Over the past few years, news headlines have regularly been filled with stories of refugee movements and forced migration, and the related subjects of asylum, exile and humanitarian responsibility. From the civil war in Syria, to the persecution of Rohingya refugees, and the movement of Central American migrants to the United States and Canada, the subject of refugees has regularly been foregrounded in social, political and cultural commentaries. And yet, the historical circumstances that lead to forced displacement, and the nature of the international community’s responses, are often ignored. Using a combination of historical texts, fictional works, films and documentaries, this course explores the history of forced migration and refugees to consider the contingencies that have shaped understandings of who is a refugee, what constitutes a refugee experience and the actual movement of people.
History of Refugees and Forced Migration 