A moment of pride for Syria, and a powerful message to the world. 🇸🇾 Today, at his very first Executive Committee (ExCom) session as @Refugees the UN Refugee Agency High Commissioner for Refugees, @BarhamSalih chose to highlight the words of Syria’s Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management, @RaedAlSaleh3 , in front of a room filled with ministers, ambassadors, and senior government officials from around the world. ExCom is one of the most important forums in the international refugee system, where governments discuss refugee protection, oversee UNHCR’s work, and make decisions that influence the lives of millions of displaced people. In the concluding part of his address, the High Commissioner said: “His message was simple: when we speak about refugees and displacement, we should do so with humility. None of us knows who may be forced to flee tomorrow, or who may be called upon to offer refuge.” What makes this moment particularly powerful is the person behind those words. Minister Raed Al-Saleh knows displacement not only through his responsibilities in government, but through his own lived experience. A man who spent years in displacement camps is now helping lead the enormous task of rebuilding Syria and creating the conditions for others to return home. For years, Syria has been at the centre of international discussions about displacement, humanitarian crises, and refugee protection. Today, it is equally important that Syrian voices, experiences, and institutions help shape the international conversation about recovery, return, and solutions. There is something deeply meaningful about seeing a Syrian leader’s experience and words resonate at this level, especially as Syria works to rebuild after so many years of suffering. Proud of this moment, and of Minister Raed Alsaleh #UNHCR #ExCom2026 #RefugeeProtection #RefugeeReturn

In June, @AfD MP René Springer stood in the German Bundestag and spoke about foreigners supposedly “shaking their balls in Shisha bars” while living on welfare. Recently the AfD wins around 44% in Saxony-Anhalt and continues to register unprecedented wins in other part of Gemenay, their anti refugees and migrant rhetorics has big part into this win. So perhaps a small accounting exercise is useful. Germany currently has 7,330 professionally active doctors of Syrian nationality, according to the German Federal Medical Association. If we use a modest estimate of around 30 patient contacts per doctor per working day, that would mean 220,000 patient contacts every working day. Conservatively, More than 50 million patient contacts a year. Now the interesting part. According to Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research, training a doctor in Germany costs the state more than €200,000. So what would it cost Germany to produce 7,330 doctors from scratch? More than: €1.46 BILLION. In other words, Germany received a medical workforce from the state of Syria alone that would cost it more than €1.46 billion to reproduce from scratch. And based on an average gross salary of €90,000 (meaning about €660 million in annual wages) and after applying Germany’s current income-tax plus employee and employer social-security contribution rates, those doctors now generate an estimated: ~€400 MILLION every year in taxes and social-security contributions. So the balance sheet looks roughly like this: 7,330 working Syrian doctors. More than €1.46 billion to train the same number from scratch in Germany. More than 200,000 patient contacts every working day. More than 50 million patient contacts every year. ~€400 million in estimated taxes and social-security contributions every year. And that is Syrian doctors alone. Not doctors from Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine or dozens of other countries. Not nurses. Not pharmacists. Not engineers. And this still excludes the many thousands of other refugees working across Germany, paying taxes, running businesses and keeping parts of the economy moving. Are all refugees working and perfectly integrated? Obviously not. There is plenty to debate about why, what has failed, individual responsibility, and what governments could do better. Have that debate. But if we are going to keep a balance sheet, perhaps use both columns. Because some German politicians seem remarkably good at calculating the cost of refugees. The contribution column? Strangely, the calculator keeps breaking. #Remigration #Refugees @Refugees @Tino_Chrupalla @natalie_pawlik @Rasha_nasr_

Mark Carney’s speech at #Davos was powerful one of those moments where one feels genuinely proud to be Canadian. It was bold, clear eyed, and unapologetic; a speech that didn’t hide behind comfort or nostalgia, but instead called things exactly as they are. That kind of honesty, especially on a global stage, is strength. And it’s something we don’t show often enough. Having worked with many politicians and policymakers over the years, it has always pained me how slow and reluctant #Canada can be. We’re respected as polite, educated, reasonable but rarely as daring, decisive, or bold. Too often, that same caution shows up in our leadership. That’s why this speech matters. It felt like a shift in mindset. A reminder that we don’t have to choose between values and strength that we can be principled and powerful, cooperative and confident. I try to stay neutral and grounded in my advocacy work, and I’ll continue to do so. But no one including me can ignore or downplay a speech like this. Credit where it’s due. Huge kudos to PM Carney for delivering something this honest and this strong. I hope this way of thinking becomes part of a new Canadian future not just in Ottawa, but among the people. A Canada that earns respect for itself and its people not only for being kind and educated, but for being courageous, serious, and willing to lead. cbc.ca/news/politics/mark-ca…

It’s sad that so many dictatorships today seem to fall only with the involvement of major powers. Still, my heart is with my many of my #Venezuelan friends today. After years of pain, seeing the dictator finally fall and be arrested along with his wife — brings real hope. I truly wish this moment leads to the future they’ve long dreamed of, where they can safely return, rebuild, and visit their country again. From #Syria with love!

HC for @Refugees with lived experience for the first time in history after the first ever HC for the organization! #ByRefugees