Maria Vincenza Desiderio
Maria Vincenza Desiderio was a Senior Policy Analyst at MPI Europe, where her work focused on economic migration, immigrant integration, foreign credentials recognition, and the linkages between migration and development.
Prior to joining MPI Europe, Ms. Desiderio served for four years as a Policy Analyst in the International Migration Division of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), where she contributed to the OECD flagship publication International Migration Outlook (the 2009-12 editions). She also worked as a Research Officer at the International Organization for Migration (2012-13), where she coordinated the research activities of the Independent Network of Labour Migration and Labour Market Integration Experts (LINET), aimed at supporting the European Commission’s decisionmaking in the field of migration.
She holds a master’s degree with honors in international relations, with specialization in European economic policy and the role of migration, and a bachelor’s degree in political sciences, both from the University of Rome, La Sapienza. She also earned a certificate in asylum law and international law.
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Cities have played a significant role in addressing Europe’s migration crisis, including by helping migrants and refugees integrate successfully into the local labor market. This report identifies concrete actions that could be taken to better leverage European Union soft law, funding, and knowledge exchange mechanisms to support cities’ activities in this area and to deliver more effective services.
As Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Member States work to facilitate the movement of professionals, the experiences of other countries hold promise for policymakers and licensing bodies in Southeast Asia as they deepen implementation of mutual recognition arrangements (MRAs) that seek to establish a uniform and transparent way of recognizing the qualifications of foreign workers. This report offers key lessons.
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Member States have approved Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs) in the tourism sector and in six regulated occupations to ease the movement of professionals within the region. This report compares the approaches taken to facilitate mutual recognition of qualifications within the region, the factors that shaped each MRA approach, and their tradeoffs and policy implications.
Countries receiving large numbers of asylum seekers are facing huge challenges in meeting newcomers' immediate needs, yet longer-term integration issues could prolong the crisis if not addressed. This report assesses the barriers refugees and asylum seekers face getting into jobs, and particularly at their skill level. The report identifies policies that support labor market integration, including early skills assessment and training.
The European Commission has unveiled a bold plan to revitalize the Blue Card system, which has proven lackluster in attracting highly skilled international talent and has received little uptake from Member States. This commentary examines the proposal and its possible effects, and discusses possible reactions by EU Member States, many of whom are likely to mount resistance to the plan.
This report examines Canada's implementation of Express Entry, a system designed to fast-track for legal immigration the skilled immigrants deemed most likely to achieve economic success and positive integration outcomes. With the European Union seeking ways to better attract global talent, the report explores how the expression of interest system could offer mechanisms to improve the management of highly skilled migration.
Blue Card Redux: European Commission Plan to Recast Work Permit for Highly Skilled Holds Question Marks