Migration Policy Institute Podcasts

Improving the Educational Outcomes of California’s Immigrant Youth: A National Imperative

This Migration Policy Institute (MPI) webinar explores the findings of the new report, Critical Choices in Post-Recession California: Investing in the Educational and Career Success of Immigrant Youth. The authors of the report, MPI Director Margie McHugh, CEO and Director of Studies Michael Fix, and Policy Analyst Sarah Hooker discuss the implications of California's public education system reforms for the state's 3.3 million first- and second-generation immigrant young adults and their families. By virtue of sheer demographics, the outcomes of these youth—who include more than one-third of the country's English Language Learner (ELL) students—will drive the success of national high school and college completion efforts and shape the record of the country’s success or failure in integrating today's immigrants into the mainstream of society. Christopher Edley, Jr., former Dean and Orrick Professor of Law, University of California Berkeley School of Law and Co-Chair of the recent National Commission on Education Equity and Excellence, and Shelly Spiegel-Coleman, Executive Director of Californians Together, join the report's authors for the discussion of their findings and the implications for national and state policy.  To read the full report, click here.

Has EU Immigration and Asylum Policy Failed? Can It Ever Succeed?

This Migration Policy Institute Europe (MPI Europe) telebriefing examines the realities of European policy on immigration and asylum thus far, the challenges that policymakers face in the coming months and years, and what possibilities exist for future reform and development of EU immigration policy. Is this the end of the road for European collaboration, or the beginnings of closer cooperation? Participants include MPI Europe Director Elizabeth Collett, MPI Europe Fellow Madeline Garlick, and moderator Matina Stevis of the Wall Street Journal. The discussion outlines the findings of a new MPI Europe policy brief written by Madeline Garlick that reflects on the challenges confronting the European Union and Member States with respect to asylum policymaking in the near term and beyond, as well as some of the opportunities ahead to improve the Common European Asylum System.To read the policy brief, click here.

Addressing Barriers to Successful Engagement of Immigrant and Refugee Parents of Young Children

This Migration Policy Institute (MPI) webinar discusses the report Immigrant Parents and Early Childhood Programs: Addressing Barriers of Literacy, Culture, and Systems Knowledge from MPI's National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy (NCIIP). Presenters include report authors NCIIP Director Margie McHugh and NCIIP Policy Analyst and Program Coordinator Maki Park, as well as Miriam Calderon, Senior Partner for School Readiness Consulting and former Senior Policy Advisor for Early Learning with the White House's Domestic Policy Council, and Eliza Leighton, Director of Promise Neighborhood Langley Park Program with CASA de Maryland. The report seeks to better understand the experiences and challenges faced by early childhood programs and immigrant and refugee parents as they connect with one another by identifying the unique needs of newcomer parents and recommendations for addressing them. MPI partnered with leading organizations in California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, and Washington state to conduct field work for the study, which spans the range of early childhood parent skill, engagement, and leadership programs.The webinar includes a preview of new state-level sociodemographic data on foreign-born parents of young children compiled by MPI. Presenters discuss the top-line data and findings from the report, barriers facing immigrant parents, and challenges and opportunities facing policymakers in this arena.

Syrians on the Edge: The Status of Refugees in Neighboring Countries

This MPI panel discussion, in partnership with the Middle East Institute and the Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies (ORSAM), examines the status of Syrian refugees abroad and the effect of the ongoing Syrian crisis on Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq. Panelists Oytun Orhan, ORSAM Project Coordinator and Researcher, Peri-Khan Aqrawi-Whitcomb, Middle East Research Institute Junior Research Fellow, Faysal Itani, Resident Fellow at the Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, and Saban Kardas, ORSAM President discuss the experiences of each country as outlined in ORSAM’s report. The project team visited each country and after six months of boots-on-the-ground research, found that women and children account for more than 75 percent of the refugees, making education in particular a devastating issue for the next generation of Syrians. In addition, Syrian emigrants settle not only in camps but also in cities, raising prices and lowering wages all along the Syrian borders. The discussion is moderated by Kathleen Newland, Director of the Refugee Protection Program at MPI.The panel makes the case that because of the heavy financial and social costs, Syrian displacement is not merely a problem for Syria or even the greater Middle East; the destabilization is a global problem requiring significant outreach to the global community.To read the report from ORSAM, click here: www.orsam.org.tr/en/showReport.aspx?ID=2638

A Discussion on the Global Forum on Migration and Development: Perspectives from Asia and the Pacific

This International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Migration Policy Institute (MPI) meeting launches the Issue in Brief, The Global Forum on Migration and Development: Perspectives from Asia and the Pacific, the ninth in this MPI/IOM joint-publication series that offer succinct insights on migration issues affecting the Asia-Pacific region today. The discussion explores the Asia-Pacific priorities for the GMFD 2014 and provides recommendations on how the GMFD can be a development focused and results-oriented forum.Over the last seven years, many governments in the Asia-Pacific region have been actively engaged in the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) not only as participants to the process but also as leaders driving its direction and continuity. The region’s active engagement has clearly made an impact judging on the themes and topics of the GFMD since 2007. To continue its success and to remain as relevant, the GFMD has to be as instrumental in shaping the reality on the ground as much as the global discourse on migration and development.

State-Level Initiatives to Address Brain Waste Among Highly Educated Immigrants and Refugees: Special Focus on Nurses, Engineers, and Teachers

This Migration Policy Institute (MPI) webinar focuses on data compiled by MPI on brain waste among foreign-trained nurses, engineers, and teachers, and updates on three state-level initiatives—in Illinois, Washington, and Massachusetts—that are working to analyze and address challenges faced by immigrants and refugees with degrees and training in these fields. Dr. Jeanne Batalova presents MPI’s data on brain waste at the national and state levels and representatives from the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, OneAmerica, and the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition discuss their analysis and efforts on these issues. The discussion is moderated by Margie McHugh, Director of MPI's National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy.Despite possessing postsecondary degrees and relevant work experience, many highly educated immigrants and refugees in the United States struggle to find employment that utilizes their talents and professional experience. Particularly in fields with strict certification or licensure requirements, difficulties in obtaining recognition of credentials from foreign institutions, acquiring professional-level English skills, and navigating costly or time-consuming recertification processes prevent highly skilled immigrants and refugees from making the most of their education and training, and waste human capital badly needed by local economies and employers.

The 2014 Global Forum on Migration and Development: Setting the Agenda for International Cooperation

In advance of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) convening in Stockholm in May 2014, the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) hosted a conversation with H.E. Eva Åkerman Börje, Ambassador and Chair of the 2014 GFMD to discuss the forum’s agenda, policy areas that seem ripe for action, and what impact the GFMD discussions will have on the post-2015 development agenda. Also taking part in the call: Kathleen Newland, Director of MPI’s Migrants, Migration, and Development Program, and MPI Senior European Policy Fellow Gregory Maniatis.

The Deportation Story: Deporter-in-Chief, Releaser-in-Chief, or Reformer-in-Chief?

This Migration Policy Institute panel discussion examines the U.S. deportation system with analysis on migrant apprehensions, removals, returns, and criminal prosecutions, and launches the report, The Deportation Dilemma: Reconciling Tough and Humane Enforcement. Report authors Doris Meissner, MPI Director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Program, and Marc Rosenblum, MPI Deputy Director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Program, as well as commentators David V. Aguilar and Hiroshi Motomura and moderator Muzaffar Chishti, discuss the findings of the report, including the main drivers of deportation policy and how the system has changed over the past two decades.  With deportation levels for unauthorized immigrants reaching record levels under the Obama administration, and after a decade of failed congressional efforts to pass comprehensive immigration reform, many immigrant-rights advocates are demanding that the administration scale back enforcement that they view as ripping families apart—and possibly even suspend deportations—until Congress passes a broad legalization. At the same time, immigration-control adherents question the administration’s commitment to immigration control, accusing the administration of selective enforcement. Troubled by what they see as excessive claims of executive power, congressional Republicans are seeking ways to ensure that border security and interior enforcement come first.These conflicting views partly reflect basic disagreements about what a successful immigration enforcement system would look like. Yet the gap between these narratives also reflects uncertainty and confusion about the actual state of U.S. immigration enforcement. As the Department of Homeland Security reviews its removal operations, the MPI discussion and report outline the tools that both the president and Congress have to influence the deportation system going forward. 

Human Rights, Climate Change, Environmental Degradation and Migration: A New Paradigm

This MPI event, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), discusses the critical issue of climate-related displacement in the Asia-Pacific region, explored in depth in the joint MPI and IOM brief Human Rights, Climate Change, Environmental Degradation and Migration: A New Paradigm. Climate change and environmental degradation are predicted to displace millions of people in the coming years, either directly or indirectly. While today’s international legal framework provides a degree of protection to those displaced by environmental factors and climatic events, there is no global consensus on a definition for such a group. In the absence of this, gaps in the legal system, and in implementation, how can recognition of the vulnerability of environmental migrants be facilitated and their protection ensured? This discussion explores how to protect climate change-induced migrants, particularly in the highly vulnerable Asia-Pacific region.

Education for the Future: Extending Georgia's High School and College Reforms to its Growing Immigrant Population

This Migration Policy Institute webinar discusses the report from MPI's National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy, released on March 20, which provides one of the first cross-system analyses of the educational experiences of Georgia’s first- and second-generation youth. Speakers include report authors Michael Fix, MPI CEO and Director of Studies, Sarah Hooker, MPI Policy Analyst, and moderator Margie McHugh, MPI Director of the National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy, as well as Pedro Portes, Executive Director of the University of Georgia Center for Latino Achievement and Success in Education, and Elizabeth Webb, Director of ELL Programs for Gwinnett County Public Schools.Georgia has experienced one of the fastest rates of growth from immigration in the United States over the past two decades, and today one in five Georgia youth is foreign born or is the child of parents who are immigrants or refugees. The educational outcomes of the state’s first- and second- generation young adults (ages 16-26) are cause for concern, however. Many are English Language Learners (ELLs), and they lag considerably behind their nonimmigrant peers in terms of high school graduation, college access, and postsecondary degree completion. They often face extra hurdles as they seek to develop academic English-language skills, complete high school course requirements, navigate the transition to college and careers, and finance postsecondary education—often while juggling work and family responsibilities. Educators in districts such as Gwinnett County—which enrolls one-fifth of the state’s ELL students—are on the front lines of efforts to address these challenges.The webinar assesses where Georgia’s ambitious education reforms have met—or failed to meet—the needs of this growing population, including those who have been granted status under the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.The report, Education Reform in a Changing Georgia: Promoting High School and College Success for Immigrant Youth, is available online.

Children on the Run: An Analysis of First-Hand Accounts from Children Fleeing Central America

This Migration
Policy Institute event with UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres
features findings from UNHCR’s report, Children on the Run, which examines the increasing numbers
of children from Central America and Mexico who head off alone to find refuge
in the United States, fleeing violence, insecurity, and abuse in their
communities and at home. The panel moderated by Kathleen Newland, Director of the Refugee
Protection and Migrants,
Migration, and Development Programs at MPI, also includes speakers Javier Sagredo, an advisor in
the UN Development Programme's Regional Bureau for Latin America and the
Caribbean, and Leslie E. Vélez, UNHCR Senior Protection Officer. A
troubling new trend has emerged among those seeking asylum: the number of
children making the treacherous journey alone and unaccompanied from Mexico and
the countries of Central America—particularly El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala—has
doubled each year since 2010. And the U.S. government estimates 60,000 children
will reach U.S. soil this fiscal year in search of safe haven. This discussion surrounding the UNHCR study, which was based on interviews that a team of researchers did with more than
400 unaccompanied children, analyzes the reasons behind the growing migration
of this vulnerable population and makes recommendations
for a way forward.The UNHCR report is available online here.

A Treacherous Journey: Child Migrants Navigating the U.S. Immigration System

This
Migration Policy Institute panel discussion on unaccompanied minors focuses on a report by Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) and the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies (CGRS) at UC
Hastings College of the Law, A
Treacherous Journey: Child Migrants Navigating the U.S. Immigration System. The panel moderated by Kathleen Newland, Director of the Refugee Protection and Migrants at MPI, includes speakers Elizabeth Dallam, KIND National Legal Services Director, Lisa Frydman, CGRS Associate Director
and Managing Attorney, Karen Musalo, CGRS Director, and KIND Executive Director Wendy Young. The discussion focuses on the conclusion that children face a
system created for adults that is not required to consider the child’s best
interests. Despite the potentially enormous impact of the proceedings on their
lives and futures, unaccompanied children are not provided lawyers to help them
navigate the complex requirements of immigration proceedings.The report is available at www.supportkind.org and www.cgrs.uchastings.edu.

A Transatlantic Conversation: Managing Migration in the Era of Mobility

This Migration Policy Institute panel discussion, presented in cooperation with the Greek Embassy, explores how the 2014 Greek Presidency of the
European Union and the United States can work to address the challenges of
managing migration while meeting humanitarian obligations and nurturing
economic growth. Speakers are: Ambassador of Greece to the United States
Christos P. Panagopoulos; U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Population,
Refugees, and Migration Anne Richard; MPI CEO Michael Fix;
and moderator Demetrios G. Papademetriou, the President of MPI. 
As the 2014 Greek Presidency of the Council of
the European Union works to formulate the European Union’s next five-year
program, two interconnected challenges have come to the fore: building a
comprehensive migration system whose parts work harmoniously to meet
humanitarian obligations and nurture economic growth and social cohesion, and
doing so with very limited resources. Europe is not alone in the difficulties it faces in meeting these goals—and in
fact shares many of these challenges with the United States. This discussion bridges these critical themes and offer ideas on how to manage more effectively the opportunities and responsibilities migration writ large creates.

Managing Borders in North America: Charting the Future

This Migration Policy
Institute (MPI) panel discussion offers perspectives on border
policy management from leading officials in the U.S., Canadian, and Mexican
governments, and showcases MPI's edited volume, Managing Borders in an Increasingly Borderless World. Book co-editors Randall Hansen of the Munk School of Global
Affairs at the University of Toronto and MPI President Demetrios Papademetriou,
as well as Mexican Ambassador to the United States Eduardo Medina Mora, Canada
Border Services Agency Executive Vice President Malcolm Brown, former Acting Commissioner of U.S. Customs and
Border Protection David V. Aguilar, and Mexico's former Undersecretary of
Population, Migration, and Religious Affairs Gustavo Mohar, discuss continuing and evolving challenges in border
management and security. The book covers these challenges—terrorism, organized crime, illegal migration, smuggling, trafficking,
human rights, infrastructure, corruption, and economic and political
factors—and offers an analysis of
effective and ineffective policies and programs. The panelists discuss the challenges
and successes their governments have had
in pursuing better, more effective, and smarter border controls, and the
deepening regional cooperation in this important policy area.

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.

2013 E Pluribus Unum Prizes Keynote Address by Congressman Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL)

Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ immigration task force and is the author of the recent book, Still Dreaming: My Journey from the Barrio to Capitol Hill, provided keynote remarks for the Migration Policy Institute’s 2013 E Pluribus Unum Prizes awards ceremony, held in Washington DC in December 2013. This year’s prize winners included Twin Cities-based Neighborhood Development Center, the Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School in Washington DC, and the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition. Kaiser Permanente received the E Pluribus Unum Prizes’ Corporate Leadership Award. After an introduction by Michael Fix, Senior Vice President and Co-Director of MPI’s National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy, Congressman Gutierrez spoke about the importance of integration in the immigration debate. He discussed his belief that immigrant integration efforts are key to allowing immigrants to fully participate in and contribute to society in the United States and his steadfast support for immigration reform. For more on the E Pluribus Unum Prizes and the 2013 winners, visit www.integrationawards.org.

2013 E Pluribus Unum Prizes Award Ceremony

The Migration Policy Institute’s 2013 E Pluribus Unum Prizes awards ceremony, held in Washington, DC in December 2013, honored four exceptional immigrant integration initiatives in the United States—three with a $50,000 prize and one a Corporate Leadership Award. After an introduction by Michael Fix and Margie McHugh, Co-Directors of MPI’s National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee and its immigration subcommittee, introduced one of the winners: Twin Cities-based Neighborhood Development Center (NDC). The prize was accepted by NDC’s Founder and President Mihailo Temali. The award to Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School in Washington, DC was accepted by Founder and President Sonia Gutierrez. For the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, the prize was accepted by Executive Director Eva Millona. And Gayle Tang, Senior Director, National Diversity and Inclusion, accepted the E Pluribus Unum Prizes’ Corporate Leadership Award on behalf of Kaiser Permanente. For more on the E Pluribus Unum Prizes and the 2013 winners, visit www.integrationawards.org.

2013 E Pluribus Unum Prizes Awardee Panel Discussion

The Migration Policy Institute’s 2013 E Pluribus Unum Prizes awards ceremony held in Washington, DC in December 2013 included a panel discussion with the winners of the prizes, which honor exceptional immigrant integration initiatives in the United States. Moderator Margie McHugh, who co-directs MPI’s National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy, discussed immigrant integration practice and policy with the winners: Allison Kokkoros of the adult-focused Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School in Washington, DC; Eva Millona of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition; Mihailo Temali of the Twin Cities-based Neighborhood Development Center; and Gayle Tang of Kaiser Permanente. The discussion also featured Felicia Escobar, Senior Policy Director for Immigration at the White House Domestic Policy Council, and Ronald G. Marlow, Assistant Secretary for Access and Opportunity, state of Massachusetts Executive Office of the Governor. For more on the E Pluribus Unum Prizes and the 2013 winners, visit integrationawards.org.