E.g., 06/02/2026
E.g., 06/02/2026
International Program

International Program

A street in Amman, Jordan, with market stalls, people, and cars
Samer Saliba/Mayors Migration Council

Migrants and refugees make up notable shares of the workforce in many cities. By creating an environment in which they can find work, apply their skills, and thrive, urban areas can set themselves up to weather current and future economic changes, including the green and digital transitions. Drawing on a scan of city practices on four continents, this report examines the experiences and policy approaches of cities around the world.

A field of flowers next to destroyed buildings in Homs, Syria
IOM/Batoul Ibrahim

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.

Venezuelan migrants in Guayaquil, Ecuador
IOM/Ramiro Aguilar Villamarín

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.

A worker in a hard hat on a ship
© ILO/Marcel Crozet

Labor and skills shortages threaten the European Union’s economic growth. Attracting workers with sought-after skills from abroad will be an important means of addressing these challenges. This report examines best practices for designing and managing labor migration corridors between EU and non-EU countries, with the aim of benefiting countries of destination and origin, employers, and migrant workers alike.

Venezuelan immigrant registers in Ecuador
Ramiro Aguilar Villamarín/IOM

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.  

Syrian father holds his young son in Lebanon
Dominic Chavez/World Bank

The humanitarian protection system created through the 1951 Refugee Convention is a remarkable accomplishment. Yet this legal instrument that has saved millions of lives is showing its age. This short read explores ways to update the Convention, without opening Pandora's box, through a possible new Protocol that could address gaps and help better meet today's challenges.

Recent Activity

The backs of two people on a motorbike; above them a sign notes the Guatemala border
Articles
Cover image for Creating Inclusive Urban Economies for Migrants and Refugees
Reports
May 2026
By  Kate Hooper, María Jesús Mora, Abigail Goldfarb and Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan
A road sign in Kazakhstan.
Articles
Cover image for From Exile to Return
Reports
April 2026
By  Samuel Davidoff-Gore and Susan Fratzke
People walk in front of Tower Bridge in London.
Articles
A crowd in Benin City, Nigeria. (Photo: IOM/Agara Barinedum)
Cover image for Creating Inclusive Urban Economies for Migrants and Refugees
Reports
May 2026
By  Kate Hooper, María Jesús Mora, Abigail Goldfarb and Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan
Cover image for From Exile to Return
Reports
April 2026
By  Samuel Davidoff-Gore and Susan Fratzke
Cover image for Best Practices for Designing and Managing Labour Migration Corridors to Europe
Reports
December 2025
By  Kate Hooper, María Belén Zanzuchi, Abigail Goldfarb, Ravenna Sohst and Bertrand Steiner
Cover image for Small Boats, Big Stakes
Policy Briefs
June 2025
By  Meghan Benton, Susan Fratzke and Nurbanu Hayır
Cover image for Consideraciones clave para futuros programas de protección temporal...
Reports
June 2025
By  Diego Chaves-González, María Jesús Mora, Ana Alanis and Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan
Cover image for Key Considerations for Future Temporary Protection and Regularization Programs...
Reports
June 2025
By  Diego Chaves-González, María Jesús Mora, Ana Alanis and Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan
Cover image for Migration Governance in Unsettled Times
Policy Briefs
April 2025
By  Meghan Benton, Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan and Kate Hooper
The backs of two people on a motorbike; above them a sign notes the Guatemala border

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.

A road sign in Kazakhstan.

Patterns of migration from Central Asia are changing amid deteriorating conditions in Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine and a 2024 terrorist attack in Moscow blamed on Tajik nationals. Some labor migrants from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan are looking to new destinations in Europe and beyond, bringing its own set of challenges.

People walk in front of Tower Bridge in London.

UK immigration policy has often followed public mood on the issue. While attitudes have remained generally steady, the issue’s salience—how important people feel it to be—has risen and fallen, often in response to major news coverage or periods of highly visible migration. This article describes how UK labor migration policies have followed public attitude since 2010.

A crowd in Benin City, Nigeria. (Photo: IOM/Agara Barinedum)

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and one of its largest economies, sits at the crossroads of the continent’s migration landscape. As both a regional immigration hub and an origin for significant emigration, the country contends with a wide range of migration issues that have evolved over time. This country profile situates Nigeria's migration trends and policies.

A farmer in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

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.

Venezuelan migrants in Guayaquil, Ecuador
Short Reads
February 2026
By  Diego Chaves-González
Worker holds stack of paperwork
Short Reads
December 2025
By  Kate Hooper, Nurbanu Hayır and María Belén Zanzuchi
Venezuelan immigrant registers in Ecuador
Short Reads
November 2025
By  Diego Chaves-González
Equipment for a USAID project in Indonesia
Short Reads
April 2025
By  Lawrence Huang, Samuel Davidoff-Gore and Susan Fratzke
A Guatemalan man reflects on his migration to and back from the United States
Short Reads
April 2025
By  María Jesús Mora and Ariel G. Ruiz Soto
Montage of photos of Presidents Sheinbaum and Trump
Short Reads
February 2025
By  Ariel G. Ruiz Soto and Andrew Selee
Expert Q&A, Audio
May 18, 2026

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).

Expert Q&A, Audio
April 2, 2026

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?

Belén Zanzuchi speaking on Webinar
Video, Audio
February 26, 2026

This webinar explored labor migration pathways as a potential avenue for qualified refugees to access protection in Europe while helping meet destination countries’ skill needs. Speakers examined ways to make work visas more accessible to qualified refugees and how to remove barriers that prevent refugees from entering via the labor pathway. 

Expert Q&A, Audio
February 25, 2026

South Korea faces a rapidly aging population and shrinking workforce. What role can immigration play in responding to these pressures? In this World of Migration podcast episode, MPI’s Lawrence Huang speaks with Juyoung Jang, a senior policy researcher and advisor on migration and demographics at South Korea’s Migration Research and Training Center.

River in Udaipur region during the dry season. Several families have lost their houses
Video, Audio
January 27, 2026

This webinar focuses on how climate change is altering human mobility and offers insights into on-the-ground experiences of climate change and migration in East Africa, South Asia, and other global contexts.

Recent Activity

Articles

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.

Expert Q&A, Audio
May 18, 2026

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).

Reports
May 2026

Migrants and refugees make up notable shares of the workforce in many cities. By creating an environment in which they can find work, apply their skills, and thrive, urban areas can set themselves up to weather current and future economic changes, including the green and digital transitions. Drawing on a scan of city practices on four continents, this report examines the experiences and policy approaches of cities around the world.

Articles

Patterns of migration from Central Asia are changing amid deteriorating conditions in Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine and a 2024 terrorist attack in Moscow blamed on Tajik nationals. Some labor migrants from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan are looking to new destinations in Europe and beyond, bringing its own set of challenges.

Reports
April 2026

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.

Articles

UK immigration policy has often followed public mood on the issue. While attitudes have remained generally steady, the issue’s salience—how important people feel it to be—has risen and fallen, often in response to major news coverage or periods of highly visible migration. This article describes how UK labor migration policies have followed public attitude since 2010.

Articles

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and one of its largest economies, sits at the crossroads of the continent’s migration landscape. As both a regional immigration hub and an origin for significant emigration, the country contends with a wide range of migration issues that have evolved over time. This country profile situates Nigeria's migration trends and policies.

Expert Q&A, Audio
April 2, 2026

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?