Demetrios G. Papademetriou
Demetrios G. Papademetriou was a Distinguished Transatlantic Fellow at the Migration Policy Institute, which he co-founded and led as its first President until 2014 and where he remained President Emeritus until his death in January 2022. He served until 2018 as the founding President of MPI Europe, a nonprofit, independent research institute in Brussels that aims to promote a better understanding of migration trends and effects within Europe.
He was the convener of the Transatlantic Council on Migration, which is composed of senior public figures, business leaders, and public intellectuals from Europe, the United States, Canada, and Australia. He also convened the Regional Migration Study Group in 2011–15, an initiative that proposed and promoted multi-stakeholder support for new regional and collaborative approaches to migration, competitiveness, and human-capital development for the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central America.
Dr. Papademetriou co-founded Metropolis: An International Forum for Research and Policy on Migration and Cities (which he led as International Chair for the initiative’s first five years and where he continued to serve as International Chair Emeritus); and served as Chair of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Migration (2009-11); Founding Chair of the Advisory Board of the Open Society Foundations' International Migration Initiative (2010-15); Chair of the Migration Group of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); Director for Immigration Policy and Research at the U.S. Department of Labor and Chair of the Secretary of Labor's Immigration Policy Task Force; and Executive Editor of the International Migration Review.
He published more than 275 books, articles, monographs, and research reports on a wide array of migration topics, lectured widely on all aspects of immigration and immigrant integration policy, and advised foundations and other grant-making organizations, civil-society groups, and senior government and political party officials, in dozens of countries (including numerous European Union Member States while they hold the rotating EU presidency).
Dr. Papademetriou held a PhD in comparative public policy and international relations (1976) from the University of Maryland and taught at the universities of Maryland, Duke, American, and New School for Social Research.
Honoring the Life of Demetrios G. Papademetriou
Friends and colleagues from around the world came together in March 2022 to celebrate Dr. Papademetriou's legacy during a tribute event in Washington, DC. To watch the event video, click on the image below.
For more on his remarkable legacy, read the MPI statement and a collection of tributes.
To read the obituary, click here.
During MPI's 20th anniversary celebration in 2021, its internship program was renamed the Demetrios G. Papademetriou Young Scholars Program in honor of the career-long dedication that he exhibited in training, mentoring, and helping the careers of the next generation of migration thinkers around the world.
To support the Young Scholars program, click here.
Explore Content by Demetrios G. Papademetriou
Showing 21-30 of 105 total results
Understanding and Addressing Public Anxiety About Immigration (Transatlantic Council Statement)
Public anxiety about migration is driven not by immigration levels alone but by deeper fears about social change and governments' perceived inability to manage movements.
Maintaining Public Trust in the Governance of Migration
Without public trust, governments lose room to innovate on immigration and pay disproportionate penalties for mistakes, making trust as important as any specific policy.
EU Asylum Application Trends for Select Nationalities
Syrians accounted for 15 percent of EU asylum applications between 2008-2015, with 615,040 people applying.
Managing Religious Difference in North America and Europe in an Era of Mass Migration
Cultural fears dominate European Muslim integration debates while security concerns drive U.S. discourse, demanding distinct policy responses on each side of the Atlantic.
Achieving Skill Mobility in the ASEAN Economic Community: Challenges, Opportunities, and Policy Implications
The ASEAN's skilled-labor mobility goal is far from reality, blocked by credential recognition barriers, national restrictions, and professionals' reluctance to move within the region.
Asylum Application Totals for Select EU Destinations
The number of asylum seekers entering Europe surged in the wake of the ongoing Syrian civil war and other conflicts around the world.
Migration Crisis Tests European Consensus and Governance
In 2015, unprecedented Mediterranean arrivals and faltering EU solidarity turned migration into a test of Europe’s borders, institutions, and political resolve.
Shine Wears Off Investor Visa Programs as Questions about Economic Benefits and Fraud Lead to Reforms
Allegations of fraud and thin economic gains pushed changes to investor visa programs, reshaping who buys residency and where.
Rethinking Emigration: Turning Challenges into Opportunities (Transatlantic Council Statement)
European countries losing skilled workers cannot simply prevent departures but must invest in structural reforms and diaspora engagement to recapture that human capital.
The Refugee Crisis in Europe: Q&A with Demetrios Papademetriou
What explains the scale of Europe’s refugee crisis—and the search for durable solutions?