Many are calling the Syrian civil war the worst humanitarian disaster of our time. Millions of refugees have escaped Syria in search of refuge, and millions more are internally displaced, from a conflict that shows no sign of slowing. The global community is struggling to respond effectively to the urgent needs of these profoundly vulnerable people. The experts speaking at this panel will provide a range of perspectives on the Syrian refugee crisis. Panelists will each speak for 10 minutes to provide an overview of the Canadian and European responses, as well as Syria’s neighbours’ responses, then we will be open for questions from the audience.

Nadia Abu-Zahra, School of International Development and Global Studies, University of Ottawa

Jamie Liew, Immigration Lawyer and Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa

Michael Molloy, Part-time Professor, and former Senior Fellow, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Ottawa

Agnieszka Weinar, Marie Curie Senior Research Fellow at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute, Florence and Visiting Scholar at Metropolis international and Center for European Studies, Carleton University.

MODERATOR: Patti Lenard, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Ottawa.