Top 10 Migration Issues of 2016
European Commission DG ECHO
In the Migration Information Source’s Top 10 Migration Issues of 2016, MPI experts explore key trends of the year.
The year 2016 was a notable one for the migration world, marked by ongoing displacement crises, political upheaval, and policy developments on returns, integration, and border enforcement in countries of origin, transit, and destination. MPI experts highlight the biggest migration developments of the year in this countdown of the Top 10 Migration Issues of 2016.
Dawn of New Migration Reality Brings Focus on Borders, Returns, and Integration
Frontline host countries are recalibrating borders, returns, and integration approaches to sustain strained protection systems amid large migrant…
As Trump Takes Office, Immigration Enforcement and Policy Poised to Undergo Major Changes
As President Donald Trump takes office, U.S. immigration enforcement is poised for major shifts, from deportation priorities to legal immigration…
European Project Dealt a Blow with Brexit Vote and Challenges to Migration Management
The Brexit vote and the European Union's faltering migration response put free movement and the Schengen area under pressure, leaving the…
For Every Step Forward on Refugee Protection, Two Steps Back amid Record Displacement
Low- and middle-income countries hosted nearly 90 percent of the world's displaced people, with countries neighboring conflict areas bearing the…
As Publics Fear Loss of National Identity, Far-Right Populist Movements Gain Strength
Brexit and Donald Trump's electoral victory showed that anti-immigration anxiety could fracture liberal democratic consensus across the West.
Crises with Links to Immigration Result in Divergent Policy Responses on Either Side of the Atlantic
The United States centered its immigration debate on refugee security threats in 2016, while Europe grappled with integration, social cohesion, and…
Migrants and Smugglers Get Creative to Circumvent Immigration Enforcement
In 2016, route closures in Europe and the Americas shifted migrants onto deadlier paths, with Central Mediterranean deaths reaching approximately 4…
New Actors Step Up to Help Shoulder Growing Refugee Burden, But System Slow to Adapt
In 2016, private-sector and civil-society actors pledged $650 million for refugees, but coordination gaps and government friction limit broader…
On the Brink of Demographic Crisis, Governments in East Asia Turn Slowly to Immigration
Facing demographic crisis, East Asian governments cautiously advanced diaspora and skilled-migrant reforms, while the public remained wary of…
While Mobility Comes under Assault in Europe, Other Regions Forge Ahead
Even as Europe tightened its borders, regional blocs in Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America advanced freer intraregional movement.
