Meghan Benton
Director, Global Programs
Meghan Benton is Director of Global Programs at MPI, with responsibility for the strategic direction of the International Program and its flagship Transatlantic Council on Migration and Latin America and Caribbean Initiative, as well as other global work. She is also on the board of MPI Europe.
Dr. Benton regularly advises governments across key immigration destinations, and is working to expand MPI’s global reach and depth of knowledge of regional mobility systems. Her expertise spans a range of areas including labor mobility, immigrant integration, border management, and humanitarian protection. She has a particular interest in how digital technology is reshaping immigration and asylum systems, and in how innovations can lay the groundwork for a more managed, predictable migration system. In 2016, she co-founded MPI Europe’s Integration Futures Working Group, which seeks to develop a forward-looking agenda for integration policy in Europe. She also co-convenes the Transatlantic Council on Migration.
She previously was a Senior Researcher at Nesta, the United Kingdom’s innovation body, where she led projects on digital government and the future of local public services. Prior to joining Nesta, she was a Policy Analyst at MPI from 2012 to 2015, where she co-led an MPI-International Labor Organization six-country project on pathways to skilled work for newly arrived immigrants in Europe. She also worked on Project UPSTREAM, a four-country project on mainstreaming immigrant integration in the European Union. Previously, she worked for the Constitution Unit at University College London and the Institute for Public Policy Research.
Dr. Benton received her PhD in political science from University College London in 2010, where her PhD research focused on citizenship and the rights of noncitizens. She also holds a master’s degree in legal and political theory (with distinction) from University College London, and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and literature from Warwick University.
Bio Page Tabs
Why has immigration become so politically divisive—and why is it so difficult for governments to design policies that satisfy both public concerns and economic needs?
The global humanitarian protection system is at a critical juncture. This episode of the World of Migration podcast features a discussion on the system's challenges and future, with Vincent Cochetel, a leading voice in the humanitarian protection world, and MPI's Meghan Benton.
This discussion, held in Berlin in collaboration with the Robert Bosch Stiftung, examines the relationship between migration policy, integration approaches, public trust, and democratic resilience in Europe and beyond.
Featuring the IOM Deputy Director General for Operations, this webinar features the latest MPI-IOM research exploring the rich tapestry of human mobility in a post-pandemic world, with climate change adding to the complexity of movements.
Monique Pariat, the European Commission’s Director General for Migration and Home Affairs, spoke to the DC policy community on Europe’s rapid response to the Ukrainian displacement crisis, lessons learned, and considerations for future policies.
Mending, Not Ending, the Refugee Convention Could Save the Protection System and Restore Public Trust
Legal Pathways and Enforcement: What the U.S. Safe Mobility Strategy Can Teach Europe about Migration Management
The Door Opens for a New Chapter in European Cooperation on Migration
Rocking the (Small) Boat: Novel Options to Tackle Irregular Migration to the United Kingdom
The Ukrainian Conflict Could Be a Tipping Point for Refugee Protection
Managing Mobility in the Pandemic Era Requires World to Buy In on Shared Principles
Can Omicron Finally Get the World to Cooperate on Pandemic Mobility Management?
As the United States Lifts Travel Restrictions, Its New Vaccination Requirements Could Shape the Future of Global Mobility
The Rocky Road to a Mobile World after COVID-19
Coronavirus Is Spreading across Borders, But It Is Not a Migration Problem
Brexit Day—Is This the Dawning of the Age of Immobility?
Too Little, Too Late? Contingency Planning for UK Nationals in Case of a No-Deal Brexit
The Good, the Bad, and the Fuzzy: Brexit Negotiating Stance towards Mobile EU Nationals Unveiled
A Game of Chess, Not Tennis: Unraveling the Rights and Status of “Brexpats”