The number of people fleeing war, persecution, environmental destruction, poverty - or just seeking a better life - is nearing a staggering 250 million. As efforts to help the involuntarily uprooted evolve, significant questions arise: Which responsibilities should governments shoulder, which the international community? How can refugees best be protected? And if, as many believe, the number of uprooted continues to grow, how will the protection regime need to evolve? Although the price of aid may be great, failing to help the displaced may in the end carry an even higher price.