Migration Information Source
Chinese immigrants comprise the third largest foreign-born group in the United States, although numbers declined slightly following the COVID-19 pandemic's outbreak. Historical arrivals of laborers from China in the 19th century prompted some of the first U.S. immigration restrictions, but recent immigrants have tended to be better educated and earn higher incomes than the U.S. born. This article provides a wealth of data about this group.
© UNHCR/Hossein Eidizadeh
Iran, host to the world's largest refugee population, has long served as a refuge for Afghans escaping instability and conflict. The government welcomed refugees and other migrants from Afghanistan and beyond in previous eras, but its approach has grown increasingly restrictive in recent years, driven by economic strains and security concerns. This article reviews the periods of forced migration from Afghanistan to Iran and the Iranian government's responses over recent decades.
Oliver Contreras/White House
The Biden administration took significantly more executive actions on immigration than its predecessors, including during Donald Trump's first term, although it has been unable to escape criticism for its response to record irregular arrivals at the U.S.-Mexico border. The border overshadowed administration steps to modernize the legal immigration system and rebuild refugee resettlement, as this analysis of Biden's track record explains.
Muhammad Zulkifal/iStock.com
As countries in the Gulf region rewrite their immigration rules to reflect changing economic futures, they have made reforms to their oft-criticized kafala sponsorship system. But not all migrants are set to benefit equally. This article provides an overview of the reforms and the growing inclusion gap between highly skilled professionals and low-skilled migrants.
For five decades, Sahrawi refugees have been displaced from Western Sahara, which many people call "Africa’s last colony" and which the United Nations considers the world’s largest and most populous non-self-governing territory. As this article details, young Sahrawis have for decades left the isolated refugee camps to study and live abroad, but many seem increasingly inclined not to return.
Whether as migrant-sending or migrant-receiving locations—or both—many countries have rich, complex international and internal migration histories. MPI's online journal, the Migration Information Source, offers resources on more than 100 nations. Written by leading scholars, these articles delve into countries' migration histories, demographics, policymaking, and more.
Immigration touches on many facets of life in the United States. Get the facts with this useful resource, which compiles in one place answers to some of the most often-asked questions about immigration and immigrants in the United States now and historically. This article contains essential data on the immigrant population, immigration levels, trends in immigration enforcement, and much more.
Severe weather, rising seas, and other consequences of global climate change are affecting the way people live, work, and move around the planet. While there is no clear, direct line between the impacts of climate change and changing human movement, there are indications that the warming planet is indirectly creating or altering patterns of migration. Our podcast Changing Climate, Changing Migration dives deep into the intersection of climate change and migration to separate fact from fiction.
Recent Articles
Chinese immigrants comprise the third largest foreign-born group in the United States, although numbers declined slightly following the COVID-19 pandemic's outbreak. Historical arrivals of laborers from China in the 19th century prompted some of the first U.S. immigration restrictions, but recent immigrants have tended to be better educated and earn higher incomes than the U.S. born. This article provides a wealth of data about this group.
Iran, host to the world's largest refugee population, has long served as a refuge for Afghans escaping instability and conflict. The government welcomed refugees and other migrants from Afghanistan and beyond in previous eras, but its approach has grown increasingly restrictive in recent years, driven by economic strains and security concerns. This article reviews the periods of forced migration from Afghanistan to Iran and the Iranian government's responses over recent decades.
The Biden administration took significantly more executive actions on immigration than its predecessors, including during Donald Trump's first term, although it has been unable to escape criticism for its response to record irregular arrivals at the U.S.-Mexico border. The border overshadowed administration steps to modernize the legal immigration system and rebuild refugee resettlement, as this analysis of Biden's track record explains.
As countries in the Gulf region rewrite their immigration rules to reflect changing economic futures, they have made reforms to their oft-criticized kafala sponsorship system. But not all migrants are set to benefit equally. This article provides an overview of the reforms and the growing inclusion gap between highly skilled professionals and low-skilled migrants.
For five decades, Sahrawi refugees have been displaced from Western Sahara, which many people call "Africa’s last colony" and which the United Nations considers the world’s largest and most populous non-self-governing territory. As this article details, young Sahrawis have for decades left the isolated refugee camps to study and live abroad, but many seem increasingly inclined not to return.
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Iran, host to the world's largest refugee population, has long served as a refuge for Afghans escaping instability and conflict. The government welcomed refugees and other migrants from Afghanistan and beyond in previous eras, but its approach has grown increasingly restrictive in recent years, driven by economic strains and security concerns. This article reviews the periods of forced migration from Afghanistan to Iran and the Iranian government's responses over recent decades.
As countries in the Gulf region rewrite their immigration rules to reflect changing economic futures, they have made reforms to their oft-criticized kafala sponsorship system. But not all migrants are set to benefit equally. This article provides an overview of the reforms and the growing inclusion gap between highly skilled professionals and low-skilled migrants.
For five decades, Sahrawi refugees have been displaced from Western Sahara, which many people call "Africa’s last colony" and which the United Nations considers the world’s largest and most populous non-self-governing territory. As this article details, young Sahrawis have for decades left the isolated refugee camps to study and live abroad, but many seem increasingly inclined not to return.
Immigrants with university-level degrees are over-represented across many high-income countries, yet a significant number face "brain waste" in that they are working in jobs well below their skill levels or are unemployed. This article details the changing policy environment to improve credential recognition, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ukrainian diaspora has played a critical but often overlooked role in supporting the homeland since Russia invaded in 2022. Key networks were built years earlier, following the annexation of Crimea, and sprang into action when the full-scale invasion began. This article charts the evolution of the diaspora and its mobilization over time.
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Chinese immigrants comprise the third largest foreign-born group in the United States, although numbers declined slightly following the COVID-19 pandemic's outbreak. Historical arrivals of laborers from China in the 19th century prompted some of the first U.S. immigration restrictions, but recent immigrants have tended to be better educated and earn higher incomes than the U.S. born. This article provides a wealth of data about this group.
Indians comprise one of the largest and fastest-growing immigrant populations in the United States. Compared to both the overall immigrant population and the U.S. born, Indian immigrants are much more likely to have a college degree and earn high incomes. This article offers a wide-ranging overview of this group.
Los mexicanos son el mayor grupo de inmigrantes en Estados Unidos, con cerca del 23 por ciento del total de 47.8 millones de residentes nacidos en el extranjero en 2023. Este artículo de enfoque proporciona información sobre la población inmigrante mexicana en Estados Unidos.
The number of Mexican immigrants in the United States dropped by about 1 million from 2010 to 2022, but has since rebounded to an extent while remaining below its peak. Mexicans are by far the largest group of immigrants in the United States, and more than half live in either California or Texas. This article offers key details of this population and how it is evolving.
A rising number of immigrants in the United States are college educated. Nearly half of recent arrivals come with a college degree, well in excess of the 36 percent for all U.S.-born adults. This article explains the trends in immigration of the college educated, including international students and H-1B specialty occupation workers.
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New Zealand, once chiefly a destination for British and Irish settlers, has become a destination for temporary labor and student migration from Asia and beyond. Immigrants comprised 29 percent of the population as of 2023, but many have temporary statuses that do not offer full residence rights. This article provides a wide-ranging overview of the country's past and present trends and policies.
Immigration has shaped modern Switzerland, at times in ways different than expected. Its foreign-born population share is larger than that of many other European countries or the United States. Yet the Swiss public has repeatedly expressed anxiety about newcomers, and periods of increased immigration have often coincided with efforts at restriction. This article provides an overview of Switzerland's migration trends, policies, and tensions.
Kenya's relative peace, stability, and economic growth have made it an attractive destination for economic migrants, tourists, and refugees from troubled neighboring countries. Regional instability and terror attacks have undermined support for humanitarian reception, however, and the government often views refugees as a security liability. This article examines Kenya's past and present immigration and emigration trends.
Tens of millions of people globally claim Irish heritage, due to the country’s long history of emigration to places such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. In recent years, many more people have been moving to Ireland than leaving, providing benefits to the country but also posing challenges. This article provides an overview of Ireland's migration trends and policies, past and present.
Mexico is the source of the world’s second-largest migrant population. In recent years the country has found itself at an unexpected crossroads: Managing the transit of growing numbers of asylum seekers and other migrants headed to the United States. Meanwhile, the Mexican-born population in the United States has declined significantly since 2010. This article provides an overview of the major trends and policies.
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The Biden administration took significantly more executive actions on immigration than its predecessors, including during Donald Trump's first term, although it has been unable to escape criticism for its response to record irregular arrivals at the U.S.-Mexico border. The border overshadowed administration steps to modernize the legal immigration system and rebuild refugee resettlement, as this analysis of Biden's track record explains.
More refugees were resettled in the United States in fiscal year (FY) 2024 than any year since FY 1994, marking a rapid turnaround from record-low refugee resettlement just three years earlier. The system was rebuilt by investing in people and processes, streamlining operations, and being willing to experiment. This article explains the sea change in resettlement admissions and puts it in context.
A quiet political realignment has taken place in the United States. As unauthorized crossings of the U.S.-Mexico border have reached record levels in recent years, Democrats have begun to embrace restrictions at the border that they once reviled, including limits to asylum and expansion of the border wall. This article examines the pivot and how it might affect future U.S. immigration politics and policy.
Hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers and other migrants have gone directly from the U.S.-Mexico border to New York, Chicago, Denver, and other interior cities, hastening what had previously been a much more gradual process. As arrivals have slowed, the situation has stabilized, and cities have managed to find a new normal. This article explains how cities coped initially and examines the longer-term challenges that remain.
The Biden administration is on pace to carry out as many deportations as the Trump administration, although an overwhelming number have come in the form of voluntary returns at the border, rather than removals of unauthorized immigrants from the U.S. interior. This shift has echoes of earlier eras and comes as a response to record numbers of unauthorized border arrivals.
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