What to read (and watch) to understand refugees

THE NUMBERS are grim. Around the world, last year, the stock of people forced from their homes reached nearly 90m, more than at any time since the second world war. That tally included many people displaced within their own countries. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has added millions more this year. And whereas fleeing Ukrainians have mostly received warm welcomes, many refugees are compelled to follow ever more perilous routes in search of safety, or blocked by borders that are increasingly hard to cross. Fully 83% of the world’s refugees land in poor and middle-income countries. Politicians in rich countries mostly want them to stay there. Some refuse even to recognise the long-recognised right to seek asylum. Most offer too little help to host countries. To understand why and how people flee, turn to these seven books and one documentary.