theGLOBAL REFUGEE and MIGRATION PROJECT

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Why This, Why Now?Global conflicts and climate change are fueling mass migration, both inside and across borders, ensuring that the rise in displaced persons will intensify for years to come.

At the international level, the multilateral system for responding to refugees is overstretched and cannot meet the challenges of today’s refugee movements. At the same time, local communities face the challenge of accommodating newly arrived refugees and migrants and facilitating their integration, often with little support from the broader public and with insufficient resources to effectively meet their needs.

Over the course of 2018 and 2019, the Global Refugee and Migration Project is bringing scholars and stakeholders together to improve local and national responses and address the crisis in innovative ways. The project is generously supported by the Georgetown University Board of Regents.

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Faculty LeadersKatharine Donato holds the Donald G. Herzberg Chair in International Migration in the School of Foreign Service.

Shaun Casey served as founding director of the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Religion and Global Affairs.

Elizabeth Ferris spent 20 years working in the field of international humanitarian response prior to coming to Georgetown.

David Hollenbach, S.J., has published widely on ethics, human rights, and refugee issues over several decades.

Program SpotlightGeorgetown is one of only a handful of universities in the country to offer a graduate-level certificate in refugees and humanitarian emergencies. Offered by the Institute for the Study of International Migration in collaboration with Georgetown Law, the program awards the certificate to around 70 students every year, most of whom go on to work in the humanitarian sector.

Why Georgetown?Georgetown University is optimally situated to serve as the center for innovation and moral leadership on on refugee and migration issues.

A growing number of faculty, across schools and campuses, are engaging with refugees and migration in their research, teaching, and service.

As a Catholic and Jesuit university, Georgetown is part of a global network of institutions grappling with the refugee and migration issue.

Georgetown’s Washington, D.C., location enables the university to advance solutions in collaboration with multiple stakeholders.

Leading the ChargeInstitute for the Study of International Migration

Founded in the Walsh School of Foreign Service in 1998, ISIM strives to support and generate research on migration and refugees, educate the next generation of experts, and bring the best evidence about the issues raised by international migration to policymakers. ISIM is led by Katharine Donato.

Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs

Founded at the university level in 2006, the Berkley Center conducts research and convenes events around global challenges with strong cultural and religious dimensions, including the refugee crisis. It is directed by Shaun Casey.

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Project Activities & ObjectivesThe Global Refugee and Migration Project aims to establish a better understanding of best integration practices in order to inform better policy at the local, national, and global levels. Project activities and objectives include:

Public Conferences: On November 15, 2018, the project hosted the conference “Global Refugees and Migration in the Twenty-first Century: Policies and Narratives of Inclusion,” which focused on the admission and initial integration of refugees and migrants in the United States and Europe, as well as long-term integration processes. Former Obama White House chief of staff Denis McDonough (MSFS’96) keynoted the event. Participants included leaders of major aid organizations including HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society), Jesuit Refugee Service, and International Rescue Committee, as well as

officials from the New York and Los Angeles Offices of Immigrant Affairs. A capstone conference will take place in fall 2019 and will share the outcomes of the project.

Innovative Scholarship: Project organizers have commissioned a research group of international scholars to author papers on local case studies of refugee and migrant integration and the lessons that can be derived from these cases to inform best practices for inclusion and shape policy. Scholars met on November 16, 2018, and are submitting draft papers in early 2019. Final papers will either be published in a peer-reviewed journal or an edited volume.

Policy Impact: On March 21, 2019, the project will bring together policymakers from Turkey, Uganda, and Colombia , three countries which have experienced large-scale arrivals of refugees in recent years. A policy brief that identifies best practices in supporting the reception and integration

Future DirectionsPossible future expansion areas for the Global Refugee and Migration Project include:

Research Programs focusing on domestic and international refugee and migration challenges; a working paper series that applies research to policy questions

Policy Reform through a working paper series that applies research to policy questions; a high-level bipartisan commission to assess present needs and challenges and develop policy recommendations

Educating Future Leaders through experiential learning courses; a minor, major, and master’s program in refugee and migration studies; internships with refugee- and migrant-serving NGOs

Building Research Networks through a global fellows program and joint research, policy, and educational programs with universities throughout the world

Refugee Education through intensified collaboration with aid organizations to expand online education opportunities

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of refugees and helps to develop principles for improved governance of refugee and migration issues at the local, national, and global levels will result from the meeting.

Student Fellows: The project supports a team of undergraduate and graduate students who work as research assistants at ISIM and the Berkley Center. Fellows work on a range of projects, including drafting briefs, background papers, and blogs; supporting conferences and other events; and working on broader project promotion on social media.

Communications: A key component of the project is dissemination of findings through events and other forms of communication, including a website that collects all project activities and social media campaigns. A comprehensive communications plan will ensure that research group findings and policy recommendations reach key target audiences.

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