4 Journal of Management & Public Policy Vol. 6, No. 1, December 2014, Pp. 4-13 ISSN: 0976-013X (Print), 0976-0148 (Online) Reflections on Refugee Studies and the Study of Refugees: Implications for Policy Analysts Bobby Thomas Cameron Health Policy Analyst in Prince Edward Island, Canada E-mail: btr.cameron@gmail.com Abstract The United Nations (UN, 2010) reports that 25.2 million people, an overwhelming majority from the Global South, are displaced: 10.55 million refugees and 14.7 million internally displaced people (IDP).The phenomenon of Refugee Studies as a field of academic inquiry is a main focus of this paper. This paper makes a case for more critical analysis in – and of – refugee studies in order to better protect displaced people and to assist government in creating policies which respect the dignity of individuals. Based on a review of academic literature, first this paper discusses key concepts, labels, and theories in refugee studies. Second it traces the emergence of the field of refugee studies. Following it discusses the dilemma within the study of refugee policy research in regards to our ability to remain critical while maintaining a close relationship with government funding agencies. Finally, the conclusion makes a case for studying asylum seekers as a distinct phenomenological group. Implications for the management of refugee claims administration, researchers and policy analysts are brought forward while arguing that theoretically a separate space for asylum studies is required. Keywords: Refugee Studies, Asylum, United Nations Introduction Today refugees are statistically an important issue. The United Nations (UN, 2010) reports that 25.2 million people, an overwhelming majority from the Global South, are displaced: 10.55 million refugees and 14.7 million internally displaced people (IDP). The academic study of this pheŶoŵeŶoŶ kŶoǁŶ as ƌefugee studies ĐaŶ ďe ĐoŶĐeptualized as a pheŶoŵeŶoŶ iŶ aŶd of itself. Its scholastic history precedes recent refugee migration trends and dates back to the displacement of Europeans during the World Wars. As of 2014, refugee studies is an entrenched and professional academic field of scholarly enquiry in the social sciences. The purpose of this paper is to examine the development of refugee studies. This paper makes a case for more critical analysis in – and of – refugee studies in order to better protect displaced