Christine Schraner Burgener, Switzerland’s state minister for migration, has visited refugee camps around the world and has come to the conclusion that many are unfit for refugees. Some have become permanent settlements, creating conditions for smuggling, human trafficking, forced prostitution, drug dealing, and murder.
“I know camps are really not ideal,” Schraner Burgener, who is campaigning to become the next U.N. high commissioner for refugees, told Devex. “And honestly, if I get the position, my vision would be to close the camps.”
Backed by Switzerland, Schraner Burgener is one of 13 candidates from around the world who have formally entered the race to succeed the UN Refugee Agency’s Italian high commissioner, Filippo Grandi, when he steps down at the end of the year. If selected by U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, Schraner Burgener would be the fourth Swiss national to lead the organization — and only the second woman.
About the author
Colum Lynch
Colum Lynch is an award-winning reporter and Senior Global Reporter for Devex. He covers the intersection of development, diplomacy, and humanitarian relief at the United Nations and beyond. Prior to Devex, Colum reported on foreign policy and national security for Foreign Policy Magazine and the Washington Post. Colum was awarded the 2011 National Magazine Award for digital reporting for his blog Turtle Bay. He has also won an award for groundbreaking reporting on the U.N.’s failure to protect civilians in Darfur.
