Naseh is a migration scholar whose expertise spans voluntary and forced migration, immigration policy, and the social and economic integration of immigrants and refugees. She is an Assistant Professor and founding director of the Forced Migration Initiative (FMI) at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. Her research focuses on refugees and refugee-like populations, mixed-status families, undocumented immigrants, highly educated and highly skilled immigrants, and international students. She examines how immigration policies and institutions shape migrants’ rights, well-being, and access to social and economic opportunities. Her work draws on interdisciplinary training in economics and social welfare and extensive fieldwork with nongovernmental organizations and United Nations agencies, particularly in the Middle East and South Asia.
Mitra Naseh
Assistant Professor at the Brown School
Contact Information
- Email: naseh@wustl.edu
- Website: Website
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In the media
As the US suspends visas, an in-depth look at the global Afghan refugee crisis
Trump’s moves are only the latest additions to the litany of restrictions confronting Afghan migrants and asylum seekers around the world, write Mitra Naseh and Jean-Francois Trani.
Scholar discusses refugee research
Mitra Naseh, who directs the Forced Migration Initiative at the Brown School, takes part in a podcast episode recapping the International Association for the Study of Forced Migration conference in Indonesia. She and doctoral student Jihye Lee discussed their research on resettled refugees in the U.S.
Afghans in US face uncertainty after the cancellation of their humanitarian relief
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Thousands of Afghans living in the United States face an uncertain future after a federal appeals court ruled on July 21, 2025, that the Trump administration can end a humanitarian relief program that provided them work permits and protection from deportation, writes Mitra Naseh.
One of the World’s Largest Refugee Populations, Afghans Have Faced Increasing Restrictions in Iran
As the global population of refugees increased to a record high 37.8 million as of mid-2024, a staggering 16 percent—nearly one in six—originated from Afghanistan, where they have fled several decades of civil war, persecution, and state collapse, writes Mitra Naseh.
Stories
Why are refugees with jobs still living in poverty?
For newly resettled refugees in the United States, getting a job doesn’t always mean escaping poverty, says an expert on migration policy at Washington University in St. Louis.
Naseh receives grant from Missouri Foundation for Health
Mitra Naseh, an assistant professor at the WashU Brown School, has received a $612,000 grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health as co-principal investigator on a new project titled “Community-Driven Solutions for Sustainable Systems Change.”
Naseh receives William H. Danforth St. Louis Confluence Award
The Brown School’s Mitra Naseh, founding director of its Forced Migration Initiative, is committed to working with local nonprofits to foster a sense of well-being and belonging among the region’s immigrants and refugees.
Naseh awarded grant to improve refugee health in Missouri
Mitra Naseh, an assistant professor at the Brown School, has received a three-year $463,654 grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health to study and improve the health of refugees in Missouri.