US Refugee Policy: FactsMyths

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

This course analyzes the development and implementation of US policies toward refugees, including assistance to refugees overseas and those who are resettled to the United States. We will examine how US refugee policy has evolved since World War II and the many actors involved in developing and implementing this policy, from the State Department to other federal and state level government agencies to multilateral and non-governmental organizations. We will discuss the ways in which both foreign and domestic interests have shaped US policies toward refugees and consider the key roles of diplomacy, international law and multilateral organizations in shaping US refugee policy. The course will include lectures, class discussions, case studies, and student presentations. The instructor, currently a Senior Fellow at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, is a Senior Foreign Service officer at the U.S. Department of State with an expertise in humanitarian and refugee policy and leadership of large-scale crisis operations.