Alexander Betts’s The Wealth of Refugees: How Displaced People Can Build Economies elucidates displaced peoples’ often overlooked economic contributions and agency. Betts accurately notes that the number of globally displaced persons steadily increases. At the same time, policies of resource-rich States continue to reject them. The book’s central argument is “that within this age of displacement, the key to sustainability lies in unlocking the potential contributions of refugees themselves” (viii). Betts’s refugee inclusivity strikes a musical note in the choir of positive refugee narratives.
The purpose of the book is to provide practical solutions for refugees as they carve out dignified lives amid challenges such as the economic fallout from the pandemic, rising populism and nationalism, and the decreasing willingness of Western countries to admit displaced persons. To that end, Betts asks, “How can we create sustainable refugee policies that can enable displaced people to live in safety and dignity...