In 1938, in the shadow of the Great Depression came rumblings from Europe of a great war and with it…
A Look Back—First Director of the Population, Refugees, and Migrations Bureau
The Biden administration nominated Ambassador Julieta Valls Noyes to serve as assistant secretary of state for the department’s Bureau of…
The Last Days Before the Fall of Saigon: Evacuating Vietnamese Refugees
The Fall of Saigon is perhaps one of the most infamous moments of the Vietnam War. Following the fall of…
Who May Enter? Issuing Visas to Jewish Refugees
Nazi policies designed to persecute Jewish populations prompted a wave of emigration from Europe beginning in 1933. Many sought to…
The War in Bosnia and the Moral Dilemma of Refugees
The Bosnian War, which began April 5, 1992, was the result of the breakup of Yugoslavia. Pressure began to build…
A Secret Betrayal — Kurdish Refugees in Iran
Between 1961 and 1975, the relationship between the Kurds and the Iraqi government was especially tumultuous. In 1961, the First…
The Remnants of Vietnam in the Philippines
It was the end of a long, hard road. Although the Vietnam War had finally officially concluded, the Fall of…
Experiencing the Lebanese Civil War as the U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon—Robert S. Dillon
“I traveled in a long convoy, with armed body-guards. Much of the concern for our safety stemmed from the assassination…
The Lost Sense of Belonging: An Attempt to Fit in
Becoming a refugee often involves losing more than just one’s home country. Perhaps one of the most important is the…
Advancing Unity in the Aftermath of War – Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Mid-1990s
Foreign service officers typically must demonstrate adaptability and proactivity to accomplish their missions smoothly and effectively, but sometimes they find…