2016 Theses Master's

Choosing “Home”: Refugee Rights to Resettlement and Secondary Migration in the United States

Macchi, Victoria

The United States is on the cusp of one of the largest increases in refugee admissions in more than a decade. Ahead of this surge in arrivals, this paper provides a new analysis of current placement procedures and government data through the human rights lens, focusing on secondary migration and integration, and assesses unaddressed, long-standing deficiencies in the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. It also offers recommendations for systemic changes at the local, national and international levels to incorporate increased personal agency in the resettlement process and improve outcomes in the U.S. for newly arriving refugee cohorts.