Refugees

commentary

Escaping Afghanistan

As of April 2023, about 152,000 Special Immigrant Visa applicants remain trapped in Afghanistan. Despite many recommendations and bipartisan support for reforming the program, only minor tweaks have been made. Meanwhile, the dangerously slow process has become practically a death sentence.

Annie Kleiman

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Ukrainian Refugees, U.S. and Allied Defense Strategy, Threats from AI: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on supporting Ukrainian refugees, the future of U.S. and allied defense strategy, existential threats posed by artificial intelligence, and more.

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The EU Can't Treat Ukrainian Refugees Like Short-Term Visitors

Although EU countries, communities, and citizens have been very welcoming to Ukrainian refugees, it is not enough to treat them as short-term visitors, meet their immediate humanitarian needs, and let them wait out the war. By educating and employing them instead, EU countries can enrich their own communities and support Ukraine.

Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson, Thomas S. Szayna

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Immigrant Location Policies Can Be Done Right, but That Isn't Happening Right Now

Sudden influxes of migrants across the southwest U.S. border are not new, but they are also increasing. Immigration relocation policies are likely one of the best ways to address migrant surges if done in an organized, humane, and thoughtful way.

Julia H. Kaufman @juliahkaufman, Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson

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Reopening Old Wounds: Two Stories, One Lesson

The shocking events unfolding in Ukraine have reopened old wounds for two RAND researchers. Their personal stories stand as testaments that the traumas inflicted by Russia's war on Ukraine will echo for decades to come.

Alyssa Demus, Obaid Younossi

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Helping Ukrainian Refugees, Truth Decay, Algorithmic Inequity: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on how to help Ukrainian refugees, the link between cognitive processes and Truth Decay, tracking wastewater to understand the spread of COVID-19, and more.

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With the Ukrainians, Avoid the Mistakes of Other Refugee Crises

Because of Russia's invasion, millions of Ukrainians have fled their country or are internally displaced. At this critical moment, European Union countries have an opportunity to avoid some of the worst pitfalls of how the world has handled other refugee crises.

Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson

commentary

For Ukrainian Refugees in Poland, Livelihood Needs Will Follow Humanitarian Ones

Host countries such as Poland that accept refugees are to be lauded for their humanitarian response. To increase the likelihood that these countries find effective policy solutions, they should view the influx of refugees not merely as a challenge, but as a significant opportunity to be seized for aiding their post-COVID recovery.

Krishna B. Kumar

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Refugees, Women's Health Research, Supporting Incarcerated Parents: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the humanitarian fallout from a Russian invasion of Ukraine, investing in women’s health research, supporting incarcerated parents, and more.

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Ukraine Invasion Could Spark a Massive Refugee Crisis

One fallout of a Russian invasion of Ukraine could be a massive refugee or migration crisis. If that happened, there would be significant humanitarian, political, and economic implications for both the Ukrainians who flee and for the European nations they go to.

Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson, Charles P. Ries @charles_ries

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Afghan Refugees Are Being Recruited to Join an Iranian Paramilitary

As Western policymakers consider how to deal with Afghan evacuees, including former members of the Afghan security forces, they might consider how to prevent adversaries such as Iran from recruiting Afghan refugees for dangerous and destabilizing operations. Greater attention to these risks may become increasingly important as refugee flows from Afghanistan continue.

Erik E. Mueller @erikemueller, Andrew Radin @andrewmradin

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Addressing Immigration Doesn't End at the Border—Schools Need Help

All children in the United States have a right to a public education, regardless of their immigration status. But schools are not funded or staffed adequately to support a growing student population or to handle sudden surges in enrollment due to large numbers of displaced children arriving at the border.

Julia H. Kaufman @juliahkaufman, Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson

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China and Russia, Wages and Insurance, Refugees and Technology : RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on China-Russia ties, considerations when raising the minimum wage, how refugees use digital devices, and more.

blog

Boosting Vaccine Acceptance, Afghanistan's Refugee Crisis, Environmental Racism: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on addressing vaccine hesitancy, preventing an even-bigger humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, and how to develop antiracist environmental policies.

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With the Evacuation Over, Afghanistan Is Left to Contend with a Worsening Refugee Crisis

The more than 100,000 civilians recently evacuated from Afghanistan are a small fraction of those who have lost their homes and livelihoods due to war. To avoid worsening the existing humanitarian crisis, the global community should take swift action, including close coordination with regional and national players.

Louay Constant, Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson