Who is a refugee? Where do they come from, and why? How are they displaced? What are we going to do when massive refugee waves become “the new normal”? This course will inquire into the nature, causes and consequences of contemporary refugee waves in our globalized world. Students will survey regional dynamics in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. We will examine the particularities of refugees (compared to other migrants) and the changing nature of forced migration since the Second World War. Students will explore historical precedents to contemporary waves, learn about different host society approaches to asylum, compare government and criminal mechanisms of forced migration, and examine the reasons refugees are the object of increasing suspicion and hostility around the world. Particular attention will be paid to the recent EU crisis, the role of refugee camps in the 21st century, and alternative strategies for global asylum management by bridge and destination countries.