With limited land, low fertility, and a changing economy, Singapore has long depended on immigration to grow its labor force and global competitiveness while preserving national identity. This country profile examines how the nation has managed migration-related challenges in adapting to shifting demographic, economic, and political pressures.
In recent years, vigilante groups opposed to immigration have formed to conduct patrols, stage parades, and even commit violence against asylum seekers and other migrants in Europe, North America, and other regions. Vigilantes often claim that the government has been soft on irregular migration and use performative, symbolically heavy imagery to sway public opinion. This article traces the trends in vigilante movements targeting migrants.
U.S. immigration policy, practice, and enforcement changed dramatically over the first year of President Donald Trump's second term, touching most corners of the immigration system. The government has cracked down on unauthorized immigration in the U.S. interior and at the border, expanded scrutiny of immigrants of all legal statuses, and erected barriers for would-be arrivals. This article provides a sweeping overview of the changes that have taken place and assesses their impacts.
Many Venezuelan migrants in Trinidad and Tobago have found that their situation is more complex than expected as the Caribbean country has largely adopted an enforcement-first approach. Many Venezuelan migrants face stigma and precarity—issues complicated amid escalating tensions between Venezuela and the United States, as this article details.
One of Europe’s poorest countries, Moldova has hosted more displaced Ukrainians per capita than any other nation. More than one-quarter of the nearly 7 million Ukrainians who fled since Russia’s 2022 invasion have passed through Moldova. This article provides an overview of the little country shouldering a disproportionate burden even as it is pulled between Russia and the European Union.
Argentina's founders had a clear desire to encourage immigration, especially from Europe, and the country was for a period among the world’s top immigration destinations. Trends and policies shifted over time, and since the early 1900s overall immigration has declined. Most immigrants now come from neighboring South American countries. This country profile examines Argentina’s migration past and present, including a turn to more restrictive policymaking.
Many countries have sought to encourage immigrants’ participation in sports as a pathway to integration. These efforts have followed broader social policy shifts and evolved as policymakers have reconsidered the process of integration. This article examines how sports programming has been used to aid newcomers' settlement in their communities.
As the number of defections from North to South Korea has declined, South Korea has struggled to respond to a new trend: a rising number of children born during defectors' long stays in China or other third country. As this article explains, these children automatically become South Korean citizens upon arrival but are not eligible for the range of government benefits designed to support defectors, leaving many to fall through the cracks.
Canada has long been viewed as a global leader in creating welcoming immigration policies. But amid pressures on housing and services, as well as a surge in admission of temporary migrants, most Canadians now say there is too much immigration. With the government lowering its targets for new arrivals, this country profile examines the factors behind Canada's policy evolution.
While most Colombians say the influx of migrants from Venezuela over the past decade harms their country, this opinion does not necessarily lead to support for more immigration restrictions. As this article shows, attitudes are more nuanced, and many Colombians blame the government and employers for perceived harms resulting from immigration, rather than immigrants themselves.
While millions of Ukrainians have sought refuge across Europe since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, not every displaced person has been welcomed equally. Displacement has come with additional barriers for many of the estimated 100,000 Roma people who fled the country, continuing a pattern of exclusion and marginalization experienced by Roma in Europe across generations, as this article details.
Norway has transformed from a historically homogeneous society to one where one-fifth of residents are immigrants or the children of immigrants. Economic opportunities, a strong welfare state, and humanitarian commitments have been instrumental for immigration, which has been both a driver of growth and a source of debate. This article provides an overview of the history and key trends in Norway.
As countries in the Gulf region rewrite their immigration rules to reflect changing economic futures, they have made reforms to their oft-criticized kafala sponsorship system. But not all migrants are set to benefit equally. This article provides an overview of the reforms and the growing inclusion gap between highly skilled professionals and low-skilled migrants.
New Zealand, once chiefly a destination for British and Irish settlers, has become a destination for temporary labor and student migration from Asia and beyond. Immigrants comprised 29 percent of the population as of 2023, but many have temporary statuses that do not offer full residence rights. This article provides a wide-ranging overview of the country's past and present trends and policies.
Immigration has shaped modern Switzerland, at times in ways different than expected. Its foreign-born population share is larger than that of many other European countries or the United States. Yet the Swiss public has repeatedly expressed anxiety about newcomers, and periods of increased immigration have often coincided with efforts at restriction. This article provides an overview of Switzerland's migration trends, policies, and tensions.
Immigration trends in countries such as Canada are pushing some to reconsider how they think about integration. More than half of Canada's population could be immigrants or children of immigrants by 2041, prompting a significant question: What does it mean to “fit in” when there is no clear single group in which to fit? This article outlines the policy and demographic changes in Canada and explores how they complicate prior views of integration.
East African migrants traveling irregularly can face terrible conditions in transit, including torture and even death. Many may become stranded and need assistance from an international organization or government to return to their country of origin. This article analyzes the results of a major return and reintegration initiative for stranded migrants, finding that certain types of assistance can be quite beneficial.
Immigration from China and Japan to Peru in the 19th and 20th centuries has had a lasting impact on the South American country. These immigrants arrived to fill labor market needs, but later encountered a backlash from native Peruvians. Now, amid an influx of Venezuelans fleeing political strife and economic collapse, the past may be repeating itself. This article provides an overview of historical Asian migration to Peru, drawing a parallel to recent experiences with Venezuelans.
The Immigration Act of 1924 shaped the U.S. population over the course of the 20th century, greatly restricting immigration and ensuring that arriving immigrants were mostly from Northern and Western Europe. The century-old law was one of the most restrictive in U.S. history and helped create the framework for key provisions of the U.S. immigration system that remain in place a century later. This article analyzes the effect and legacy of the 1924 law.
In recent decades, countries worldwide have expanded voting rights to their diasporas as well as certain resident noncitizens. Voting access in general has grown over time, as barriers based on sex, literacy, and other characteristics have fallen, and migrants' increasingly expansive rights to vote are part of that trend worldwide. This article provides a global overview of the dynamics.
