Refugees: A Very Short Introduction explores the causes and impact of today's refugee crises for receiving states and societies, for global order, and for refugees themselves. Refugees and other forced migrants are one of the great challenges in the world today. All over the globe people leave their home countries to escape war, natural disasters, and cultural and political oppression. Unfortunately, despite many years of experience, the international community struggles to provide an adequate response to this vast population in need. This VSI discusses the need to understand the realities of the contemporary refugee situation in order to best respond to current and future challenges.