Top 10 Migration Issues of 2012
William Stebbins / World Bank
MPI experts analyze major trends and dynamics in this annual version of the Migration Information Source's Top 10.
The 2012 Top 10 was framed with an eye to the emerging trends rolling into the new year: Syria remaining the humanitarian crisis to watch; Greece’s far-right party Golden Dawn jolting public attention by gaining a first-ever electoral foothold in Parliament in 2012 even as far-right nationalist parties elsewhere may be muting the anti-immigration message in their platforms; and significant challenges ahead for EU Member States and the European Commission, not only relating to Schengen and the Common European Asylum System but also a more concerted humanitarian response to the Syrian refugee crisis affecting Europe’s neighbor, Turkey. MPI experts analyze these and other pressing concerns of 2012 in this issue of the Migration Information Source's Top 10.
Migration Flows Rise, Diversify as Global Economy Stumbles Toward Recovery
As recession-stalled migration resumed toward high-income countries in 2012, emerging economies drew growing numbers of workers and students.
Obama Administration Action Benefitting DREAMers a Game-Changer in U.S. Immigration Debate
In 2012, the Obama administration offered deportation relief to as many as 1.8 million DREAMers, reshaping the U.S. immigration debate.
Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric Just One of Several Campaign Messages for Far-Right Parties
Greece's Golden Dawn won 18 parliamentary seats in 2012, but most European far-right parties lost ground as economic anger eclipsed anti…
Forced Migration: No Resolution in Sight for Syrians, Violent Outbreaks Displace Thousands across African Continent
More people were displaced internationally in 2011 than at any other point in the prior decade.
The Stars May Be Aligning for Break in Long-Running Stalemate over Major U.S. Immigration Policy Reform
Shifting voter alignments after the 2012 election put U.S. immigration reform back on the agenda, but prospects for passage remained far from certain.
2012 Proved a Year of Migration Management Headaches in the European Union
Italy's 2012 pushbacks to Libya were ruled a human rights violation, as Greece's financial crisis and Syrian displacement strained EU…
Governments Crack Down on Student Visa Fraud
In 2012, major international student destinations took steps to curb visa fraud.
Major Immigration Countries Take a Crack at Addressing Thorny Issue of Immigrant Detention
Immigrant detention reforms in the United States, Australia, and Greece in 2012 drew persistent criticism.
International Student Mobility Rises, and Countries Seek to Capitalize
More students crossed borders in 2012 than ever before. A number of countries have entered the student mobility game in a significant way, including…
As Migration of Unaccompanied Minors Endures, and in Some Cases Rises, Governments Seek to Respond
A U.S. surge in unaccompanied minor arrivals in 2012 and stable but undercounted EU figures exposed gaps in both regions' child migration…
