Foreign Affairs

Asian Ambivalence Toward Refugees

In 2015, over a million migrants and refugees crossed into Europe, sparking a crisis with deep political and social implications. But refugees are not solely a Western problem. In fact, Asia hosts the largest number of refugees in the world. Despite this, the Asian region remains ill-equipped to effectively respond to this challenge. The continent has been historically very conservative in accepting refugees and asylum seekers. Asian ambivalence toward refugees is undeniable and the reasons are multifaceted, but primarily have roots in history and culture, rather than economics and politics. Even the term refugee is problematic.