I have a History degree & a Journalism degree & know that such words can cause debate. One graduate History course on immigration spent several weeks discussing the word "ethnicity". Is it comparable to race, for example.

I studied refugee camps, displaced persons, etc. For me, refugee always meant fleeing the country. I definitely don't see it as racist. Political, maybe.

I'll go with the Times, however, if I were editing copy, I'd probably replace refugee with evacuee.