Migration Policy Institute
Governments around the world turned to border closures, travel restrictions, and in a few cases bars on asylum—initially in hopes of keeping the COVID-19 virus from entering their countries, and later at the pandemic stage as part of a wider suite of mobility restrictions. MPI's research, data, and commentary on the migration responses to the pandemic, including policies regarding health-care and seasonal workers, are collected here.
The United States is the top global destination for Haitian migrants, who left Haiti in the wake of political instability and a series of natural disasters, including a 2010 earthquake that devastated the country. Haitian immigrants in the United States contribute an important flow of remittances to their country of origin, which is the second largest in the world as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP). Remittances to Haiti have increased nearly sixfold since 2000.
Libya was once a prized destination for workers from around the world. But after Muammar Gaddafi’s overthrow in 2011, the country became the transit point for hundreds of thousands of Europe-bound asylum seekers and other migrants. Following Libya's 2017 deal with Italy to detain and return migrants caught at sea—which was renewed in February 2020—migrants became trapped in an unstable country, facing harrowing realities, as this article explores.
A looming furlough of 70 percent of staff at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services could halt processing for tens of thousands of green cards, citizenship applications, and other immigrant benefits each month it is in effect. Alongside the long list of Trump administration policies slowing immigration to the United States before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, this could contribute to a precipitous—and likely historic—decline in new arrivals to the United States.
By Sarah Pierce and Jessica Bolter
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By Jeanne Batalova, Michael Fix, and Sarah Pierce
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By Randy Capps and Carlos Echeverría-Estrada
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By Hanne Beirens and Aliyyah Ahad
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By Sarah Pierce and Jessica Bolter
By Jeanne Batalova, Michael Fix, and Sarah Pierce
By Randy Capps and Carlos Echeverría-Estrada
By Hanne Beirens and Aliyyah Ahad
When Emergency Measures Become the Norm: Post-Coronavirus Prospects for the Schengen Zone
Most EU Member States closed their borders to travel from neighboring countries in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic. While internal borders in the Schengen zone largely reopened in time for summer holidays, there is a lingering sense they could snap shut anew. Though the reflexive introduction of border controls speaks to an inherent lack of trust between states, the 2015-16 migration crisis offers lessons on how to begin to rebuild trust, as this commentary explores.
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