Resettlement and Integration of Forced Migrants in the US: What Did We Learn in 50 years of Experience?

Presenting and Discussing the 2026 National Academy of Sciences Report

Speakers:

• David Fitzgerald (UC San Diego)
• Kevin Shih (UC Riverside)
• Giovanni Peri (UC Davis)
• Moderator: Erin Hamilton (UC Davis)

Sponsors and organizers: UC Davis Global Migration Center in collaboration with the Department of Economics, Political Science, Sociology, Law School, and the College of Letters and Sciences.

Welcoming: Estella Atekawana, Dean of UC Davis Letters and Sciences

Abstract: The US National Academy of Sciences (NAS) will publish in October 2026 an authoritative report on the economic and social integration of Refugees, asylum seekers, and forced migrants in the US based on reviewing studies and collecting new evidence. Three of the authors, David Fitzgerald, Giovanni Peri, and Kevin Shih, will present the report, and with the help of a moderator, Erin Hamilton, they will discuss the main lessons from it and produce insight for the future of US immigration policies and action. The presentation and discussion, taking place after the publication of the report and after the USA Midterm election, can provide a roadmap for informing the future of US immigration policies in the area of refugees and asylum seekers.