E.g., 06/30/2023
E.g., 06/30/2023
Smuggling & Trafficking

Smuggling & Trafficking

_Trafficking

Smugglers and traffickers—of human beings as well as illicit drugs and other contraband—are among the “bad actors” who facilitate and profit from illegality. As governments make massive investments in immigration controls, there is a growing demand for ever more sophisticated and creative means to circumvent border controls. The research here focuses on the roles played by trafficking and smuggling organizations, the repercusssions of their activities, and the exploitation and abuse of individual migrants and trafficked persons.

Recent Activity

An abandoned shoe lies in the mud along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Articles
May 25, 2023
U.S. Border Asylum Policy Enters New Territory Post-Title 42
By Muzaffar Chishti and Kathleen Bush-Joseph
Paintings of the Algerian and Moroccan flags on a brick wall
Articles
May 18, 2023
Tense Neighbors, Algeria and Morocco Have Divergent Migration Histories
By Mohammed Ouhemmou
Attorney General William Tong
Multimedia
September 20, 2022
19th Annual Immigration Law & Policy Conference
Seeking the US border, many Central American migrants begin their journey in Mexico on 'La Bestia'
Multimedia
May 24, 2022
En Busqueda de Seguridad: Opciones de protección regional para personas de Centroamérica
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other leaders at the 2022 Summit of the Americas
Commentaries
June 2022
The Los Angeles Declaration Could Represent a Big Step for Real Migration Cooperation across the Americas
By  Andrew Selee
Migrants from Haiti intercepted by U.S. authorities off the coast of Florida.
Articles
May 25, 2022
Rise in Maritime Migration to the United States Is a Reminder of Chapters Past
By Muzaffar Chishti and Jessica Bolter
Cover image for COVID-19 and the State of Global Mobility in 2021
Reports
May 2022
COVID-19 and the State of Global Mobility in 2021
By  Meghan Benton, Samuel Davidoff-Gore, Jeanne Batalova, Lawrence Huang and Jie Zong
Cover image for The Central Role of Cooperation in Australia’s Immigration Enforcement Strateg
Reports
March 2022
The Central Role of Cooperation in Australia’s Immigration Enforcement Strategy
By  Henry Sherrell

Pages

Cover image for COVID-19 and the State of Global Mobility in 2021
Reports
May 2022
COVID-19 and the State of Global Mobility in 2021
By  Meghan Benton, Samuel Davidoff-Gore, Jeanne Batalova, Lawrence Huang and Jie Zong
Cover image for The Central Role of Cooperation in Australia’s Immigration Enforcement Strateg
Reports
March 2022
The Central Role of Cooperation in Australia’s Immigration Enforcement Strategy
By  Henry Sherrell
Cover image for Migración de Huehuetenango en el Altiplano Occidental de Guatemala
Reports
March 2022
Migración de Huehuetenango en el Altiplano Occidental de Guatemala: Respuestas de políticas públicas y desarrollo
By  Andrew Selee, Luis Argueta and Juan José Hurtado Paz y Paz
Cover image for Migration from Huehuetenango in Guatemala’s Western Highlands
Reports
March 2022
Migration from Huehuetenango in Guatemala’s Western Highlands: Policy and Development Responses
By  Andrew Selee, Luis Argueta and Juan José Hurtado Paz y Paz
Cover image for Challenge of Coordinating Border Management Assistance between Europe & the Maghreb
Reports
March 2022
The Challenge of Coordinating Border Management Assistance between Europe and the Maghreb
By  Matt Herbert
Cover image for The Complex Motivations and Costs of Central American Migration
Reports
November 2021
Charting a New Regional Course of Action: The Complex Motivations and Costs of Central American Migration
By  Ariel G. Ruiz Soto, Rossella Bottone, Jaret Waters, Sarah Williams, Ashley Louie and Yuehan Wang
Cover image for Migración africana a través del continente americano
Reports
October 2021
Migración africana a través del continente americano: impulsores, rutas y respuestas normativas
By  Caitlyn Yates and Jessica Bolter
Cover image for African Migration through the Americas: Drivers, Routes, and Policy Responses
Reports
October 2021
African Migration through the Americas: Drivers, Routes, and Policy Responses
By  Caitlyn Yates and Jessica Bolter

Pages

An abandoned shoe lies in the mud along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Policy Beat
May 25, 2023
U.S. Border Asylum Policy Enters New Territory Post-Title 42

The United States entered a new era with the end of the pandemic-era Title 42 expulsions policy. The government’s hopes of maintaining order at the U.S.-Mexico border post-Title 42 may be complicated by factors including authorities’ limited capacity, ongoing litigation, and cooperation from other countries. This article reviews the Biden administration's changing border policies and possible challenges ahead.

Paintings of the Algerian and Moroccan flags on a brick wall
Feature
May 18, 2023
Tense Neighbors, Algeria and Morocco Have Divergent Migration Histories

Algeria and Morocco sit along a crucial migration corridor between Africa and Europe and have often been defined by their rivalry. Although both have been reluctant to welcome large numbers of sub-Saharan African migrants, their motivations have been different. And historically, their approaches to emigration have been a study in contrasts. This article explores the factors driving migration policy in these two countries.

Migrants from Haiti intercepted by U.S. authorities off the coast of Florida.
Policy Beat
May 25, 2022
Rise in Maritime Migration to the United States Is a Reminder of Chapters Past

A recent uptick in the number of unauthorized migrants attempting to reach the United States by sea has been largely overshadowed by tensions on the southwest border but serves as an echo of eras past. This article explains why migrant interdictions have risen to recent highs, especially among Cubans and Haitians.

A construction crew works on a wall the U.S.-Mexico border.
Feature
March 2, 2022
The World Is Witnessing a Rapid Proliferation of Border Walls

The number of border walls globally has multiplied at a rapid clip, from fewer than five at the end of World War II to more than six dozen now, with more under construction. Most of the world's border fortifications have been built since the turn of the millennium, and are intended to accomplish a range of functions. This article charts the remarkable growth and normalization of border walls globally.

A woman and her child in southern Ethiopia.
Profile
October 5, 2021
Once Primarily an Origin for Refugees, Ethiopia Experiences Evolving Migration Patterns

In 1980, more than 2.5 million Ethiopian refugees lived in other countries. Now, Ethiopians are more likely to migrate for labor reasons, particularly to the Middle East and southern Africa, and meanwhile the country has become a refuge for humanitarian migrants from its neighbors. This article traces the history of migration from, to, and through Ethiopia.

Pages

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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other leaders at the 2022 Summit of the Americas
Commentaries
June 2022
The Los Angeles Declaration Could Represent a Big Step for Real Migration Cooperation across the Americas
By  Andrew Selee
CBP_UAC_MPP_processing_resize
Commentaries
March 2021
Hampered by the Pandemic: Unaccompanied Child Arrivals Increase as Earlier Preparedness Shortfalls Limit the Response
By  Mark Greenberg
MigrantCaravanMXCity2018_Wotancito_WikiCommons
Commentaries
July 2019
Strategic Solutions for the United States and Mexico to Manage the Migration Crisis
By  Andrew Selee, Silvia E. Giorguli-Saucedo, Claudia Masferrer and Ariel G. Ruiz Soto
MigrantsTijuanaRiverBed_BBCWorldService2014
Commentaries
July 2019
Soluciones estratégicas para afrontar la crisis migratoria en Estados Unidos y México
By  Andrew Selee, Silvia E. Giorguli-Saucedo, Claudia Masferrer and Ariel G. Ruiz Soto
MigrantGroupElPasoBorder CBP JaimeRodriguezSr
Commentaries
April 2019
Policy Solutions to Address Crisis at Border Exist, But Require Will and Staying Power to Execute
By  Doris Meissner and Sarah Pierce
BorderWall CBP ManiAlbrecht
Commentaries
January 2019
A Wall Cannot Fix Problems at Border; Smart Solutions for Asylum Crisis Can
By  Doris Meissner and Sarah Pierce
_TunisiaCamp
Commentaries
February 2017
New EU Partnerships in North Africa: Potential to Backfire?
By  Elizabeth Collett
Boat SteveEvans Flickr
Commentaries
March 2016
The Paradox of the EU-Turkey Refugee Deal
By  Elizabeth Collett
Commentaries
September 2015
The Asylum Crisis in Europe: Designed Dysfunction
By  Elizabeth Collett
UNHCR 15817431431 Ad'Amato Eritreans
Commentaries
March 2015
The Potential and Pitfalls of Extraterritorial Processing of Asylum Claims
By  Madeline Garlick

Pages

Explainer IllegalImmigration Art
Explainers
April 2019

Explainer: Illegal Immigration in the United States

How has the size of the unauthorized population in the United States changed over time? How is illegal immigration changing, and where do unauthorized immigrants come from? This explainer answers basic questions about illegal immigration, the changing patterns from Mexico, and more.

Attorney General William Tong
Video
September 20, 2022

19th Annual Immigration Law & Policy Conference

Focusing on top immigration policy issues at federal and state levels, this 2022 Immigration Law and Policy Conference featured keynotes by Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson exploring the growing role states are taking in the national immigration debate.

Seeking the US border, many Central American migrants begin their journey in Mexico on 'La Bestia'
Video, Audio
May 24, 2022

En Busqueda de Seguridad: Opciones de protección regional para personas de Centroamérica

Con motivo de la publicación de un informe del Instituto de Política Migratoria sobre posibles vías de protección para las personas centroamericanas, este webcast ofrece un análisis sobre las vías humanitarias y de reasentamiento que ya se utilizan en la región así como las oportunidades y los obstáculos para expandir estos programas. 

Video, Audio
September 27, 2021

18th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference

The 2021 annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference featured a keynote conversation with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas and analysis by top experts on the early months of the Biden administration and how immigration law and policy can respond to our changing world in a manner that is humane and in the national interest.

Video, Audio
April 15, 2021

Building Effective Migration Management Capacity in Mexico and Central America

This report release event examines migration management in Mexico and Central America, and the growing government attention to migration functions, enhanced immigration enforcement, increased investments in asylum systems and existing protection frameworks, as well as labor migration policies.

FLICKR 2021Portugal.eu 2021.01.05 Visit of the President of the European Council to Portugal
Video, Audio
February 5, 2021

A Way Forward on Migration Under the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union?

With Portugal assuming the EU Presidency in January 2021 and prioritizing progress on the EU Migration and Asylum Pact, this webinar features senior officials from the European Union, Germany (the last holder of the presidency), and Portugal to take stock of where conversations on the pact stand and Portugal’s plans for taking forward the negotiations. 

Pages

Recent Activity

Articles
May 25, 2023

U.S. Border Asylum Policy Enters New Territory Post-Title 42

The United States entered a new era with the end of the pandemic-era Title 42 expulsions policy. The government’s hopes of maintaining order at the U.S.-Mexico border post-Title 42 may be complicated by factors including authorities’ limited capacity, ongoing litigation, and cooperation from other countries. This article reviews the Biden administration's changing border policies and possible challenges ahead.

Articles
May 18, 2023

Tense Neighbors, Algeria and Morocco Have Divergent Migration Histories

Algeria and Morocco sit along a crucial migration corridor between Africa and Europe and have often been defined by their rivalry. Although both have been reluctant to welcome large numbers of sub-Saharan African migrants, their motivations have been different. And historically, their approaches to emigration have been a study in contrasts. This article explores the factors driving migration policy in these two countries.

Video, Webinars
September 20, 2022

19th Annual Immigration Law & Policy Conference

Focusing on top immigration policy issues at federal and state levels, this 2022 Immigration Law and Policy Conference featured keynotes by Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson exploring the growing role states are taking in the national immigration debate. Multimedia of the day's panel discussions will be posted later.

Video, Audio, Webinars
May 24, 2022

En Busqueda de Seguridad: Opciones de protección regional para personas de Centroamérica

Con motivo de la publicación de un informe del Instituto de Política Migratoria sobre posibles vías de protección para las personas centroamericanas, este webcast ofrece un análisis sobre las vías humanitarias y de reasentamiento que ya se utilizan en la región así como las oportunidades y los obstáculos para expandir estos programas. 

Commentaries
June 2022

The Los Angeles Declaration Could Represent a Big Step for Real Migration Cooperation across the Americas

The Los Angeles Agreement on Migration and Protection signed by leaders from 20 countries across the Western Hemisphere at the 2022 Summit of the Americas marks a significant step forward in creating a common language and a coherent set of ideas for more cooperatively managing migration movements across a region that has seen very significant mobility in recent years, as this commentary explains.

Articles
May 25, 2022

Rise in Maritime Migration to the United States Is a Reminder of Chapters Past

A recent uptick in the number of unauthorized migrants attempting to reach the United States by sea has been largely overshadowed by tensions on the southwest border but serves as an echo of eras past. This article explains why migrant interdictions have risen to recent highs, especially among Cubans and Haitians.

Reports
May 2022

COVID-19 and the State of Global Mobility in 2021

Despite high hopes that international movement would be revived in 2021 after the deep chill in 2020 with designation of a global pandemic, cross-border mobility remained limited as migrants and travelers faced complex rules, high costs, and uncertainty as new COVID-19 variants emerged. This report assesses global mobility in 2021, including changing use of travel restrictions, their impacts on mobile populations, and efforts to safely restart migration and travel.

Reports
March 2022

The Central Role of Cooperation in Australia’s Immigration Enforcement Strategy

Cooperation with other countries has become a central part of Australian border enforcement. Partnerships with countries such as Indonesia, Cambodia, Nauru, and Papua New Guinea have helped Australia curb irregular maritime migration, but also come at significant costs. This report explores the current and future role of cooperation in Australian immigration enforcement policy.

Pages