Ask the Experts: Travel Restrictions and Refugees

How will President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration affect millions of refugees worldwide? What can the world do to provide relief to the more than 65 million refugees around the globe? Two experts on refugees and humanitarian issues, Jennifer Leaning, director of the FXB Center for Health and Human Rights, and  Jacqueline Bhabha, research director at the FXB Center,  answered your questions during a Facebook Live Q&A on Monday, February 6.

The executive order on immigration, signed on January 27, blocks citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the U.S. for 90 days, suspends admission of all refugees for 120 days, and indefinitely bars refugees from Syria. The order also states that when refugee admissions are resumed, individuals who are of minority religions in their countries, and are making claims on the basis of religious persecution, will be prioritized. On Friday, February 3, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order, blocking key aspects of the executive order.