Refugee Admissions and Resettlement Policies

Dear Colleagues,

Global events of the past and present have made the migration of individuals a regular feature of our lives. Driven by conflict, natural disasters, and ethnic and religious discrimination, border crossing for relief is becoming a more frequent occurrence. Though migration is a human right, protected by international law, it remains difficult for those seeking refuge to attain this status. While the West remains a primary resettlement site, refugee admissions have been on the wane in this part of the world. Increasingly, the “Global South” has become the chief hosts of the world’s refugees. Irrespective of where refugees end up, resettlement policies have not kept pace with the needs of a heterogeneous migrant population. Resettlement remains an underfunded endeavor, and the lack of administrative capacity impedes the ability of refugee service providers to attend to client needs. 

Refugee resettlement, like refugee policy, has largely been developed in a piecemeal way. Consequently, migrants in the most need find themselves without the services and supports necessary for long-term integration and well-being. This is especially true for migrants who are not classed as refugees. For example, migrants in the United States who hold temporary protected status (TPS) are safe from removal but barred from obtaining social welfare services unless they meet other requirements. Further, while resettlement assistance is earmarked for refugees, much of this is carried out through social welfare provision, which varies greatly across countries and, in most cases, only provides the most rudimentary of supports. Assistance with other daily living activities is sometimes provided through non-governmental organizations, complicating the matrix of resettlement. While general attitudes toward refugees are sympathetic, tensions surround the resettlement and integration of these peoples into their host countries. 

In this context, this Special Issue seeks papers from a range of disciplines that examine and broadly consider refugee admission and resettlement policies. We welcome a variety of regional, methodological, and disciplinary perspectives that examine the historical and/or contemporary landscape of refugee migration and resettlement, with a special interest in explorations of under-researched policies, groups, or regions. 

Dr. Niambi Carter
Guest Editor

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• migration
• immigration
• asylum/asylee
• refugee
• border
• transmigration
• resettlement
• human rights
• transitional justice
• internally displaced persons