The UN has a new refugee chief: Barham Salih is the former president of Iraq. He takes over as high commissioner for refugees in January 2026. Salih may be a surprise pick. The head of UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency, has almost always been a European. Just as rare: The new refugee chief has actually been a refugee.

But does a change at the top really address the power imbalances refugees face in the aid sector? Revisit our series, Power Shift, which puts decision-makers – and those affected by their choices – at the same table.

In this episode, Hafsar Tameesuddin, a Rohingya activist and refugee, speaks to Raouf Mazou, a senior UNHCR official. They talk about passports and privilege, and try to find common ground.

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Power Shift is an experiment in dialogue that puts decision-makers in aid and philanthropy and those affected by their decisions in honest, one-on-one conversations about the aid sector's inequalities.

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Are you or anyone you know interested in participating in future Power Shift conversations? Email us with the subject line 'POWER SHIFT".

No one wants to depend on aid, including refugees | Power Shift (REPLAY)