The Refugee Situation Today
Sasha Chanoff
Former Kakuma Camp Relief Worker and Founder of Mapendo International
"Resettlement is not an answer to the problems that are creating refugees -- poverty, war, or famine. But for certain people, resettlement is the durable solution." | Read more »
Arthur E. Dewey
U.S. State Department
"Security enhancements have both lengthened processing time and increased the cost of the refugee admissions program, but in today's world, we must know who everyone is who comes into our country and there must be adequate safety for U.S. personnel." | Read more »
Joung-Ah Ghedini
Former Public Information Officer, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
"The primary goal, our ideal "durable solution," is repatriation. If and when people can go back to their own home countries, that's usually best for the refugees themselves, and it's usually what they want more than anything else." | Read
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António Guterres
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
"In 2006, around 1.4 million people in Africa returned home as a result of the gradual consolidation of peace processes in countries such as Angola, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and southern Sudan." | Read more »
Congressman Tom Lantos (D-CA)
"What I think is resonant about these refugees is the tremendous strength they show. They make great Americans, because they have shown they have the toughness, grit, and the inspiration to make it here." | Read more »
Congressman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)
"We are a country founded to be the beacon of freedom, an inspiration to the world; and as the leader of the free world, we have a moral responsibility to reach out to those who are miserable and suffering, and to assist them." | Read more »
Bob Montgomery
Director, San Diego office of the International Rescue Committee
"For people who are leaving a horrible situation and struggling for years to come here, there's a feeling that they can come to the United States and all their prayers will be answered. But it's actually the beginning of a new process that's quite difficult." | Read more »