- Global displacement hits record level as misinformation about refugees rises
- Video released by UNSW's Kaldor Centre offers practical, research-based steps to respond
- Resource published ahead of World Refugee Day to support informed discussions
As misinformation continues to distort public understanding of refugee issues, a new video from UNSW's Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law offers timely and practical help.
Knowing when and how to respond to misinformation can be challenging. In Australia, concern about the spread of false narratives is the highest in the world - around 74% of us consider misinformation to be a major threat.
At the same time, harmful myths about refugees and migration are increasingly entering the public conversation, as the number of forcibly displaced people worldwide reaches a new record. According to the UN, up to 123 million people have been forced to flee their homes - that's roughly equivalent to the population of Japan, and 40% are children.
To support informed and constructive conversations about refugee issues, UNSW's Kaldor Centre, in collaboration with the Behavioural Insights Team, developed a practical framework to guide people on how to handle misinformation and stop its spread.
Using evidence-backed strategies from the framework, the video is designed to empower individuals, educators, and community leaders to share facts about refugees and migration. It highlights key principles and techniques for countering false information effectively, including:
- When and how to 'prebunk' - recognising and resisting misinformation before it takes hold
- When and how to 'debunk' - exposing and correcting false claims
- Reframing the agenda with trusted, relatable stories centered on shared values and solutions
The Director of UNSW's Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, Professor Daniel Ghezelbash, said the video was a timely, easy-to-follow resource that met a growing need for guidance in a complex information environment.
"We all need to fight misinformation in our conversations about refugees and migration," Prof. Ghezelbash said. "But sometimes we struggle to find the right response. This framework takes the guesswork out of it."
The techniques in the framework and video can also be applied more broadly to other public debates including climate issues, health and conflict.
Watch the full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkrG2FkkhHI
Read the research: Countering misinformation about refugees and migrants - an evidence based framework
