Unauthorized Immigration/Irregular Migration
Explore all research, analysis, commentary, and data on unauthorized immigrants and irregular migrants, terms used in different parts of the world to describe the individuals who lack the right to reside legally in their country of destination, as well as the policies and enforcement practices affecting them.
All Content
Showing 111–120 of 799 results
China’s Demand for Brides Draws Women from Across Southeast Asia—Sometimes by Force
China's gender imbalance and economic strength are driving marriage migration from Southeast Asia. Voluntary movement and forced trafficking are difficult to distinguish.
Biden at the Three-Year Mark: The Most Active Immigration Presidency Yet Is Mired in Border Crisis Narrative
The Biden administration's record-setting pace of immigration actions increased legal admissions and protections, but record border encounters and a swelling backlog defined the narrative.
Shifting Realities at the U.S.-Mexico Border: Immigration Enforcement and Control in a Fast-Evolving Landscape
Nearly 2.5 million encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border in fiscal year 2023 exposed a system reacting to rather than managing realities at the border. Real control will require multiagency investment.
Migration at the U.S.-Mexico Border: A Challenge Decades in the Making
Today’s pressures at the U.S.-Mexico border have been decades in the making. A system built to handle Mexican seasonal migration faltered with the arrival of families and asylum seekers from across the hemisphere.
What Role Could Digital Technologies Play in the New EU Pact on Migration and Asylum?
EU asylum reforms hinge on the effective use of digital tools, but without strong safeguards these same technologies could harm migrants’ rights.
One Phase Closes for the New Pact on Migration and Asylum. Now Another Begins
The New Pact on Migration and Asylum agreed in December 2023 by EU Member States and the European Parliament after lengthy negotiation will, without a doubt, go down in history as a signal political accomplishment. But will it result in better management of migration and asylum systems in a complex era? The outcome will turn on implementation and communication, this MPI Europe commentary explains.
Immigration and Integration in the Ever More Diverse Houston Area
Immigrants help power Houston’s economy. Yet 67,000 college-educated immigrants are underemployed and integration services lag the region’s rapid diversification.
The U.S.-Mexico Border Problem Will Not Be “Solved” Until All Parts of the Border Enforcement System Are Properly Resourced
The $13.6 billion border emergency supplemental spending bill the Biden administration is seeking lays out the elements for resourcing immigration functions to full capacity across the entire border enforcement system. Without resourcing the system across all its parts, including adjudications and management, no administration, present or future, will be able to effectively manage spontaneous border arrivals, this commentary argues.
Can the Biden Immigration Playbook Be Effective for Managing Arrivals via Sea?
Caribbean maritime arrivals to the United States hit the highest levels since the 1990s; the Biden administration is betting on legal pathways and regional cooperation to curb dangerous sea crossings.
Documenting the Migration Journey: African Kinship Dynamics in Europe
A Ghanaian farming tradition, a Nigerian woman with two identities, and a Dutch policy shift together tell the story of how African migrants adapt when the state denies them the right to move and work freely.
