REAL Blog

By Kay A. Izumihara

Peer Reviewed by REAL Members

On March 27, 2024, Refugee Education Advancement Lab (REAL) and No Lost Generation (NLG) of the George Washington University (GWU) partnered with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to host 23 teenagers and young adults ages 16-24 with refugee backgrounds to a day of college mentorship. The event aimed to bring high school students, youth, and out-of-school youth who have resettled in the United States from other countries to navigate educational and career trajectories. This blog captures the reflections from different perspectives from planning to execution, and provides implications for further action by students and the wider educational institution. 

The planning and execution of the event involved undergraduate and graduate students, staff, alumni, and faculty, as well as their connected networks. Megan Ward applied her unique positions as a GWU graduate student, REAL co-lab leader, and a Youth Success Specialist at the IRC as the lead organizer of the event. With the concept of merging research and action in mind, Megan took advantage of IRC’s season of college tours to add GWU to the list and engage students to initiate a mentorship event. Within a month of the event, REAL leaders, alumni and new members rapidly assembled an agenda, solidified roles and responsibilities, and finalized the itinerary for the big day. Guidance on various needs such as linguistic, social, and cultural awareness were provided to all volunteers. Event worksheets were translated into Swahili, Turkish, Pashto, Dari, Haitian Creole, Kirundi, and Shona to accommodate students’ linguistic diversity. Many participants were also observing Ramadan, which required mindfulness of planning energy conservation activities.

On the day of the event, IRC participants met REAL volunteers at GWU’s Admissions Office and toured the campus which concluded at the Elliott School of International Affairs. There, participants engaged in a stand-up-sit-down icebreaker activity, a video presentation of professionals from refugee backgrounds in the U.S., Imagining Your Future small group session with REAL facilitators, Finding Your Place on Campus presentation by NLG and Closing Remarks by REAL Faculty members. As a concluding event, students participated in a Career Fair made up of 12 professionals from various career fields from engineering to social work. “The vision was allowing them the opportunity to step out of their comfort zones, have access, and envision themselves in these places of higher education….Looking around (the career fair), they are talking to strangers about their goals, (and) they don’t know it, but they are networking!…My heart is full,” said Megan.

Another volunteer reflected on the career fair, “Everyone was so engaged and interested (in the activities)! I was surprised how many students went straight to the IT table during the career fair and stayed there the entire time!”  Some feedback for areas of improvement included a greater planning timeline to generate more options regarding career fair participants, room reservations and planning outside major holidays. Second, a better understanding of participants’ interests to tailor recruiting professionals from targeted career fields would be more beneficial for the career fair. Last, space infrastructure may have impacted small group sessions which could be mitigated in the future.

Photos from top left clockwise: 1. Campus tour, 2. Imagine your Future Activity led by members of REAL 3. Small group activity, 4 & 5. Participants at the career fair.

Reflections

As a first-year graduate student at The George Washington University’s M.A. in International Education Program, I volunteered to arrange the campus tour which gave me a chance to connect with resources and explore the university myself. I was also new to the field of international education and the REAL, so I felt this was a great way to get involved and start networking with like-minded people within the university and in my local community. Although I have experience working with many people from across the globe throughout my life, this was my first event engaging with resettled youth from refugee backgrounds in an educational setting. Having enrolled in GWU’s Education in Emergencies course and learning about refugee education from multiple perspectives, guest lectures, and assigned readings for class, this event brought to life the human-centered aspect of all the aforementioned didactic coursework. To me, it transformed the term “refugee” into real people, not a subject or case study. Participants were eager to ask questions, engage in all the activities, take photos and videos, and have fun. Some required prompting while others had their goals set. A young participant shared he wants to start his own clothing and shoe brand business, another participant stated he wants to become a software engineer, and another participant stated she wants to be a lawyer. I realized they are just like me in some ways and unique in other ways. I look forward to contributing more to REAL and exploring my interests in the field of international education throughout my studies.

Implications for future advocacy in higher education for refugee students

The Day of College Mentorship event has greater implications for advocating for access to higher education for people from refugee backgrounds.

According to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR, 2023), at mid-2023, approximately 110 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide, out of which only 463,500 refugees were resettled or repatriated. In 2022, about 25,519 refugees were admitted to the U.S., out of which 44% were children under 18 years old (Gibson, 2023). The process of resettlement for refugees is lengthy and takes about two years from the time a refugee is recommended to arrival to the U.S. Once in the U.S., the refugee receives 3 months of governmental support before being expected to integrate and be fully “self-sufficient” (UNHCR, 2024). Globally, only about 37% of all refugee children are enrolled in secondary school, and only 7% are enrolled in a college or university (UNHCR, 2024).

In the U.S. most refugees who pursue postsecondary education arrive as international students and obtain a F-1 visas, which makes it difficult to differentiate from other types of international students. Open Doors estimated approximately 5% of all international students in the U.S. during the 2022-2023 academic year were made up of refugee or students facing displacement (Bhandari et al., 2023). Research studies show that higher education can benefit refugee students in many ways, including better access to labor market, better jobs, increased social integration, and increased psychological health and well-being (Berg et al., 2021).

At the higher education level, efforts to support students with refugee backgrounds are gaining momentum. The Welcome Corps on Campus is a recent initiative calling on campus communities to help refugees seek resettlement in the U.S. while pursuing higher education. Launched by the U.S. Department of State in 2023 and implemented by a consortium of organizations with expertise in higher education and refugee resettlement, partners include Every Campus a Refuge (ECAR), National Association of System Heads (NASH), Presidents’ Alliance, World University Service of Canada (WUSC), and Institute of International Education.

NASH Refugee Resettlement Initiative Program Lead, Olivia Issa, who is also a founding member and alum of REAL, contributed to Dr. Bernhard Streitwieser, Katharine Summers, and Jessica Crist’s recent book, “Accessing Quality Education: Local and Global Perspectives from Refugees,” highlighting the resettlement experiences of refugees in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. She has been working with current REAL leaders, the George Washington University campus community, and larger Washington D.C. community to garner support to join other universities within the consortium of universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area who have pledged support toward Welcome Corps. Having GWU join this sustainable movement to welcome newcomers while leveraging its campus ecosystems would bring the REAL mission to a full circle from its inception to current dialogue on bridging research and action efforts.

References

United Nations Refugee Agency. (2023, October 24). Refugee Data Finder. unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/

Gibson, I. (2023). Annual Flow Report: Refugees and Asylees: 2022. Office of Homeland Security Statistics, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. 2023_0818_plcy_refugees_and_asylees_fy2022.pdf (dhs.gov)

USA for United Nations Refugee Agency. (2024). Refugee Facts: Refugees in America. Refugees in America | USA for UNHCR (unrefugees.org)

USA for United Nations Refugee Agency. (2024). Refugee Facts: Refugee Statistics. Refugee Statistics | USA for UNHCR (unrefugees.org)

United Nations Refugee Agency (2023, October 13). UNHCR reports progress in refugee education; tertiary enrolment rate hits 7 percent. UNHCR reports progress in refugee education; tertiary enrolment rate hits 7 per cent | UNHCR

Bhandari, R., Esaki-Smith, A., Wagner, L., & Feldblum, M. (2023). Do you know who your refugee students are? Mapping and understanding displaced students on U.S. campuses. Do you know who your refugee students are? Mapping and understanding displaced students on U.S. campuses. – Presidents’ Alliance (higheredimmigrationportal.org)

Berg, J., Grüttner, M., Streitwieser, B. (2021). Introduction: Refugees in Higher Education—Questioning the Notion of Integration. In: Berg, J., Grüttner, M., Streitwieser, B. (Eds.) Refugees in Higher Education. Higher Education Research and Science Studies. Springer VS, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-33338-6_1

Every Campus a Refuge (2024). Home – EVERY CAMPUS A REFUGE®

President’s Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. (2023, September 6). Welcome Corps on Campus: Building Sustainable Pathways for Refugee Students. Welcome Corps on Campus: Building Sustainable Pathways for Refugee Students – Presidents’ Alliance (presidentsalliance.org)

National Association of Higher Education Systems (NASH) (2024). Welcome Corps on Campus. Welcome Corps on Campus – NASH

Welcome Corps on Campus (2023). The Welcome Corps expands to Facilitate Sponsorship of Refugee Students by Campus Communities and Higher Education Institutions. Announcement_Welcome-Corps-on-Campus.pdf (welcomecorps.org)

By O. Abiola Akintola

Peer Reviewed by REAL Members

On September 23, 2023, I conducted an email interview with Dr. Koen Leurs, an Associate Professor in Gender, Media and Migration Studies at Utrecht University’s Graduate Gender Program in the Department of Media and Culture, and author of the recently released book, “Digital Migration” (SAGE Publications Limited).

According to Dr. Koen Leurs, Digital Migration Studies is “an emerging interdisciplinary research area, where people from various disciplines research migration in relation to questions of digitalization and datafication. Migration developments in this work are seen as mutually co-constitutive with technological developments.” Subject matter within the field runs the gamut from the use of the internet by diaspora communities, to the use of surveillance and identification tools by governments, to the design of solutions to provide education, job training and other types of assistance to migrants. During his youth in the town of Grave, Netherlands, Dr. Leurs befriended several migrants living in a nearby center for those seeking asylum. The migrants were using mobile phones and email (to keep in contact with family and friends overseas) well before Koen and his non-migrant friends did. These memories provided important context later when he and other academics throughout Europe researched the use of ICT during the “European Refugee Crisis” of 2015-2016. It is this research that served as the catalyst for Digital Migration Studies as a distinct field of educational study.

Dr. Leurs’ book “seek[s] to provide a critical, analytical assessment of how migration and digitization might construct and perpetuate unequal power dynamics, while also integrating social justice viewpoints to propose potential alternatives. The aim of the book is to look inside the black box of migration governance and management…[as this] process is becoming increasingly opaque as a result of machine-based and datafied processes of decision making.” For considerations of length and clarity, here are excerpts from the interview:

O. Abiola Akintola: While Migration Studies has been an academic concentration in Western schools since the 1980s, you and your colleagues tend to focus on the “European refugee crisis” that started around 2015-2016 as the catalyst for Digital Migration Studies. What distinguishes that event from other major migration events? And why do you also tend to refer to that event with hints of cynicism?

Dr. Koen Leurs: Despite Arjun Appadurai’s call over 25 years ago for researchers to explore the connections between migration and digital technologies (in his book Modernity at Large, published in 1996), it took a considerable amount of time for academics to heed this call. It wasn’t until the ‘European refugee crisis’ in 2015–2016 that scholarly interest began to surge beyond specialists. The emergence of a new research agenda during this geopolitical event highlights the prevalent eurocentrism within digital migration research. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has drawn significant scholarly interest, particularly in the global north. “Diversification and decolonisation” in the words of Claire Moran “very few studies within the Digital Migration Studies field are written by non-Western scholars”, for example there is “very little research that engages with African case studies” (2022, p. 14).

…I refer to the 2015-2016 situation as the “so-called European refugee crisis” to imply a critical perspective on the framing and portrayal of the situation is necessary.

My aim of the term “so-called” serves three purposes: 1) It challenges the mainstream or widely accepted narrative of a “crisis” to highlight that the issue is structural and multifaceted and not just a sudden, acute problem. It is a political decision to manage mobility as a crisis rather than for example an opportunity for addressing Europe’s shrinking labor people [because of] aging populations. 2) The term prompts readers to question the language used to describe the situation and to consider the implications of labeling it as a “crisis.” Under the heading of crisis, often unconventional solutions are considered, which in the case of asylum seekers and refugees has commonly resulted in the suspension of basic human rights. 3) With the term I also would like to suggest that the framing of a “crisis” is influenced by certain perspectives, policies, and media portrayals, urging a critical reevaluation of how the situation is depicted how it impacted on public perception and policymaking.

O. Abiola Akintola:  The COVID pandemic of 2020 served as another catalyst, this time for the rest of the world. Since then, telework, distance learning and other kinds of remote, ICT-based activity are commonplace. Since many migrant communities were already ahead of the curve technology-wise, how was/is their use of ICT impacted by that time frame?

Dr. Koen Leurs: For the Netherlands Institute of Advanced Studies, I recorded a pop-up lecture on Digital Intimacy, and what we can learn from how migrant’s maintain presence across distance through digital technologies, which became a necessary skill for most resulting from restrictions during the COVID pandemic period, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdvH77sHnNM

O. Abiola Akintola:  From a global perspective, which technology-driven efforts or resources have proven to be the most effective in providing education to refugee students? What do you believe are some of the most important points to consider when designing technology-delivered learning to refugee populations?

Dr. Koen Leurs: …Broadly speaking, from a global standpoint, several technology-driven efforts have proven effective in providing education to refugee students. Online platforms offering interactive learning modules, mobile applications designed for language learning and skill development, and access to open educational resources (OERs) have demonstrated success in delivering education to displaced populations. Moreover, virtual classrooms, live streaming, and educational content accessible through low-bandwidth technologies have significantly contributed to remote learning for refugee students.

When designing technology-delivered learning for refugee populations, several crucial points should be considered: 1) Accessibility and Inclusivity: Design platforms that are accessible across various devices, considering factors like limited internet connectivity and language barriers. Ensure inclusive design for people with disabilities. 2) Cultural Relevance: Tailor content to be culturally sensitive and relevant to the diverse backgrounds and experiences of refugee communities. 3) Support and Training: Offer guidance and support to both students and educators on how to use and navigate [technology] effectively. Additionally, providing training on digital literacy is crucial. 4) Privacy and Security: Safeguard personal data and ensure the security of the technology to protect the privacy of users, considering the vulnerability of refugee populations. 5) Community Engagement: Involve the local community in the design and implementation process to understand specific needs, preferences, and challenges faced by the refugee population. 6) Sustainability and Long-Term Solutions: Implement solutions that are sustainable in the long run, considering the evolving needs of displaced populations and their access to resources. 7) Flexible Learning Approaches: Offer versatile and adaptable learning methods to accommodate various learning paces and styles, allowing for self-paced learning where feasible. By integrating these considerations into the design and implementation of technology-driven education, initiatives can better address the diverse needs and challenges faced by refugee populations, ultimately enhancing the effectiveness and impact of educational resources provided to them.

Most importantly we should be cautious of digital solutionism, standalone technological interventions do not offer solutions to cure structural inequalities or vulnerabilities.

O. Abiola Akintola:  You started working on your book before the uptick in the interest and use of artificial intelligence (AI). You made a few references to AI, but with the current race to harness and regulate the technology, where do you see its future role in refugee-related issues, particularly policy and education?

Dr. Koen Leurs: As a response to the challenges of global displacement, “digital inclusion” and data innovation” programmes are high on the agenda of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR, 2022a, 2022b). Most of all the trend of rolling out and testing of AI’s to manage, govern and surveil refugees – commonly outside of public view – is worrying me (Molnar, 2020). Its future role in refugee-related issues, especially concerning policy and education, seems promising yet complex. Technology is poised to play an increasingly pivotal role in refugee-related policies, aiding in the management of migration flows, enhancing access to essential services, and facilitating communication between refugees and authorities. Moreover, in education, technology can offer innovative solutions, providing access to remote learning and resources. However, challenges persist, and technological innovation sometimes leads to overlooking attention for basic needs, alongside including the need for equitable access to technology among refugees, addressing digital literacy gaps, and ensuring that policies consider the diverse needs of displaced populations to harness technology’s potential more effectively. Balancing regulation to safeguard refugees’ rights and privacy while fostering technology’s positive impact will be a critical aspect of its future role in shaping policies and educational opportunities for displaced communities.

O. Abiola Akintola:  Do you have any predictions for the future of migration and the role of ICT in it?

Dr. Koen Leurs: I hope that in dialogue with academics, civil society, activists, policy and practitioners ICT will play a role in humanizing migrants, particularly refugees, which has not necessarily been the case in recent years.

O. Abiola Akintola:  Which academics and/or professionals do you consider your peers/colleagues in the realm of digital migration studies?

Dr. Koen Leurs: I traverse various academic networks and communities because digital migration cannot be understood properly from one single disciplinary perspective. I have for example learned a lot from colleagues involved in IMISCOE (International Migration Research Network) founded in 2004; the Diaspora and media working group (DIM), established in 2005 as part of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR), the Diaspora, Migration and the Media section (DMM), established in 2007 as part of the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA) and STS Mig-Tec, established in 2019 for scholars working in science and technology studies (STS), migration, security and border studies.

1: For further reading, see: https://www.switchboardta.org/resource/what-works-to-improve-digital-inclusion-among-resettled-refugees/

References

Molnar, P. (2020). Technological testing grounds: Migration management experiments and reflections from the ground up. EDRi and the Refugee Law Lab. Retrieved from: https://edri.org/our-work/technological-testing-grounds-border-tech-is-experimentingwith-peoples-lives/

Moran, C. (2022). The ‘connected migrant’: A scoping review. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 1–20. Online first: https://doi.org/10.1177/13548565221090480

UNHCR (2022a). Digital Inclusion Programme. Geneva: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Retrieved from: www.unhcr.org/innovation/digital-inclusion/

UNHCR (2022b). Data Innovation Programme. Geneva: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Retrieved from: www.unhcr.org/innovation/

By: Oummou Diallo, 07/23/2024

Peer Reviewed by REAL Members

Disclaimer: This entry contains descriptions of distressing events and mentions a suicide attempt. Reader discretion is advised.

What began as a birthday celebration in Milan, Italy, and Ticino, Switzerland quickly morphed into a stark reminder of the deeply entrenched inequalities and hypocrisies that persist in the so-called developed world. In societies with a colonial legacy, colonizers and colonized alike, learning frameworks often reinforce power dynamics and stereotypes, shaping leaders who may unconsciously perpetuate injustices. The way we educate our future leaders and decision-makers directly influences their worldviews, empathy, and ability to address global challenges. When our schooling systems fail to offer a comprehensive, decolonized perspective, they perpetuate harmful stereotypes, reinforce power imbalances, and hinder progress towards true global equity. This experience has only solidified my belief that decolonizing education is not just important—it is essential for dismantling the structures of injustice that continue to ripple through our global society.

My ability to speak Italian, a skill I had developed more out of passion than practicality, became an unexpected lifeline when my friend and I found ourselves entangled with the Italian police. The officers’ visible shock at hearing fluent Italian, especially from a Black woman, spoke volumes about the pervasive stereotypes that still plague even the most progressive societies. Nelson Mandela once said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” This quote resonates deeply with me, as language is the roadmap to a culture and a catalyst for global citizenship that fosters empathy and understanding.

After my friend was taken to the station for what appeared to be identity theft, I headed to the police headquarters to inquire about her status. My day, which had already started off on the wrong foot, took an even worse turn when I arrived at the immigration office division of the police headquarters. There, the true extent of the Global North’s hypocrisy came into sharp focus. The events I witnessed were nothing short of dehumanizing—desperate foreigners, seemingly from the Global South, struggling against a system designed to exclude and marginalize them. Someone was unpacking a suitcase on the pavement under the watchful eyes of four officers towering over him, others were struggling to speak the language and being yelled at like toddlers, passersby taking degrading pictures and videos (for which I was accused while still in my state of utter shock), then going about their privileged lives. These were a few of the many disturbing and humiliating acts that unfolded before me.

The situation reached a horrifying climax when one individual, overwhelmed by the repeated callous treatment and bureaucratic indifference, attempted to take their own life right before my eyes. The scream that escaped me drew immediate backlash for disturbing the peace—a surreal accusation given the life-and-death situation taking place. I stood my ground and, switching to fluent Italian, witnessed an immediate transformation in the aggressive officer’s demeanor. Only then did the officers who had been sniggering earlier finally show a semblance of humanity and attempt to talk the person down. As police and ambulances rushed to the site, I left, deeply unsettled and uncertain of the outcome.

This harrowing event was a brutal illustration of how the nations that preach human rights on the global stage often fail spectacularly to uphold these values within their own borders. The very nations that colonized and exploited much of the world, fueling the conditions that drive modern migration, now treat the consequences of their historical actions as an inconvenience to be managed rather than a moral debt to be repaid.

As I reflect on this nightmare, I’m struck by how directly it relates to my work at UNESCO-IBE. What I witnessed was not just a personal trauma, but a vivid example of the systemic issues we strive to address through education reform.

The incident underscored that our work at UNESCO-IBE is not just about improving education—it is about fundamentally reshaping the narrative. Decolonizing education, a concept central to our work, is not a mere academic exercise; it is a vital tool for restoring balance and justice in a world still reeling from centuries of exploitation and uneven development. It involves critically examining and restructuring educational systems to address the lingering effects of colonialism, challenge Eurocentric perspectives, and promote diverse knowledge systems and voices.

Education, when approached with a genuinely decolonial mindset, from endogenous to peace-building curricula, can be our most powerful tool for guiding this world on a more humanistic path. We need curricula that do not just acknowledge historical injustices but actively work to dismantle their lingering effects. This means challenging the predominance of Western perspectives, which have long prioritized European and Western cultures, histories, and achievements while marginalizing or ignoring those of other regions.

We must elevate marginalized voices and knowledge systems and foster true global citizenship that goes beyond superficial multiculturalism. Moreover, we must extend this decolonial approach to education in the Global North itself, cultivating genuine empathy, critical thinking about historical injustices, and a deep understanding of human rights that goes beyond lip service.

What started as a leisurely birthday trip has unexpectedly reinforced the profound impact education can have on our world. It has shown me how the skills we cultivate, like language, can become powerful tools for global understanding and change. It has highlighted how education—or its absence—shapes the attitudes and behaviors of those in positions of power. Most importantly, it underscored the urgent need for an education system that prepares all learners, regardless of their background or location, to be critically conscious and empathetic global citizens.

As I return to my work at UNESCO-IBE, I carry with me a renewed sense of urgency. Our mission is not just about improving learning outcomes—rather, it is about catalyzing a fundamental shift in how we understand our shared global history and our responsibilities to one another. We must push for curricula and educational practices that confront uncomfortable truths, challenge entrenched biases, and prepare learners to actively dismantle systems of oppression.

This birthday has given me more than just another year of life; it has provided a stark reminder of the immense work that lies ahead. The path to true global justice and equality is long and fraught with challenges, but education can be our beacon of hope. As we continue our work in curriculum development and educational policy, let us strive to create an education system that equips learners with the critical consciousness needed to challenge and transform the status quo.

This ordeal grimly exposed the hypocrisy of Western societies that continue to patronize the very world they have impoverished through centuries of exploitation. It is time for these self-proclaimed bastions of human rights to look inward and address their own failures. I challenge educators, policymakers, and citizens in the Western world to:

• Confront complicity by acknowledging how educational systems perpetuate colonial mindsets and global inequalities.
• Dismantle the savior complex by addressing the root causes of global injustice rather than viewing the Global South as a project to be ‘fixed’.
• Rewrite narratives by centering the voices and experiences of those who have been marginalized and exploited in curricula.
• Practice what is preached by ensuring that principles of human rights and equality are reflected in the treatment of (im)migrants, refugees, and minorities within borders.
• Take accountability through concrete actions to repair the damage caused by colonialism and ongoing neo-colonial practices.

True decolonization of education requires the Western world to relinquish its self-appointed role as the world’s teacher and become a humble, accountable learner. Only then can we hope to create an educational system that genuinely fosters global justice and equality.

Here is to another year of pushing boundaries, speaking truth to power, and working towards a truly just and equitable global society!

Oummou Diallo is a Summer 2024 GW UNESCO Fellow at the UNESCO International Bureau of Education in Geneva, Switzerland.

By: The faculty and students of the REAL

Today, war has broken out in Ukraine. This event is an eerie echo of what the world witnessed 83 years ago with Ukraine’s neighbor, Poland, when Nazi Germany invaded. As of February 24th, 2022, media projections suggest that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions will quickly result in upwards of 1 million or more Ukrainians fleeing westward as refugees. Soon, these displaced persons will no longer be members of communities where they had a home, a livelihood, a daily routine, and, most importantly, an identity. They will simply melt into the large and growing global population of “refugees.” This tragedy is happening in real-time.

The Refugee Educational Advancement Laboratory (REAL) sends its deepest and most heartfelt thoughts to all Ukrainians. As a group of students and scholars, we will vigilantly monitor the events unfolding across the Atlantic, just as we monitor refugee activity elsewhere in the world. 

While REAL’s focus is on refugee access to education–a process that is several steps removed from the initial tragedy of displacement–we know that after massive upheaval and once survival is ensured humans aspire to regain ownership over their human rights, including education. A return to the educational routine and the safety that classrooms and institutions provide is but one small but critical source of comfort educators the world over can offer those whose lives have been uprooted. Education is, and will always be, among the most precious and foundational rights that every human being deserves.

Today’s tragedy in Ukraine now binds the citizens of that nation to those in other countries who are already victims of war, genocide, famine, and additional maladies that are the cause of forced displacement. Indeed, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR, Figures at a Glance), five major crises in five different regions of the world have by now displaced 82.4 million humans, both people domestically and internationally–the greatest rise in numbers since the Second World War.  Among those, 26.4 million now bear the tragic label of “refugee.” These man-made and avoidable tragedies consume Syria and Afghanistan in the Middle East, Venezuela in South America, South Sudan in Africa, and Myanmar in Southeast Asia, among other less publicized crises globally. Now Ukraine may join them. 

All of these situations push citizens into neighboring countries and points far beyond their homeland. No intake country is ever perfectly equipped to provide the short-term humanitarian and long-term integration support its newcomers will need. Some well-resourced countries will be better equipped to open their doors than others are. But the vast majority of the less developed countries will continue to shoulder the weight of the nearly 90% of all refugee flows. Each country of transit or of final resettlement will take a different position toward offering integration and support services for refugees. But what we know from past behavior is that few will welcome them openly. 

Today, we are faced with the likely scenario that millions of Ukrainians in real-time will soon join the expanding web of suffering and global displacement we have seen grow in our lifetimes. The REAL team joins a loud chorus of international voices condemning the actions of the Russian leadership today. We send our thoughts to the Ukrainian people and encourage the United States to be prepared to open its doors to displaced populations who may come from Ukraine, just as they have come so recently from Afghanistan and have come throughout our history from so many other ailing corners of the world.

All opinions are exclusively those of the Refugee Educational Advancement Laboratory (REAL) and not of the George Washington University nor the Graduate School of Education and Human Development.

By: Jessica Crist

Peer-reviewed by REAL members

Introduction

U.S. immigration policy has experienced ebbs and flows over the past 20 years. Refugee legislation has remained largely unchanged since 1980 when the U.S. refugee program began, however, executive branch discretion has changed its implementation (Bolter et al., 2022). Changing executive policies around refugee admission have increased the difficulty of the resettlement process by requiring refugees to wait for longer periods of time, creating confusion regarding policy changes and adding to the trauma many refugees face when fleeing their country of origin. The Biden administration should consider creating more welcoming refugee policies. Referencing a recent report from the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), I make several recommendations for the Biden administration’s refugee policy.

U.S. refugee policy 2001-present

George W. Bush (2001-2009)

George W.Bush’s inauguration in 2001 brought a conservative shift in U.S. politics. During his first year in office, Bush lowered the U.S. refugee admission ceiling–the number of spots allotted to resettle refugees in the U.S. each fiscal year (FY)–from 90,000 to 80,000 (LIRS, 2020; MPI, 2022). The effects of the terrorist attacks on September 11th further slowed immigration. Only 69,886 refugees were admitted in FY 2001 despite the 80,000 refugee ceiling (MPI, 2022). As the U.S. recovered from the attacks, Bush lowered the refugee admission ceiling to 70,000 refugees in FY 2002 but only 27,000 refugees entered the U.S. that year (MPI, 2022). In the wake of 9/11, rising nationalism created a less-welcoming environment for refugees.

Refugee admissions gradually rose during the latter half of the Bush presidency. In 2008, he raised the ceiling to 80,000 (MPI, 2022). In FY 2008, the final year of the Bush administration, 60,191 refugees entered the U.S. (MPI, 2022). Though Bush took a strong stance against undocumented immigration and enacted policies that made immigrating more difficult, the administration maintained an open policy toward refugees. This set a precedent for future administrations, making the U.S. immigration system more selective and difficult with intense application and screening processes.

Barack Obama (2009-2017)

For many, Barack Obama’s historic election as the first African-American president sparked hope for change in the United States. During the first three years of Obama’s presidency, he kept the refugee admissions ceiling at 80,000 (MPI, 2022). In 2009, the Obama administration admitted 74,654 refugees, the most refugees admitted in nearly ten years (MPI, 2022). Though refugee admissions were steady in 2009 and 2010, the number of refugees accepted in the U.S. in 2011 dropped to 56,424 (MPI, 2022). Subsequently, in 2012, the Obama administration lowered the refugee admission ceiling to 76,000, followed by 70,000 in 2013 (MPI, 2022). This lowering of the refugee admissions ceiling and drop in refugees entering the U.S. was mainly due to strong political opposition in Congress and in individual states. In his final year as president, Obama raised the ceiling to 85,000 and 84,994 refugees entered the U.S. (MPI, 2022). Though Obama did receive criticism for his harsh deportation of many migrants in the U.S., his other immigration policies and open attitude toward displaced persons created a welcoming atmosphere for refugees in the U.S.

Donald Trump (2017-2021)

Trump’s unprecedented election in 2016 highlighted the growing desire for isolationist policies in the country. Trump was the first U.S president to win based on an immigration agenda (Bolter et al., 2022). Through the 472 immigration related executive actions that spanned his presidency, Trump increased executive branch influence on immigration policy (Bolter et al., 2022). This impacted refugee policy and specifically how many refugees were able to resettle in the United States. Trump’s “Travel Ban” executive order on October 24th, 2017, which lasted until December 23rd, 2017, deprioritized resettlement applications from applicants in eleven countries, and deemed these countries to be “high risk” to U.S. national security (Bolter et al., 2022). It also created additional vetting for refugees from “high risk” countries that included longer interviews, separate interviews for children, and an expanded list of “national security indicators” that would warrant further screenings (IRAP, 2021). These additional vetting procedures delayed resettlement applications, creating a backlog in the immigration system. Trump’s policy changes made it harder for refugees from certain regions to be resettled in the U.S., resulting in a decrease in the number of refugees admitted from the Middle East and an increase in those admitted from Europe (Bolter et al., 2022).

Trump’s relentless reductions to the refugee admission ceiling greatly affected refugee admittance. In 2017, Trump lowered the refugee admission ceiling to 50,000–the lowest in recorded history to that point in time (MPI, 2022). In 2020, Trump dropped the refugee admission ceiling to an all-time low of 18,000 and only accepted 11,814 refugees (MPI, 2022). This was partially due to the impact on travel and the closure of U.S. embassies during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, Trump’s previous refugee admissions numbers show a downward trend that was only exacerbated by the pandemic (Bolter et al., 2022; MPI, 2022).

With reduced resettlement budgets, U.S. states faced growing challenges to resettlement (Bolter et al., 2022). Overall, the decrease in refugee arrivals and funding cuts damaged U.S. resettlement infrastructure as well as shrunk the network and capacity of resettlement organizations across the country (Bolter et al., 2022). Such damage will take years to rebuild, impacting the lives of refugees waiting to be resettled.

Joseph Biden (2021-present)

In his first year as president, Joe Biden took steps to reverse some Trump-era refugee policies. In FY 2021, Biden raised the refugee admission ceiling to 62,500, the highest ceiling since 2016, however, only 11,411 refugees were admitted (MPI, 2022). Low admissions can be attributed to the ongoing pandemic, the chaos of the Afghan evacuation plan, and the staggering U.S. immigration system backlog (Bolter et al., 2022). Approximately 90,000 refugees have completed pre-screening but await their U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) interview (U.S. DOS, U.S. DHS, and U.S. DHHS, 2021). For FY 2022, Biden raised the admission ceiling to 125,000–the highest in over 20 years (MPI, 2022). While Biden has voiced his commitment to restoring welcoming refugee policies, he has received criticism for his lack of action in bringing these policies to fruition. To avoid regressing to Trump-era refugee admissions numbers and to ensure an effective and efficient refugee resettlement process, the administration needs to enact further reforms.

Recommendations for the Biden Administration

The Biden administration should invest significant resources into resettlement organizations, such as the International Rescue Committee and the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services. Federal investment can rebuild lost staff, bolster programming, and increase capacity to resettle additional refugees. The Biden administration must also allocate more staff to U.S. embassies and government offices, such as USCIS, and ensure the opening of all U.S. embassies around the world. By providing more staff to embassies and government offices to increase capacity and prevent delays, the U.S. can reduce the backlog of cases. Biden must reopen U.S. embassies quickly, following the latest Covid-19 safety measures. This will increase the speed and number of resettlements to the U.S.

Conclusion

The last 20 years of the U.S. refugee program have seen many changes. Trump administration refugee reforms will have a lasting effect on the resettlement of refugees in the U.S., and an adverse impact on our historic image as a country friendly to migration. To effectively resettle refugees and increase refugee admissions, President Biden needs to do more than raise the refugee ceiling. Through increasing funding and staffing and the reopening of U.S. embassies and government agencies, the Biden administration can not only bring back the successful admissions rates of 20 years ago, but must also continue to transform the refugee admission infrastructure to uphold the U.S. commitment to a humane and welcoming immigration system.

Elaboration by the author, February 8, 2022 from (MPI, 2022).

All opinions are exclusively those of the author and not of George Washington University, the Graduate School of Education and Human Development, the Refugee Educational Advancement Laboratory or any of its members or other entities.

References

Bolter, Jessica, Emma Israel, and Sarah Pierce. (2022, February). Four Years of Profound Change: Immigration Policy during the Trump Presidency. Migration Policy Institute (MPI). https://www.migrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/publications/mpi-trump-at-4-report-final.pdf

International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP). (2021, June). Debunking ‘Extreme Vetting’: Recommendations to Build Back the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. Retrieved February 8, 2022, from,  https://refugeerights.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Vetting-Report-2020-v6-REVISED-JUNE-2021-1.pdf

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS). (2020, September 1). Frequently Asked Questions: Refugee Ceiling and the Presidential Determination. Retrieved on February 16, 2022 from, https://www.lirs.org/faqs-refugee-ceiling/

Migration Policy Institute (MPI). (2022). U.S. Annual Refugee Resettlement Ceilings and Number of Refugees Admitted, 1980-Present. Retrieved February 8, 2022 from, https://www.migrationpolicy.org/programs/data-hub/charts/us-annual-refugee-resettlement-ceilings-and-number-refugees-admitted-united?width=850&height=850&iframe=true

U.S. Department of State (DOS), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). (2021). Proposed Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2022: Report to the Congress. Washington, DC. https://www.wrapsnet.org/documents/Report+to+Congress+for+FY+2022+USRAP.pdf