Ehsan Zaffar serves as a Senior Advisor at the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at the Department of Homeland Security in Washington D.C. where he advises the Secretary of Homeland Security and DHS components on the civil rights and civil liberties implications of existing and proposed national security policies, programs, and procedures. Mr.…
2nd year MPP candidate, Robyn Burleson, tackles the growing refugee crisis in this overview piece.
The European Union is struggling to mitigate Europe’s refugee crisis as migrants flee civil wars and poverty in Syria, Iraq, and other nations caught up in domestic upheavals. Approximately 60 million people have been displaced because of conflicts around the world, the largest number of displaced people since World War 2. More than one million migrants traveled to Europe in 2015 alone, and Syria is the largest source of those refugees. The numbers of refugees continue to climb as civil wars escalate, and the majority of the migrants are arriving in Greece, Italy, and Turkey.
Immigrants exist between two words: their country of origin and their new home. In this nexus lies unique challenges—and opportunities. The immigrant communities who maintain bonds with their origin, or “diasporas,” can bring what they have learned back with them. They can transform developing nations and spur economic growth with their entrepreneurship. They can bridge the divide between the prosperous and the poor—and inspire lasting change.
In this episode, we explore these transformative individuals with Jennifer Brinkerhoff.
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When refugees & immigrants flee to America’s shores, the American fear of “them” is great but so too is the moral responsibility. Discussion of the possible threats and great benefits refugees bring with them in their search for new homes. Ehsan Zaffar, Senior Advisor at the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at the Department of…