ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the phenomenon of forced migration with a focus on refugees. It explains the distinctions made between voluntary (economic) migrants and involuntary migrants. The concept of 'refugee crisis' today conjures up images of throngs of people in the Global South displaced by violent conflicts and seeking a better life in wealthier countries. Britain initially had tolerated the settlement of Jews, but as numbers of Jewish refugees reached 120,000, Britain abandoned its traditional liberalism. As Europe struggled with its post-war refugee crisis, new refugee crises were brewing in Europe's colonial possessions as they transitioned to independent statehood. But as the Cold War took shape, the International Refugee Organization (IRO) shifted its focus from repatriation to the resettlement of refugees in third countries. Resettlement remained a priority of the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which replaced the IRO in 1950.
