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Immigration is central to America’s economic future, yet political debate remains fixated on border crises and past policy failures instead of how a modern legal immigration system could power U.S. growth and competitiveness in an era of demographic decline. This short read argues for shifting the conversation toward flexible, employment-based immigration policies that match today’s labor market needs, strengthen enforcement through legal pathways, and treat immigrants as a source of national strength.
Cuba's collapsing economy and shrinking immigration pathways to the United States are redirecting Cuban migration flows across the Americas, as this World of Migration episode explores with María José Espinosa Carrillo, Executive Director of the Center for Engagement and Advocacy in the Americas (CEDA).
Testimony of Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan, Deputy Director of MPI's International Program, before the U.S. House of Representatives, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Europe Subcommittee, on February 10, 2026.
Facing a post-Maduro future for Venezuela, most of the nearly 8 million Venezuelans abroad are cautiously waiting, and many are likely to keep building lives in their host country. In this uncertain context, governments should prioritize sustained regularization and integration over returns, genuine regional coordination, and renewed financing, this short read argues.
Ante un posible escenario pos-Maduro para Venezuela, la mayoría de los casi 8 millones de venezolanos que se encuentran en el extranjero esperan con cautela, y es probable que muchos continúen construyendo sus vidas en los países de acogida. En este contexto de incertidumbre, los gobiernos deberían priorizar la regularización y la integración sostenidas por encima de los retornos, avanzar hacia una coordinación regional genuina y reactivar la financiación, sostiene este foco analítico.
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.
La reforma de la ley de movilidad humana de Ecuador impone controles de inmigración más estrictos, vinculando la migración de venezolanos con el aumento vertiginoso de los índices de criminalidad. Sin embargo, esta vinculación no está respaldada por los hechos, y Ecuador debería pasar ahora a una segunda fase en la elaboración de sus políticas: una fase centrada en la integración y el desarrollo de los inmigrantes.
Ecuador's reform of its law on human mobility imposes stricter immigration controls and speeds deportations, linking migration of Venezuelans to spiraling crime rates. Yet this linkage is not supported by the facts, and Ecuador should now move to a phase two in its policymaking: one focused on immigrant integration and development, this short read argues.
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.
Un nivel histórico de migración está transformando las sociedades y la política en América Latina y el Caribe, dando paso a una etapa definida por la volatilidad. Este artículo analiza estas dinámicas en el Caribe y Centroamérica y Sudamérica, y analiza la probabilidad de que la región se acerque a un punto de inflexión en la gestión de la migración.
Amid unprecedented migration that began in 2010, Latin America and the Caribbean have entered a new era best defined by volatility. The success of initial policy responses to the displacement of millions of Venezuelans and other migration patterns has dimmed, given incomplete integration outcomes and other pressures. This article details these dynamics across the Caribbean and Central and South America.
Esta conversación oportuna y provocadora sobre la migración en las Américas presenta los principales hallazgos de los autores, patrones sorprendentes y las urgentes preguntas de política pública que enfrenta hoy América Latina y el Caribe.
This timely and thought-provoking conversation on migration in the Americas features discussion of the new book On the Move: Migration Policies in Latin America and the Caribbean, surprising patterns, and the urgent policy questions facing Latin America and the Caribbean today.
This timely and thought-provoking conversation on migration in the Americas features discussion of the new book On the Move: Migration Policies in Latin America and the Caribbean, surprising patterns, and the urgent policy questions facing Latin America and the Caribbean today.
Los países latinoamericanos han respondido a la migración de Venezuela y otros países con diversas medidas de protección temporal y regularización. A medida que los países desarrollan enfoques de segunda generación, es necesario equilibrar la flexibilidad y la coherencia. Este informe compara los elementos clave del diseño de las políticas de protección temporal y regularización dentro y fuera de la región, destacando lecciones para los responsables de las políticas públicas en América Latina.
Latin American countries have responded to migration from Venezuela and beyond with a range of temporary protection and regularization measures. Amid protracted displacement, countries need to develop second-generation approaches that balance flexibility and consistency. This report compares key design elements of protection and regularization policies in countries in and beyond the region, highlighting lessons.
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.
With heightened pressure to tackle irregular migration, many European governments are exploring the potential of outreach and counselling for irregular migrants. Various initiatives have sought to connect with this hard-to-reach population to inform migrants about programs including return assistance or regularization. This MPI Europe issue brief explores the diversity of actors and approaches in the field.
The passing of the nation’s 39th president has sparked numerous assessments of the Carter presidency, yet few have focused on the wide-ranging legacy that Jimmy Carter left in the immigration realm. The Carter presidency illustrates the long history of authorities that remain in use today, including parole and creation of lawful pathways to admit people in orderly ways, and the persistent roots of issues such as spontaneous migration from the Caribbean.
As the Biden administration draws to a close, this webinar examined the Biden record on border management, legal immigration, and refugee resettlement, among other aspects. Speakers assessed the Biden legacy and discussed findings from an analysis of the administration’s actions on immigration during its four years.