Meghan Benton
Meghan Benton is Director of the Global Program at MPI, with responsibility for the strategic direction of the Global Program and its flagship Transatlantic Council on Migration, the Latin America and Caribbean Initiative, the Refugee and Forced Displacement Initiative, and other international 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.
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In the News
Can Democracies Balance Control and Compassion?
Meghan Benton discusses on The View from Here podcast
Why Is Immigration Policy So Hard to Get Right?
Meghan Benton speaks with Madeleine Sumption, Director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford
Explore Content by Meghan Benton
Showing 11-20 of 84 total results
Mending, Not Ending, the Refugee Convention Could Save the Protection System and Restore Public Trust
The humanitarian protection system created through the 1951 Refugee Convention is a remarkable accomplishment. Yet this legal instrument that has saved millions of lives is showing its age. This short read explores ways to update the Convention, without opening Pandora's box, through a possible new Protocol that could address gaps and help better meet today's challenges.
Small Boats, Big Stakes: Options for a UK-EU deal on migration and asylum
Small boat crossings to the United Kingdom have surged since 2018; a post-Brexit readmissions deal with the EU, paired with managed pathways, could help address them.
Migration Governance in Unsettled Times: How Policymakers Can Plan for Population Change
Aging economies are growing more reliant on immigrants, but populist backlash and short-term firefighting are crowding out long-term, whole-of-government migration planning.
Legal Pathways and Enforcement: What the U.S. Safe Mobility Strategy Can Teach Europe about Migration Management
The Biden administration's ambitious migration management strategy, which combined increased regional cooperation and expanded lawful pathways with a more orderly system for border arrivals, eventually led to a significant drop in irregular migration to the U.S.-Mexico border. The strategy holds promise for governments in Europe also tackling mixed migration flows—however sequencing matters, among other lessons.
The End of Asylum? Evolving the Protection System to Meet 21st Century Challenges
Territorial asylum is increasingly inadequate to meet 21st-century protection needs. A diversified policy toolkit, including regional cooperation, expanded legal pathways, and streamlined procedures, is urgently needed.
Bridging the Gap between the Gig Economy and Migration Policy
Gig economy growth has outpaced migration policy. Visa frameworks built for traditional employment leave platform workers without protections or legal pathways, requiring the need to bridge the gap.
Engaging Employers in Growing Refugee Labor Pathways
Refugee labor pathways in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom show promise, but scaling requires smarter outreach, policy reforms, and stronger government involvement.
The Door Opens for a New Chapter in European Cooperation on Migration
New leadership in London and in European capitals, alongside continuity at the European Commission, could offer a window for greater European cohesion and creativity on immigration policy. This MPI Europe commentary explores the opportunities for greater UK-EU cooperation on migration and asylum if both sides smartly rekindle their relationship and prioritise strategic engagement.
Rocking the (Small) Boat: Novel Options to Tackle Irregular Migration to the United Kingdom
With UK voters headed to the polls on July 4, one thing is clear: Whatever party wins the election will face the ongoing challenges of addressing irregular arrivals by boat and growing asylum claims. But this could also be an opportunity for novel policy approaches and collaboration with international partners in Europe and beyond, this commentary argues.
Mapping Global Human Mobility in an Increasingly Complex World
Featuring the IOM Deputy Director General for Operations, this webinar explored trends of human mobility in a post-pandemic world, with climate change adding to the complexity of movements.
