The Commitment to Refugee Resettlement

Abstract

Since 1975 the traditional refugee receiving countries have made major changes in their refugee resettlement programs and policies. They have institutionalized their refugee programs, increased the number of refugees accepted for resettlement, and broadened the range of groups that can be considered for resettlement by relying on the U.N. Convention definition of a refugee as their criterion for acceptance. Recently concern has increased about the costs and difficulties of resettlement, particularly of third-world refugees. This has led some observers to wonder if there is a diminished commitment to resettlement as a durable solution. This article concludes that if one uses 1975 as a base year for comparison, commitment to refugee resettlement has increased significantly. There are, however, present challenges to it. The numbers of refugees being resettled are dropping sharply in response to both decreased need and increased domestic pressures within the major receiving nations to limit admissions. Lower numbers by themselves are an inadequate indicator of a decreased long-term commitment to resettlement. The article suggests a range of factors to be considered in assessing this commitment.