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E.g., 02/06/2023
Refugee & Asylum Policy

Refugee & Asylum Policy

Asylum Seekers
Refugees & Resettlement
_RefugeeAsylumPolicy credit

Tens of millions of people around the globe have been forcibly displaced by conflict, natural disaster, or persecution, seeking refuge either within or beyond the borders of their country. Humanitarian protection, whether for refugees, asylum seekers, or internally displaced persons (IDPs), represents a key policy area for many major immigrant-receiving countries as well as nations bordering locations where war, political upheaval, or natural disaster have disrupted daily life. The research offered here relates to the law and practice of protecting refugees and IDPs in areas of conflict as well as in industrialized nations, with a focus on secure solutions and effective institutional arrangements for comprehensive protection.

Recent Activity

2018.1.17 State of World on Migration Vitorino_Papademetriou_Collett web
Multimedia
January 18, 2018
The State of the World on Migration – Vitorino & Papademetriou Discuss Challenges, Opportunities Ahead
Coverthumb TrumpFirstYearImmigrationPolicy
Reports
January 2018
Trump’s First Year on Immigration Policy: Rhetoric vs. Reality
By  Sarah Pierce, Jessica Bolter and Andrew Selee
Coverthumb TCM StateLocalResponsses
Reports
January 2018
In the Age of Trump: Populist Backlash and Progressive Resistance Create Divergent State Immigrant Integration Contexts
By  Margie McHugh
EgyptianWoman BenPiven Flickr
Articles
January 10, 2018
Middle Eastern and North African Immigrants in the United States
By Mattea Cumoletti and Jeanne Batalova
Airport protest
Articles
December 20, 2017
Under Trump Administration, United States Takes Steps to Narrow Legal Immigration
By Julia Gelatt
Coverthumb_TrumpatOne
Policy Briefs
December 2017
Immigration under Trump: A Review of Policy Shifts in the Year Since the Election
By  Sarah Pierce and Andrew Selee
Social Innovation on Refugee Inclusion
Multimedia
November 16, 2017
Social Innovation for Refugee Inclusion: Maintaining Momentum and Creating Lasting Change
Rohingya refugees
Articles
December 19, 2017
Surge in Violence Against Myanmar's Rohingya Spurs World's Fastest-Growing Refugee Crisis
By Jeffrey Hallock

Pages

Feature
May 1, 2004
Confronting the Realities of Forced Migration
Stephen Castles of the University of Oxford outlines the categories of forced migrants and the factors driving their movement.
Feature
April 1, 2004
EU Sees Sharp Drop in Asylum Applications
Countries in the European Union received fewer asylum applications in 2003, according to Veysel Oezcan of the Social Science Research Center Berlin.
Feature
April 1, 2004
Gender-Related Persecution and International Protection

MPI Associate Policy Analyst Erin Patrick presents an in-depth look at some of the controversies associated with gender-related asylum.

Feature
February 1, 2004
UNHCR and NGOs: Competitors or Companions in Refugee Protection?

Ed Schenkenberg van Mierop of the International Council of International Agencies (ICVA) examines moves by non-governmental organizations and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to better coordinate the protection of refugees.

Feature
February 1, 2004
Belgium's Undocumented Hold Lessons for EU
Research by Marco Martiniello of the University of Liege and Andrea Rea of the Free University of Brussels casts light on how and why unauthorized immigrants arrive and stay in Belgium.

Pages

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Recent Activity

Audio
January 18, 2018

The State of the World on Migration – Vitorino & Papademetriou Discuss Challenges, Opportunities Ahead

This MPI Europe discussion brings together two of the most experienced thinkers on migration policy— António Vitorino and Demetrios G. Papademetriou—to explore what will be needed over the next years to ensure that the properly managed movement of people remains an integral, positive force in the world.

Reports
January 2018

Trump’s First Year on Immigration Policy: Rhetoric vs. Reality

Looking back after one year in office, it is striking how just closely the Trump administration’s actions on immigration have hewed to priorities Donald Trump outlined in an uncommonly detailed policy speech in August 2016. This report revisits those pledges to assess where the administration has made the most and least headway, and what its policy agenda ahead might look like.

Reports
January 2018

In the Age of Trump: Populist Backlash and Progressive Resistance Create Divergent State Immigrant Integration Contexts

As long-simmering passions related to federal immigration policies have come to a full boil, less noted but no less important debates are taking place at state and local levels with regards to policies affecting immigrants and their children. As states are increasingly diverging in their responses, this report examines how some of the key policies and programs that support long-term integration success are faring in this volatile era.

Articles
January 10, 2018

Middle Eastern and North African Immigrants in the United States

In 2016, nearly 1.2 million immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region lived in the United States. MENA immigration has picked up in recent decades, owing to war and worsening economic prospects. This article offers the latest data on the MENA population in the United States, which is more likely to come via humanitarian routes and less likely via family reunification than the foreign-born population overall.

 

Articles
December 20, 2017

Under Trump Administration, United States Takes Steps to Narrow Legal Immigration

During its first year, the Trump administration methodically put in place a series of bureaucratic barriers that could significantly reduce opportunities for foreigners to come to the United States legally. Among the actions taken during 2017: Imposition of a much-challenged travel ban suspending the entry of nationals from certain Muslim-majority countries, cuts to refugee admissions, and increased scrutiny for visa applicants.

Policy Briefs
December 2017

Immigration under Trump: A Review of Policy Shifts in the Year Since the Election

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump made immigration the centerpiece of his campaign, offering a more detailed policy agenda than on any other issue. In the year since the election that propelled the Republican into the White House, how has the Trump administration’s record matched up with the rhetoric? This policy brief examines the executive orders and other changes to existing policy and practice made during 2017.

Audio
November 16, 2017

Social Innovation for Refugee Inclusion: Maintaining Momentum and Creating Lasting Change

Following the arrival of large numbers of migrants and asylum seekers in Europe from 2015 onwards, many nontraditional actors—from tech start-ups to social enterprises—pioneered solutions to foster the social and economic inclusion of newcomers. This conference reflects on how innovations for refugee inclusion can grow beyond pockets of good practice and inspire large-scale, long-term change.

Articles
December 19, 2017

Surge in Violence Against Myanmar's Rohingya Spurs World's Fastest-Growing Refugee Crisis

More than 630,000 Rohingya refugees had crossed into Bangladesh from Myanmar during the last quarter of 2017, fleeing targeted violence by the Burmese military. This displacement, resulting from what the United Nations called a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing," marked the world's fastest-growing refugee crisis. Its speed and scale have challenged governments and aid organizations to effectively respond.

Pages