In this webinar, Christopher Cowan examines the growing role of refugee finance within the European Union and its implications for international protection. As financial pressures linked to refugee flows increase, the EU and its Member States have begun to adopt financial instruments supported by private capital, aimed at promoting integration primarily through employment and education. Drawing on four case studies across the EU, the presentation traces the evolution of these approaches - from early social impact bonds (SIBs) to more recent instruments focused on micro-finance. These tools are often presented as innovative solutions to support integration by expanding access to labour markets and education, but their actual impact remains under-explored.
The seminar will critically assess these claims while situating refugee finance within broader EU policy frameworks, including the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+). It will also reflect on an ongoing mapping of financial instruments across the EU, highlighting their operational models and practices.More broadly, the webinar raises important questions about the implications of an emerging economically framed model of protection, where access to rights and support may increasingly depend on individuals’ economic contributions. The discussion will offer a timely and critical perspective on the intersection between migration governance, finance, and international protection.
About the speaker
Christopher Cowan is a doctoral candidate at the Lund Faculty of Law, working on the ERC-funded project Refugee Finance: Histories, Frameworks and Practices (REF-FIN), directed by Daria Davitti. He holds an LL.M. in International Human Rights Law from Lund University and his research focuses on asylum and migration, finance and development, human rights, and gender and queer perspectives.