E.g., 04/19/2024
E.g., 04/19/2024
Refugees & Resettlement

Refugees & Resettlement

_RefugeeResettlement

The world has millions of refugees who are unable to go home or unwilling to do so in the face of persecution. Resettlement to a third country is considered for only a fraction of refugees, those whose conditions are so perilous or whose needs cannot be met in the country where they first sought protection. Only a small number of states take part in UNHCR resettlement programs—among them the United States, Australia, Canada, the Nordic countries, and increasingly some countries in Europe and Latin America. The research here examines refugee protection and resettlement policies.

Recent Activity

EgyptianWoman BenPiven Flickr
Articles
January 10, 2018
Middle Eastern and North African Immigrants in the United States
By Mattea Cumoletti and Jeanne Batalova
Airport protest
Articles
December 20, 2017
Under Trump Administration, United States Takes Steps to Narrow Legal Immigration
By Julia Gelatt
Coverthumb_TrumpatOne
Policy Briefs
December 2017
Immigration under Trump: A Review of Policy Shifts in the Year Since the Election
By  Sarah Pierce and Andrew Selee
Social Innovation on Refugee Inclusion
Multimedia
November 16, 2017
Social Innovation for Refugee Inclusion: Maintaining Momentum and Creating Lasting Change
Rohingya refugees
Articles
December 19, 2017
Surge in Violence Against Myanmar's Rohingya Spurs World's Fastest-Growing Refugee Crisis
By Jeffrey Hallock
South Sudanese refugee girl
Articles
December 14, 2017
As Displacement Becomes Long-Term, Refugee Hosts Grapple with New Normal
By Brian Salant
Syrian family on a plane
Articles
December 13, 2017
In Wake of Cuts to U.S. Refugee Program, Global Resettlement Falls Short
By Susan Fratzke
AfghanRefugees ZsuzsannaGal UNHCR
Articles
December 12, 2017
Increased Focus on Forced Return of Migrants and Asylum Seekers Puts Many in Peril
By Kathleen Newland and Brian Salant

Pages

Feature
July 1, 2005
Ethiopians Who Survived the Famine: A Repatriation Success Story

In the early 1990s, Ethiopians who had been living in refugee camps in Sudan began to return home. As Laura C. Hammond of Clark University explains, they created a new community in an unfamiliar part of Ethiopia that is thriving 12 years later.

6.05_uganda
Feature
June 1, 2005
Surrounded: Women and Girls in Northern Uganda
The ongoing conflict between the government and a rebel army has displaced the majority of Northern Ugandans. Women and girls are particularly vulnerable, as MPI's Erin Patrick reports.
Feature
May 1, 2005
The U.S. Refugee Program in Transition

In addition to post-September 11 security concerns, the U.S. is dealing with less predictable refugee flows. David Martin of the University of Virginia School of Law reports.

Feature
April 1, 2005
Assessing the Tsunami's Effects on Migration

Asia’s tsunami will have an enduring impact on diaspora groups and immigration policy, write Frank Laczko and Elizabeth Collett of the IOM.

Feature
January 1, 2005
The Hague Program Reflects New European Realities

MPI's Joanne van Selm analyzes the EU's latest effort to guarantee rights, protect refugees, and regulate migration flows and borders.

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Recent Activity

Articles
January 10, 2018

Middle Eastern and North African Immigrants in the United States

In 2016, nearly 1.2 million immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region lived in the United States. MENA immigration has picked up in recent decades, owing to war and worsening economic prospects. This article offers the latest data on the MENA population in the United States, which is more likely to come via humanitarian routes and less likely via family reunification than the foreign-born population overall.

 

Articles
December 20, 2017

Under Trump Administration, United States Takes Steps to Narrow Legal Immigration

During its first year, the Trump administration methodically put in place a series of bureaucratic barriers that could significantly reduce opportunities for foreigners to come to the United States legally. Among the actions taken during 2017: Imposition of a much-challenged travel ban suspending the entry of nationals from certain Muslim-majority countries, cuts to refugee admissions, and increased scrutiny for visa applicants.

Policy Briefs
December 2017

Immigration under Trump: A Review of Policy Shifts in the Year Since the Election

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump made immigration the centerpiece of his campaign, offering a more detailed policy agenda than on any other issue. In the year since the election that propelled the Republican into the White House, how has the Trump administration’s record matched up with the rhetoric? This policy brief examines the executive orders and other changes to existing policy and practice made during 2017.

Audio
November 16, 2017

Social Innovation for Refugee Inclusion: Maintaining Momentum and Creating Lasting Change

Following the arrival of large numbers of migrants and asylum seekers in Europe from 2015 onwards, many nontraditional actors—from tech start-ups to social enterprises—pioneered solutions to foster the social and economic inclusion of newcomers. This conference reflects on how innovations for refugee inclusion can grow beyond pockets of good practice and inspire large-scale, long-term change.

Articles
December 19, 2017

Surge in Violence Against Myanmar's Rohingya Spurs World's Fastest-Growing Refugee Crisis

More than 630,000 Rohingya refugees had crossed into Bangladesh from Myanmar during the last quarter of 2017, fleeing targeted violence by the Burmese military. This displacement, resulting from what the United Nations called a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing," marked the world's fastest-growing refugee crisis. Its speed and scale have challenged governments and aid organizations to effectively respond.

Articles
December 14, 2017

As Displacement Becomes Long-Term, Refugee Hosts Grapple with New Normal

Millions of displaced people were unable to return home in 2017, and countless others found themselves newly displaced. Targeted violence in Myanmar caused more than 624,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh, and conflict in South Sudan drove at least 668,000 abroad. Some first-asylum countries, such as Uganda and Turkey, were largely accommodating, while others, such as Jordan and Lebanon, pressured refugees to leave.

Articles
December 13, 2017

In Wake of Cuts to U.S. Refugee Program, Global Resettlement Falls Short

The global refugee resettlement landscape changed dramatically in 2017, as the United States began to step back from its role as global leader on resettlement. The Trump administration reduced the 2018 refugee admissions ceiling to the lowest level since the program began in 1980. While other countries increased their commitments or launched new programs, this was not enough to make up for the gap left by the United States.

Articles
December 12, 2017

Increased Focus on Forced Return of Migrants and Asylum Seekers Puts Many in Peril

Governments on the receiving end of migrants and refugees reinforced their commitment to returns in 2017, sending or coercing migrants to move back to impoverished or violent homelands. The Dominican Republic pushed out some 70,000 Haitians and native born of Haitian descent, while more than 500,000 Afghans left Iran and Pakistan. Though many of these migrants chose to return, in practice the line between forced and voluntary returns is blurry.

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