Open Higher Education for Refugees to Access: Virtual Learning in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Overview & Synopsis

The access to university and the continuation of education for people in refugee situation are investigated herein as from four initial questions: how did COVID-19 find society and this is cause displacement cases?; what is a refugee's situation in the process of the world interruption of face-to-face education?; what are the conditions for refugees to migrate to virtual education?; and what are the actions and responsibilities of international organizations (IOs) concerned with education? The qualitative research of descriptive and exploratory character, with a theoretical approach, made use of a literature survey and of IOs reports in the ambit of education to systematize and to analyze the orientations and their implications in distance learning initiatives for refugees. The importance of university actions and of refugees' participation is verified in decision-making in the context of government public policies, at different levels, bound to agreements and covenants. The emancipatory perspective of education, open to (im)migration, besides palliative policies, is made essential for their access and social integration in the digital educational governance complex.