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EU policymakers are under mounting pressure to increase returns, yet the reintegration of returnees remains a politically overlooked dimension. This short read examines the fragmented landscape of assisted voluntary return and reintegration (AVRR) programs, the limits of current approaches, and how a more coherent European framework—anchored in local institutions and development partnerships—could better serve both returnees as well as origin and destination countries.
Previously niche strategies of recruiting partner countries to help manage irregular migration have become mainstream. Governments in multiple migrant-receiving countries have engaged other countries to screen, detain, remove, or otherwise transfer migrants elsewhere—in effect pushing the border outwards. While some externalization approaches have been criticized, the range of models is more nuanced than is commonly understood.
Migration patterns from and through Central America are changing in fundamental ways amid rising immigration enforcement and a reduction in global humanitarian aid. These twin developments are putting new pressures on governments in the region and reshaping migrant experiences, as this article explores.
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).
The fall of Syria’s Assad regime has raised questions in high-income countries about when displaced Syrians will return home. Similar conversations are underway about the nearly 7 million displaced Ukrainians. This report examines the complexity of facilitating returns without imperiling reconstruction, fueling additional displacement, and uprooting well-integrated workers and members of host societies.
Why has immigration become so politically divisive—and why is it so difficult for governments to design policies that satisfy both public concerns and economic needs?
Significant shares of Syrians and Turks who have sought asylum in the European Union are of Kurdish background. How will migration be affected by the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria and Turkey’s 2025 ceasefire with PKK militants? This article examines the history and context of migration dynamics involving the Kurds, and prospects for change.
The Trump administration has signed deportation agreements with 27 countries, with outreach planned to dozens of others, to help facilitate its mass deportations agenda. Yet these third-country deportation arrangements account for a fraction of overall deportations—suggesting this policy is more about creating a climate of fear than facilitating large numbers of removals.
This essential resource offers top statistics about immigration, immigrants, and the immigration system in the United States, drawing on authoritative sources and the latest data available. The article offers insights on the size and characteristics of the immigrant population, the scope of temporary and permanent immigration via all pathways, enforcement actions, and much more.
MPI analysts assess the immigration actions taken during President Trump's first year back in office, detail the legal state of play, and analyze the actual effects on the labor market, U.S. communities, and future immigration to the United States.
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.
The U.S. approach towards refugees and asylum seekers has fluctuated considerably in recent years. The Trump administration all but ended refugee resettlement and sharply curtailed asylum processing following a period under the Biden administration of recent refugee highs, increased asylum grants, and the widespread use of temporary humanitarian protections. This article showcases the changing trends.
MPI analysts assess the immigration actions taken during President Trump's first year back in office, detail the legal state of play, and analyze the actual effects on the labor market, U.S. communities, and future immigration to the United States.
Policymakers across the European Union are seeking ways to incentivize third-country nationals with return orders to comply and voluntarily depart. This study examines whether and how two such measures—return counselling and reintegration assistance—can play a role in migrant decision-making, taking the Netherlands as a case study.
Featuring findings from a MPI policy brief, this discussion examines how the immigration courts have reached a point of crisis, the policies of the current administration and its predecessor touching upon the courts, and what administrative and legislative reforms are needed to transform the system.
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.
The United States is by far the top destination for international migrants from the Caribbean. Roughly one in ten U.S. immigrants was born in the Caribbean, coming chiefly from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, or Haiti. Compared to other foreign-born groups, these individuals are more likely to be naturalized U.S. citizens and to have arrived since 2010, as this article details.
The U.S. immigration court system faces an unprecedented crisis, with nearly 3.8 million pending cases as of mid-2025. This years-long backlog has undermined both timely immigration enforcement and grants of asylum to those in need of protection. This policy brief offers concrete actions that could make proceedings more efficient and more fair.
Maine’s immigrant population, though relatively small, is a notably diverse mix of long-settled residents and newcomers from many parts of the world. At a time when the U.S.-born workforce in Maine is shrinking and aging, immigrants contribute essential labor and skills to the state economy. This report sketches a profile of immigrants in Maine, including their origins, educational attainment, workforce characteristics, and the challenges some face.
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.