
11:46
access to labor and inward investment.
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eskulana eta barne inbertsioa.
11:48
So what if refugees
were able to work there
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Eta iheslariek bertan lan egin balezakete,
11:51
rather than being stuck in camps,
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699880
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kanpalekuetan trabatuta egon ordez,
11:53
able to support their families and develop
skills through vocational training
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701720
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familiak mantentzeko eta
lanbide teknikak hobetzeko gai balira
11:57
before they go back to Syria?
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Siriara bueltatu aurretik?
11:59
We recognized that
that could benefit Jordan,
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Igarri genuen Jordaniari
onura egingo ziola,
12:02
whose development strategy
requires it to make the leap
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garapen estrategiak
aldaketa eskatzen baitu
12:04
as a middle income country
to manufacturing.
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2816
diru sarrera ertaineko herrialde izatetik
ekoizle izatera.
12:07
It could benefit refugees,
but it could also contribute
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Iheslarientzat onuragarria izan liteke,
eta Siria berreraikitzea lagundu lezake
gatazkaren ondoren,
12:11
to the postconflict
reconstruction of Syria
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2376
12:13
by recognizing that we need
to incubate refugees
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721920
2776
iheslariei formatzen laguntzea
12:16
as the best source
of eventually rebuilding Syria.
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noizbait Siria berreraikitzeko modu onena
dela onartuz.
12:20
We published the idea
in the journal Foreign Affairs.
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Foreign Affairs aldizkarian
argitaratu genuen ideia.
12:23
King Abdullah has picked up on the idea.
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Abdullah erregeak kontuan hartu du.
12:26
It was announced at the London
Syria Conference two weeks ago,
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Londreseko Siriari buruzko konferentzian
iragarri zen duela bi aste,
12:29
and a pilot will begin in the summer.
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2600
eta udan proba bat jarriko dute martxan.
12:32
(Applause)
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(Txaloak)
12:37
The third idea that I want to put to you
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Aurkeztu nahi dizuedan hirugarren ideia
12:39
is preference matching
between states and refugees
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estatu-iheslari arteko
«lehentasunezko lotura // batasuna» da
12:43
to lead to the kinds of happy outcomes
you see here in the selfie
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emaitza pozgarriak lortzeko,
Angela Merkel eta siriar iheslari honen
argazkian bezala.
12:46
featuring Angela Merkel
and a Syrian refugee.
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12:50
What we rarely do is ask refugees
what they want, where they want to go,
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Nekez galdetzen diegu iheslariei
zer nahi duten, nora joan nahi duten,
12:54
but I'd argue we can do that
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baina egin dezakegula uste dut
12:56
and still make everyone better off.
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eta guztion egoera ekonomikoa hobetu.
12:59
The economist Alvin Roth has developed
the idea of matching markets,
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Alvin Roth ekonomialariak
«bat datozen merkatuen» ideia garatu du,
13:03
ways in which the preference ranking
of the parties shapes an eventual match.
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771800
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non alderdien lehentasunek
azken lotura irudikatzen duten.
13:09
My colleagues Will Jones
and Alex Teytelboym
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Nire lankide
Will Jones eta Alex Teytelboym-ek
13:12
have explored ways in which that idea
could be applied to refugees,
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ideia hori iheslariengan
nola ezar litekeen aztertu dute,
13:16
to ask refugees to rank
their preferred destinations,
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iheslariei eskatzeko
nahiago dituzten helmugak sailka ditzaten,
13:20
but also allow states to rank
the types of refugees they want
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3776
eta baita estatuek nahi dituzten
iheslari motak sailka ditzaten
13:24
on skills criteria or language criteria
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trebetasunei edo hizkuntzari dagokionez
13:27
and allow those to match.
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eta elkar daitezen ahalbidetzea.
13:28
Now, of course
you'd need to build in quotas
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Aurrekontuak finkatu behar dira, jakina,
13:31
on things like diversity
and vulnerability,
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aniztasuna eta sentikortasuna bezalako
arloetan,
13:34
but it's a way of increasing
the possibilities of matching.
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3536
baina bat etortzeko aukerak handitzeko
modu bat da.
13:37
The matching idea
has been successfully used
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Bat etortzearen ideia
arrakastaz erabili da
13:40
to match, for instance,
students with university places,
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5136
ikasleak unibertsitateekin
lotzeko, adibidez,
13:45
to match kidney donors with patients,
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2496
edo giltzurrun emaileak pazienteekin,
13:48
and it underlies the kind of algorithms
that exist on dating websites.
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eta zita webguneetako
algoritmoen oinarria da.
13:52
So why not apply that
to give refugees greater choice?
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Zergatik ez dugu erabiltzen
iheslariei aukera gehiago emateko?
13:55
It could also be used
at the national level,
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Nazio-mailan ere erabil liteke,
13:57
where one of the great challenges we face
257
825392
1984
izan ere, gainditu beharreko
auzietako bat
13:59
is to persuade local communities
to accept refugees.
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3736
tokian tokiko herritarrek
iheslariak onartzea da.
14:03
And at the moment,
in my country, for instance,
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Eta momentuz,
nire herrialdean esaterako,
14:05
we often send engineers to rural areas
and farmers to the cities,
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4176
ingeniariak landara bidali ohi ditugu
eta nekazariak hirietara,
14:09
which makes no sense at all.
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eta horrek ez du inolako zentzurik.
14:11
So matching markets offer a potential way
to bring those preferences together
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4576
Bat datozen merkatuei esker
lehentasun horiek batu ahalko lirateke
14:16
and listen to the needs and demands
of the populations that host
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3936
eta helmuga-herrialdeko beharrak
eta eskaerak entzun
14:20
and the refugees themselves.
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iheslarienekin batera.
14:22
The fourth idea I want to put to you
is of humanitarian visas.
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Aurkeztu nahi dizuedan laugarren ideia
«bisa humanitarioak» dira.
14:27
Much of the tragedy and chaos
we've seen in Europe
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Europan ikusi dugun hondamendiaren
zati handi bat
14:29
was entirely avoidable.
267
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2000
guztiz ekidin zitekeen.
14:32
It stems from a fundamental contradiction
in Europe's asylum policy,
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4096
Europako asilo-politikaren
oinarrizko kontraesan batek eragiten du.
14:36
which is the following:
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1376
14:37
that in order to seek asylum in Europe,
270
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2496
Europan asiloa eskatzeko
14:40
you have to arrive spontaneously
by embarking on those dangerous journeys
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5016
berez iritsi behar duzu,
bidaia arriskutsu batean abiatuta
14:45
that I described.
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1200
(lehen deskribatu ditudanak).
14:47
But why should those journeys be necessary
in an era of the budget airline
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4736
Baina zergatik egin horrelako bidaiak
hegaldi merkeen
14:52
and modern consular capabilities?
274
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2416
eta ahalmen kontsular modernoen aroan?
14:54
They're completely unnecessary journeys,
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2336
Ez dira inolaz ere beharrezkoak
14:57
and last year, they led to the deaths
of over 3,000 people
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3776
eta, aurreko urtean, 3.000 pertsonatik gora
hil ziren horien erruz
15:00
on Europe's borders
and within European territory.
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3480
Europako mugetan eta Europan bertan.
15:05
If refugees were simply allowed
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Iheslariei utziko bagenie
15:07
to travel directly
and seek asylum in Europe,
279
895000
2776
zuzenean bidaiatzea
eta Europan asiloa eskatzea,
15:09
we would avoid that,
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hori guztia ekidingo genuke
15:11
and there's a way of doing that
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1536
eta badago hori lortzeko modua
15:12
through something
called a humanitarian visa,
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2296
«bisa humanitario» izenekoei esker,
15:15
that allows people
to collect a visa at an embassy
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3536
enbaxadetan bildu daitezkeenak
15:18
or a consulate in a neighboring country
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906560
2136
edo ondoko herrialdeko
kontsuletxe batean
15:20
and then simply pay their own way
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1896
eta gero, beren bidaia ordaindu
15:22
through a ferry or a flight to Europe.
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2560
ferryz edo hegazkinez Europara iristeko.
15:26
It costs around a thousand euros
287
914000
1976
Mila euro inguru balio du
15:28
to take a smuggler
from Turkey to the Greek islands.
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3416
trafikatzaile bat hartzea
Turkiatik Greziar irletaraino.
15:31
It costs 200 euros to take a budget
airline from Bodrum to Frankfurt.
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5456
200 euro balio du hegazkin merke bat hartzea
Bodrum-etik Frankfurtera.
15:36
If we allowed refugees to do that,
it would have major advantages.
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924920
3776
Iheslariei baimena emango bagenie,
abantaila handiak ekarriko lituzke.
15:40
It would save lives,
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1280
Biziak salbatuko lituzke,
15:42
it would undercut
the entire market for smugglers,
292
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3936
trafikatzaileen merkatua ahulduko luke
15:46
and it would remove the chaos
we see from Europe's front line
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3336
eta deuseztatuko litzateke
Europatik antzematen den anabasa
15:50
in areas like the Greek islands.
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2056
Greziar irlak bezalako tokietan.
15:52
It's politics that prevents us doing that
rather than a rational solution.
295
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Politikak ez digu hori egiten uzten
konponbide arrazional baten beharrean.
15:56
And this is an idea that has been applied.
296
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2336
Eta aplikatu den ideia da.
15:59
Brazil has adopted a pioneering approach
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Brasilek ikuspuntu aitzindari bat izan du
16:01
where over 2,000 Syrians
have been able to get humanitarian visas,
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4296
non 2.000 siriar baino gehiagok
bisa humanitario bana eskuratu,
16:06
enter Brazil, and claim refugee status
on arrival in Brazil.
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4376
Brasilen sartu eta iheslari estatusa
aldarrikatu duten Brasilera iristean.
16:10
And in that scheme,
every Syrian who has gone through it
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Egitasmo horren baitan,
siriar bakoitzak
16:13
has received refugee status
and been recognized as a genuine refugee.
301
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3960
iheslari estatusa jaso du
eta iheslari zintzotzat hartu dute.
16:18
There is a historical precedent
for it as well.
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Aurrekari historiko bat ere badauka.
16:20
Between 1922 and 1942,
303
968920
3336
1922 eta 1942 artean,
16:24
these Nansen passports
were used as travel documents
304
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3776
Nansen pasaporte hauek
bidaiatzeko agiri moduan erabili ziren
16:28
to allow 450,000 Assyrians,
Turks and Chechens
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5536
450.000 asiriar, turkiar eta txetxeniarrek
Europan zehar bidaia zezaten
16:33
to travel across Europe
306
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1496
eta Europan iheslari estatusa
aldarrika zezaten.
16:35
and claim refugee status
elsewhere in Europe.
307
983160
2760
16:38
And the Nansen
International Refugee Office
308
986520
2736
Eta Iheslarientzako Nazioarteko
Nansen Bulegoak
16:41
received the Nobel Peace Prize
309
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1856
Bakearen Nobel Saria jaso zuen
16:43
in recognition of this
being a viable strategy.
310
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2960
estrategia bideragarria izateagatik.
16:47
So all four of these ideas
that I've presented you
311
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Aurkeztu dizkizuedan lau ideiak
16:50
are ways in which we can expand
Amira's choice set.
312
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3320
Amiraren aukera-sorta zabaltzeko
moduak dira.
16:53
They're ways in which we can have
greater choice for refugees
313
1001920
3256
Horiei esker iheslarientzako aukera hobeak
lor ditzakegu
16:57
beyond those basic,
impossible three options
314
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3816
azaldu dizkizuedan
oinarrizko hiru aukeretatik harago
17:01
I explained to you
315
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1216
17:02
and still leave others better off.
316
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2080
eta beste batzuk
egoera ekonomiko hobean utzi.
17:04
In conclusion,
we really need a new vision,
317
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3376
Hitz batean, ikuspegi berria behar dugu,
17:08
a vision that enlarges
the choices of refugees
318
1016360
2776
iheslarien aukerak zabalduko dituena,
17:11
but recognizes that they
don't have to be a burden.
319
1019160
2536
baina zama ez direla aitortzen duena.
17:13
There's nothing inevitable
about refugees being a cost.
320
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3455
Iheslariak kostua izatea saihestu daiteke.
17:17
Yes, they are a humanitarian
responsibility,
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3255
Bai, giza-erantzukizuna dira,
17:20
but they're human beings
with skills, talents, aspirations,
322
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3616
baina trebetasunak, talentua eta nahiak
dituzten gizakiak dira,
17:24
with the ability to make
contributions -- if we let them.
323
1032119
2681
ekarpenak egin ditzaketenak
-- aukera ematen badiegu.
17:28
In the new world,
324
1036520
1240
Mundu berrian
17:30
migration is not going to go away.
325
1038319
2257
migrazioa ez da desagertuko.
17:32
What we've seen in Europe
will be with us for many years.
326
1040599
2977
Europan ikusi duguna
urte askotarako egongo da gurekin.
17:35
People will continue to travel,
327
1043599
1816
Jendeak bidaiatzen jarraituko du,
17:37
they'll continue to be displaced,
328
1045440
1856
lekualdatuko dituzte
17:39
and we need to find rational,
realistic ways of managing this --
329
1047319
3497
eta hori moldatzeko bide arrazional
eta errealistak aurkitu behar ditugu
17:42
not based on the old logics
of humanitarian assistance,
330
1050840
3016
-- laguntza humanitarioaren
logika zaharretan oinarritzen ez direnak,
17:45
not based on logics of charity,
331
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2096
karitatearen logikan
oinarritzen ez direnak,
17:48
but building on the opportunities
332
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1616
baizik eta globalizazioak, merkatuek eta mugikortasunak
eskaintzen dituzten aukeretan eraikitakoak.
17:49
offered by globalization,
markets and mobility.
333
1057640
3376
17:53
I'd urge you all to wake up
and urge our politicians
334
1061040
3416
Altxatzea eskatuko nizueke,
eta gure politikariak bultzatzea
17:56
to wake up to this challenge.
335
1064480
1856
erronka honen aurrean esna daitezen.
17:58
Thank you very much.
336
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1256
Eskerrik asko.
17:59
(Applause)
337
1067640
8884
(Txaloak)
Translated by Maider Lizoain Cotanda
Reviewed by Jone Aliri

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Alexander Betts - Social scientist
Alexander Betts explores ways societies might empower refugees rather than pushing them to the margins.

Why you should listen

In media and in public debate, refugees are routinely portrayed as a burden. Professor Alexander Betts argues that refugees, who represent a wide spectrum of professional backgrounds, are in fact an untapped resource that could benefit nations willing to welcome them into their economies. 

Betts is the director of the Refugee Studies Centre at the University of Oxford, where he spearheads research on refugee and other forced migrant populations. His book, Survival Migration, explores the predicaments of people who are fleeing disaster yet fall outside legal definitions of refugee status.

More profile about the speaker
Alexander Betts | Speaker | TED.com