Learning from the Past? The Refugee Crisis in Historical Perspective

In the wake of the war in Syria and other crises in the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa, the world is currently witnessing some of the largest movements of people seeking refuge since the end of World War II. Although politicians in Europe and North America tend to stress the singularity of the current "refugee crisis," the situation is by no means unprecedented. On this panel, historians and policy-experts will discuss the crucial question if and to what extent past mass migrations to Europe and North America provide lessons for the current refugee crisis.

This panel is part of the joint GHI, World Bank Group/KNOMAD, and German Embassy, Washington, DC, symposium "The Refugee Crisis: Historical Perspectives from Europe and North America, 1945-2000" taking place at the GHI on March 17, 2016.