Effective Labour Migration Management Session II: Labour migration policy responsiveness to the business and worker needs

This Migration Policy Institute Europe panel discussion, one of two at an event organized with the Bertelsmann Stiftung, entitled “Effective Labour Migration Management: Creating Checks and Balances while Searching for Talent,” assesses the extent to which current labour migration systems are tailored to the needs of businesses and, at the same time, are able to protect and foster the labour and social rights of both migrant and native workers. The session brings the social partners' perspective into the debate and includes a discussion of the regulations of intra-company transfers and of the challenges and opportunities for integrating labour mobility provisions into trade agreements. The session is moderated by MPI Europe Director Elizabeth Collett and features Constantino Fotakis, a former adviser to the European Commission’s DG Employment; Carsten von der Linden of the Boston Consulting Group; Pauline Mathewson of Fragomen Worldwide; and Marco Cilento of the European Trade Union Confederation.

Effective Labour Migration Management Session I: Integrating labour migration into modern European economies

This Migration Policy Institute Europe event, organized with the Bertelsmann Stiftung, entitled “Effective Labour Migration Management: Creating Checks and Balances while Searching for Talent” brought together experts, policymakers, and social partners involved in the management of labor migration to discuss the various options available to policymakers when trying to design an 'optimally balanced' labor migration policy. This panel was the first of two, and focused on key questions such as: how can policymakers strike a balance between integrating migrant workers with the right mix of skills to support economic growth and demographic sustainability, and reduce the cost of immigration for public budgets and the local labour market and society? Can governments minimise the costs of immigration by limiting either access or rights for lower-skilled migrants? And what needs to be done today to forge a fair deal on talent in the medium term? It also served as the Brussels launch of Martin Ruhs’ book, The Price of Rights: Regulating International Labour Migration. The session is moderated by MPI Senior Policy Analyst Madeleine Sumption and features author and Oxford University Lecturer Martin Ruhs, Bertelmann Stiftung’s Christal Morehouse, and Thomas Liebig, of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Tackling Brain Waste among Immigrant Professionals: Initiatives to Improve the Recognition of Foreign Qualifications

This Migration Policy Institute panel discussion focuses on the circulation of skilled immigrant professionals and the recognition of foreign qualifications in the United States and Europe. The event brought together experts and policymakers from both sides of the Atlantic to discuss what governments can do to improve the recognition of foreign credentials — particularly in regulated occupations where time-consuming and expensive licensing processes can substantially delay access to skilled employment. The discussion highlights promising practices (including an example from Quebec), and identifies ways US policymakers can learn from European innovations in qualifications recognition and how international cooperation can help — both across the Atlantic and further afield. The event coincided with the release of the final report of a two-year research initiative funded by the Delegation of the European Union to the United States. Read the report: Skilled Immigrants in the Global Economy: Prospects for International Cooperation on Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.

The Ongoing Challenge of Ensuring Human Rights for Migrants in the European Union and United States

In this panel discussion at the Migration Policy Institute, Morten Kjaerum, Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) and former Founding Director of the Danish Institute for Human Rights, discussed the state of rights protection in Europe as well as his agency’s role in this evolving arena. The FRA’s goal is to promote understanding and secure fundamental rights in the European Union, and the discussion explored the organization’s work collecting and analyzing hard-to-find data, and its strategies for using this to combat discrimination against migrants and other minority populations. Other speakers focused on the evolution of the immigrant-rights movement in the United States, with comments by Lucas Guttentag, Founder and former National Director and Senior Advisor of the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project; Wade Henderson, President of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; and Becky Monroe, Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. The speakers discussed shared challenges and opportunities on both sides of the Atlantic, a conversation that was particularly relevant in light of the loss of human life at Lampedusa and the deportation of a teenage Roma girl seeking asylum in France. The panel was moderated by MPI Senior Vice President Michael Fix.

Newcomers to the Aloha State: A Portrait of Mexicans in Hawaii

The Mexican-origin population in Hawai’i represents a small, but fast-growing group, and one that is little examined. This briefing at the State Capitol in Honolulu, organized in conjunction with the University of Hawaii at Manoa, marked the formal release of a Migration Policy Institute report that presents key demographic and socioeconomic information about the Mexican-origin population in Hawai’i. The briefing to discuss the report, Newcomers to the Aloha State: A Portrait of Mexicans in Hawaii, featured researchers Jeanne Batalova of MPI and the University of Hawaii's Monisha Das Gupta and Sue Haglund. Other speakers included Minister Juan Manuel Calderón Jaimes, Deputy Director General for Consular Affairs at the Mexican Foreign Ministry, and Bruce Coppa, Chief of Staff to Governor Neil Abercrombie. This is the first time that a comprehensive study on the Mexican-origin population in Hawaii has been undertaken, and the speakers discussed the demographic characteristics and experiences of this population, the vast majority of whom are either U.S. born or naturalized citizens, as well as the immigration enforcement and other policies that affect them.

Sharing Lessons, Sharing Responsibility: Combating Human Trafficking

This Migration Policy Institute event discussed the Dutch model for fighting human trafficking and the strategic and operational dilemmas that public prosecutors in the Netherlands face. The event discussion also covered international efforts to engage private-sector organizations and the public in reducing organized crime; ways to strengthen law enforcement’s operational capacity and ability to apply collaborative and interagency approaches; and strategies for framing the public and political discourse on the issue. Demetrios G. Papademetriou, MPI President, moderates a discussion on the international efforts to engage private-sector organizations, law enforcement, governments, and the public in reducing organized crime to combat human trafficking. Panelists include Corinne Dettmeijer-Vermeulen, National Rapporteur for Human Trafficking in The Netherlands; Jane Nady Sigmon, Senior Advisor to the Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, US Department of State; Herman Bolhaar, Chair of the Dutch Public Prosecution Service; Jack Blakey, Chief of the Special Prosecutions Bureau, Cook County, Illinois State Attorney’s Office; and Ruud Bik, Deputy Chief, National Police of the Netherlands.

Changing Dynamics: Immigration, Mexico, and the United States

The Migration Policy Institute hosts a discussion with H.E. Eduardo Medina Mora, Mexico’s Ambassador to the United States, on the changing dynamics of Mexico’s economy, demographics, and large-scale emigration, and their implications for both Mexico and the United States. MPI President Demetrios Papademetriou moderates the discussion, joined by Senior Fellow Doris Meissner, who directs MPI’s U.S. immigration policy program.

Rethinking National Identity in the Age of Migration

In this Migration Policy Institute event on October 24, speakers discuss the anti-immigrant political movement in Europe (particularly France and the Netherlands) and the United States, the players who contribute to this environment, an analysis on the current situation in these countries, and the implications for community cohesion and national identity. Speakers: Patrick Simon, Director of Research, Institut national d’études démographiques, and Researcher at the Center for European Studies at Sciences Po, Paris; Cas Mudde, Assistant Professor of International Affairs at the University of Georgia; National Council of La Raza Executive Vice President Charles Kamasaki; and America’s Voice Executive Director Frank Sharry. Moderated by MPI President Demetrios G. Papademetriou.
View Cas Mudde's PowerPoint Presentation |  View Patrick Simon's PowerPoint Presentation

Thailand at a Crossroads: Challenges and Opportunities in Leveraging Migration for Development

This joint Migration Policy Institute and International Organization for Migration breakfast briefing discuss the Issue in Brief, Thailand at a Crossroads: Challenges and Opportunities in Leveraging Migration for Development, the sixth in an eight-paper monthly joint-publication series offering succinct insights on current migration issues affecting the Asia-Pacific region. Mr. Jerry Huguet, Consultant on Population and Development, and Ms. Claudia Natali, Labour Migration Programme Manager, IOM Thailand, will present key findings of the report, while Mr. Jeffrey Labovitz, Chief of Mission, IOM Thailand, will moderate the panel. Mr. Rattanarut, Expert on foreign workers administration and Independent Consultant (TBC) reflects on the government’s role in formulating and implementing effective policies for migration and development.
Download the Issue Brief | Learn more on MPI’s Migration and Development Program

Strengthening Pre-Departure Orientation Programmes in Indonesia, Nepal and the Philippines

This joint Migration Policy Institute and International Organization for Migration event marks the Issue brief launch of Strengthening Pre-Departure Orientation Programmes in Indonesia, Nepal and the Philippines, which explored issues affecting migrant workers in relation to the pre-departure orientation program.  Andrew Bruce, Regional Director, IOM Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific moderated the panel; Ms. Yuko Hamada, Senior Labour Migration and Development Officer, IOM Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, presented key findings, and H.E. Mr. Lutfi Rauf, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of Indonesia to Thailand, provided commentary on the report and discussion.
Download the Issue Brief | Learn more on MPI’s Migration and Development Program

Regulating Private Recruitment in the Asia-Middle East Labour Migration Corridor

This joint Migration Policy Institute and International Organization for Migration event marks the Issue brief launch of Regulating Private Recruitment in the Asia-Middle East Labour Migration Corridor, with author Dovelyn Rannveig Agunias, Regional Research Officer, IOM and Policy Analyst, MPI; Supang Chantavanich, Professor, Chulalongkorn University and Director, Asian Research Center for Migration; Jaewon Kim, Manager, Business for Social Responsibility; and Rabab Fatima, Regional Coordinator and Advisor for South Asia, IOM Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. Panelists discussed the Asian migrant worker experience in the Middle East and offered insights on migration issues affecting the Asia-Pacific region today.  

Download the Issue Brief | Learn more on MPI’s Migration and Development Program

MPI/IOM Asia-Pacific Launch of Developing a Road Map for Engaging Diasporas in Development

This joint Migration Policy Institute (MPI) and International Organization for Migration (IOM) event convenes a discussion on the recently published handbook, titled Developing a Road Map for Engaging Diasporas in Development, with Andrew Bruce, Regional Director, IOM; Dovelyn Rannveig Agunias, Regional Research Officer, IOM, and MPI Policy Analyst; Todd Cleaver, Deputy Head of Mission, New Zealand Embassy Bangkok, Thailand; Dr. Noppawan Tanpipat, Vice President, National Science and Technology Development Agency; and Kathleen Newland, Director of MPI’s Migrants, Migration, and Development program.
To download for free or purchase a hard copy of Developing a Road Map for Engaging Diasporas in Development, please visit www.thediasporahandbook.org.

Developing a Road Map for Engaging Diasporas in Development

In this Migration Policy Institute event, Kathleen Newland, MPI Co-Founder and Director of the Refugee Policy and Migrants, Migration, and Development Programs and William Lacy Swing, Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) discuss the highlights and best practices from the recently published handbook, Developing a Road Map for Engaging Diasporas in Development.
To order the handbook or download for free, visit www.thediasporahandbook.org.
Additional Resources: Diasporas: New Partners in Global Development Policy
Closing the Distance: How Governments Strengthen Ties with Their Diasporas

Update on the 2012 Global Forum on Migration and Development

In this Migration Policy Institute event, Ali Mansoor, Financial Secretary of the Republic of Mauritius and Chair of the 2012 Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), gives an overview of preparations for the forthcoming GFMD, which is scheduled to take place in Mauritius in November. MPI President Demetrios G. Papademetriou offers his insights with a broad perspective on global migration.

Engaging Diasporas in Europe for Development

In this Migration Policy Institute Europe event in Brussels, the co-author of a diaspora engagement handbook published by the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) and International Organization for Migration (IOM), Kathleen Newland, leads a discussion on the newly released book entitled Developing a Road Map for Engaging Diasporas in Development. Panelists are: Frank Laczko, Head of Research and Publications, IOM; handbook co-author Dovelyn Agunias, a policy and research analyst for both MPI and IOM; Eva Åkerman-Börje, Swedish Ambassador for the Global Forum on Migration and Development; Rodrigo Ballester, Policy Officer, Directorate-General for Home Affairs, European Commission; Santo Deng, President, Board of the Diaspora Forum for Development.
For more information on visit www.thediasporahandbook.org. For more information, visit www.MPIEurope.org.

The Role of National Governments in Promoting Immigrant Integration

Migration Policy Institute (MPI) President Demetrios G. Papademetriou leads a discussion on the complexities of managing an effective immigrant integration system and creating policies and initiatives that support the success of immigrants and their families in their new host societies. Discussants include Rosario Farmhouse, High Commissioner for Immigration and Intercultural Dialogue in Portugal; Alejandro Mayorkas, Director, US Citizenship and Immigration Services, US Department of Homeland Security; Jasenko Selimovic, State Secretary to the Minister for Integration in Sweden; and Peter Sylvester, Associate Deputy Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
For immigrant integration resources from MPI, visit www.migrationpolicy.org/integration. For international migration resources, visit www.migrationpolicy.org/transatlantic.

How UNHCR Is Facing a World of New Protection Challenges

In this MPI event, Volker Türk, UNHCR Director of International Protection, discusses the current global challenges of protecting refugees. Kathleen Newland, Migration Policy Institute Co-Founder and Director of MPI's Refugee Policy and Migrants, Migration, and Development Programs, guides the discussion around three main themes: protection gaps, burden-sharing, and reducing statelessness.
MPI Resources:
A Comprehensive Approach to Refugee Protection
The United States Refugee Admissions Program: Reforms for a New Era of Refugee Resettlement

Labour Migration from Colombo Process Countries

This joint Migration Policy Institute (MPI) and International Organization for Migration (IOM) event marks the launch in Bangkok, Thailand of an issue brief series on labor migration in Asia. Speakers  include H.E. Phadermchai Sasomsub, Minister of Labour, Government of Thailand; H.E. Kazi Imtiaz Hossain, Ambassador, Government of Bangladesh; H.E. Linglingay Lacanlale, Ambassador, Government of the Philippines; Andrew Bruce, Regional Director, IOM; and Dovelyn Rannveig Agunias, IOM Regional Research Officer and MPI Policy Analyst. Download Mrs. Agunias' PowerPoint presentation here.
Read the first of the issue brief series, Labour Migration from Colombo Process Countries: Good Practices, Challenges and Ways Forward.

Uyen Nguyen and James Huy Bao Accepts MPI’s Young Innovators Award

MPI Co-Founder and Director of MPI’s Migrants, Migration, and Development, and Refugee Policy Programs Kathleen Newland presents OneVietnam Network Co-Founders Uyen Nguyen and James Huy Bao for their vision and dynamism in engaging the Vietnamese diaspora in action for good through the use of new media, arts, culture, and social entrepreneurship. Their initiative is being examined as a model for other diaspora groups.
Visit www.migrationpolicy.org/celebrate10thevent

Open Society Foundations President Aryeh Neier Accepts MPI’s Global Visionary Award

MPI President Demetrious G. Papademetriou presents the Global Visionary Award, to honor Open Society Foundations (OSF) President Aryeh Neier for his career-long dedication to the protection and advancement of rights for the most vulnerable populations throughout the world, including refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants. In the mid-1990s, the foundation created a $50 million fund in the United States to provide naturalization and other services to immigrants and to build capacity among immigrant-rights organizations. And with the creation of OSF’s International Migration Initiative, the foundation is making a major commitment to protecting migrants around the world.
Visit www.migrationpolicy.org/celebrate10thevent