Responding to the Syrian Refugee Crisis: A Conversation with T. Alexander Aleinikoff, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees

Editor's Note: During a recent visit to Washington, DC, United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees T. Alexander Aleinikoff visited the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) to discuss the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis and the role of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in assisting countries that have taken in large numbers of Syrian refugees. Two central questions guided his conversation with MPI staff: What are the international community’s top priorities in responding to the protracted refugee crisis, and how will UNHCR and other actors change their refugee crisis-response models and mechanisms to adapt to this and future emergencies? The following article draws from the informal conversation at MPI and is not a verbatim account.