More Lessons from Vietnam: Comparing Refugee Policy in the Cold War and the War on Terror

The author compares the United States’ historical refugee policy in the Indochinese refugee crisis with its policy in the ongoing refugee crises in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. The article discusses the differences and similarities in U.S. policy between the two cases and offers policy recommendations for future administrations that will improve U.S. refugee policy by increasing effective implementation of U.S. foreign policy goals and addressing ongoing humanitarian crises.