About the International Program

MPI’s International Program acts as a policy laboratory for developing innovative, evidence-based, and politically feasible solutions to worldwide migration policy challenges. From rethinking how seismic events such as the COVID-19 pandemic affect international cooperation, to crafting policy memos for national governments reforming their labor or citizenship policies, to advising EU and UN institutions, MPI’s International Program strives to inform ongoing policy debates in Europe and across the Americas, as well as in the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific—and at the global level.

Working from offices in Washington, New York, and Mexico City, and in close partnership with Brussels-based sister organization MPI Europe, the International Program combines MPI’s evidence-based research and analysis with pragmatic policy insights to deliver actionable recommendations on immigration and integration policy. It leverages its cross-country expertise to generate thoughtful comparative research and convene productive policy dialogues across different geographies and sectors.

The International Program’s work falls into three principal categories: research and analysis, policy dialogue, and direct consultations with governments and government institutions. 

Its five main pillars of work are:

1. Strengthening humanitarian protection systems and developing new pathways for protection
2. Creating labor migration policies for an era of profound labor market and economic change
3. Developing effective approaches to borders and mobility during and beyond the pandemic
4. Strengthening social cohesion to help increasingly diverse societies adapt to rapid social change
5. Targeting development investments to harness the potential of migration and prevent forced displacement, including by building resilience to climate change.

Current projects and initiatives include:

• The Transatlantic Council on Migration, which brings together senior policymakers, experts, and other stakeholders to discuss mutual challenges and exchange knowledge in a Chatham House Rule setting underpinned by MPI original research.
• The Latin America and Caribbean Initiative, which provides policy analysis and policy design, as well as technical assistance to governments as they confront dynamic and fast-changing migration developments.
• The Beyond Territorial Asylum: Making Protection Work in a Bordered World initiative, which is exploring new ways to facilitate access to protection that ultimately preserve protection norms by shoring up public trust and political confidence in asylum and refugee resettlement systems.
• The Task Force on Borders and Mobility During and After COVID-19, which is crafting a road map towards reopening borders and travel and promoting an evidence-based, coordinated approach to managing future outbreaks.

The International Program team has been asked to advise multiple national governments in Europe, North America, and Central and South America, as well as EU and UN institutions on how to address some of the thorniest immigration and integration challenges facing policymakers. MPI continues to respond to opportunities to expand its international reach and bring together diverse groups of constituents to share ideas and effective practices. MPI’s goal is to grow an authoritative evidence base and dynamic platform for knowledge exchange that can generate practical solutions to the world’s most critical migration challenges.