Many people flee across borders because of a lack of food, water and security. Others have been pushed to leave by conflict, violence, environmental degradation and climate change, or the effects of human-made and natural disasters. They all deserve international protection, but the global response to their plight remains deeply flawed.
In many cases, refugee crises become entangled in the politics of both the host and refugee-sending states. When refugee populations threaten the political or territorial integrity of a state, host governments may curtail refugee protection measures to deter their arrival. This is especially likely if refugees share the ethnic or religious characteristics of a local population that is already in conflict, as was the case when Kosovar Albanian refugees fled to Macedonia in the 1990s.
Hospitality towards migrants is a core national value in many countries, but even welcoming governments can reach a tipping point when their publics are frustrated by the scale of displacement and unable to understand its underlying causes. This can lead to scapegoating and manipulation, as well as a sense that the situation is permanent rather than temporary.
To prevent this from happening, the U.S. government should invest in better refugee integration and support community-based organizations that help refugees build their own solutions to their complex problems. It should also investigate and prosecute trafficking gangs that profit from the exploitation of refugees, and put people’s safety first. World leaders should also end the false narrative that refugees are a threat to national security, and combat all forms of xenophobia and discrimination.
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