Our weekly round-up of what we’ve been reading and watching, from in the news and around the web:

As the future of Special Immigrant Visas is currently up for debate in Congress, top general John Nicholson warns that if Congress cancels the SIV program, Afghan civilians who assisted the United States and its allies in various capacities are in danger of being harmed or killed by the Taliban. “Failure to adequately demonstrate a shared understanding of their sacrifices and honor our commitment to any Afghan who supports the International Security Assistance Force and Resolute Support missions could have grave consequences for these individuals and bolster the propaganda of our enemies,” Nicholson wrote.

Former Marine, Chase Millsap, is also well aware of the deadly consequences facing those who worked with the U.S. military and are awaiting visas, as he fights for a former Iraqi military officer who saved his life and is now struggling to obtain refugee status to avoid being killed by ISIS militants in Iraq.

In news of the Syrian refugee crisis, this short video clip reveals how Lebanon, which hosts more refugees per capita than any other country in the world, is struggling to meet the needs of its refugee population, including providing children with access to education. As this analysis shows, the Syrian crisis has kept millions of children out of classrooms, and access to continued education and learning is severely limited in neighboring countries.

In an op-ed written to the Rutland Herald, Arthur Krueger responds to a suggestion that local Vermont citizens should vote on whether to take in 100 Syrian refugees, arguing that our nation has a history of taking in waves of refugees fleeing persecution, and that incorporating refugees into the fabric of American life has enriched us all in countless ways.

The Atlantic Council recently released another piece in its #5YearsWeFled series—this time highlighting the long and difficult journey Syrian refugees are forced to make as they travel from Serbia to Hungary in hopes of reaching their final destination: Germany.

Finally, if you are interested in hearing refugees share their stories about life in Syria and what they miss most about home, you can view it here. Powerful!

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