Perhaps the strangest feature of the modern refugee system is that governments frequently complain about the cost of supporting refugees while simultaneously preventing refugees from supporting themselves. The UN Refugee Agency is facing one of the most serious financial crises in its history. It estimates it needs $8.5 billion this year to support more than 130 million forcibly displaced and stateless people. By the end of July, however, it had received only 32 percent of that amount. The agenc
