Expert: International Refugee System Reeling

James Dean, Cornell Chronicle, Mar. 5, 2022

"Stephen Yale-Loehr, professor of immigration law practice at Cornell Law School and faculty fellow in the university’s Migrations initiative, discussed the extraordinary humanitarian crisis just beginning as more than 1 million Ukrainians have already fled the country, according to the United Nations. High as that number is, he said, we shouldn’t forget other hot spots – including Syria and Afghanistan – that have contributed to the highest levels of displacement on record, with 84 million people displaced by persecution, conflict, violence or human rights violations. “Our international refugee system is reeling from all these crises and wars,” Yale-Loehr said. “The war in Ukraine is simply the most recent.” For members of the public wondering how to help, Yale-Loehr advised donating to organizations such as the International Rescue Committee or International Refugee Assistance Project, and asking members of Congress to spend more on refugee assistance and to increase the number of refugees admitted by the U.S. Said Yale-Loehr: “This shows how interconnected we all are.”"