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Immigration and Emigration

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Commentary

Professional Expectations, Families and Brexit Shape Future for UK International Researchers

May 5, 2017

Mobility has become an even higher priority for researchers since the results of the UK’s EU referendum, Brexit. To continue to attract and keep top talent, the UK needs to understand how and why researchers move between countries.
Report

Neither Deportation nor Amnesty: An Alternative for the Immigration Debate

Feb 26, 2018

About 11 million people live in the United States without lawful immigration status. Proposed solutions typically focus on deportation versus amnesty, but a minor change to the current immigration law could offer a compromise.

Explore Immigration and Emigration

Commentary

Common Sense Solutions to the Border Crisis

After years of declines, apprehensions of undocumented immigrants at the U.S.–Mexico border are set for their largest year-on-year increase in history. There is, in fact, a humanitarian crisis on the border. How did this come about? More importantly, what can be done to address it?

May 2, 2019
Report

Report

Human Smuggling and Associated Revenues: What Do or Can We Know About Routes from Central America to the United States?

The authors examine the structure, operations, and financing of actors that engage in human smuggling along routes from Central America to the United States and develop a preliminary estimate of revenues associated with human smuggling.

Apr 22, 2019
Research Brief

Human Smuggling Operations from Central America to the United States

Smuggling unlawful migrants from Central America to the United States generated between $200 million and $2.3 billion for human smugglers in 2017. The wide range reflects uncertainty about the number of migrants, their use of smugglers, and the fees they pay. Transnational criminal organizations are only one type of actor involved.

Apr 22, 2019
News Release

News Release

Human Smuggling Via Central America Generates Hundreds of Millions of Dollars, but Transnational Criminal Groups May ...

The smuggling of unlawful migrants from the Northern Triangle region of Central America—Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador—to the United States generated between $200 million and $2.3 billion for human smugglers in 2017. The wide range reflects uncertainty about the number of migrants that travel northward, their use of smugglers and the fees they pay.

Apr 22, 2019
Commentary

Hadrian's Wall Was a Policy Statement; So Is Donald Trump's

It's not clear if Hadrian's Wall was necessary to prevent Scottish fighters from invading the Roman Empire. Neither is it clear how effective Trump's wall would be at repelling undocumented immigration and smugglers. Hadrian's Wall may have been of symbolic value to those on both sides of it. Trump's could be, too.

Mar 6, 2019
Research Brief

Research Brief

Understanding Researcher Mobility

This research brief sets out the results from a 2017 survey of researchers in the UK and a review of the literature around patterns, drivers and barriers, and benefits and consequences of international mobility for researchers.

Feb 7, 2019
Blog

State of the Union: Insights from RAND

To shed light on a wide range of topics that figured in President Trump's second State of the Union address, we've rounded up insights from some of RAND's objective and nonpartisan research, analysis, and expertise.

Feb 6, 2019
Commentary

What Border Walls Can and Cannot Accomplish

States have been building walls since ancient times. Some were arguably quite successful, others less so. At the core of prudent policy lies a basic question: What can walls realistically accomplish?

Jan 8, 2019
Commentary

America's Overwhelmed Immigration System

The Trump administration's options to deal with the surge of asylum seekers arriving at the U.S. border appear to be limited. What policies could help address the problem?

Dec 5, 2018
Commentary

Berlin Protests Highlight Need for Sound Employment Discrimination Laws in Germany

Germany has a legal tradition and a strong constitution that promotes equality for all those living within its borders. That tradition could end up being a factor as German policymakers consider whether it is advantageous for the nation as a whole that the newest members of its society should have the necessary legal protections to succeed socially and economically.

Nov 15, 2018
Report

Report

International Movement and Science: A survey of researchers by the Together Science Can campaign

This report documents findings from a survey exploring the patterns, enablers, obstacles and outcomes of international movement (short-term visits and relocation) for researchers around the world.

Sep 17, 2018
Report

Looking to the Future of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP): Assessment of the Consolidation of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) and the DIBP (2016–2017)

This report summarizes the results of a follow-on evaluation of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and informs the upcoming transition to an Australian Department of Home Affairs.

Jun 18, 2018
Report

What Do Millennials Think About Security Issues?

As millennials become more prominent in the public and private sectors, their views will have greater influence. How do their attitudes toward security differ from those of previous generations? And what do these perceptions imply for U.S. security policy in 2040?

Jun 14, 2018
Commentary

New Border Policy Could Have Unintended Consequences

The Trump administration has announced significant policy changes to deter migrants from coming to America. These changes will likely have a significant impact on border operations and the federal court system. But it's less clear whether they will have the intended impact of reducing illegal immigration.

May 21, 2018
Commentary

The Immigration Debate: Building a Bridge Across the Deportation-Amnesty Divide

Discussions of U.S. immigration are dominated by arguments that pit “rule of law” proponents — focused on apprehension, detention, and deportation — against “humanitarian” supporters seeking a pardon or amnesty that will allow immigrants to stay in the country. Minor changes to the statute known as “Cancellation of Removal” could offer a compromise.

Feb 28, 2018
Infographic

Infographic

International mobility is important for the UK and UK researchers

This infographic sets out the existing evidence from the literature around the importance of the international mobility of researchers to the UK and UK-based researchers.

Feb 16, 2018
Commentary

Prioritizing Security at the U.S. Border with Mexico

As debate on border security continues, policymakers would be wise to look beyond the heated rhetoric to clearly identify priorities and make informed decisions about how best to deploy finite resources to get the strongest security for the investment.

Jan 29, 2018
Commentary

The Big Border Security Question

What does a secure U.S.-Mexico border look like? And what kind of security measures are needed? Despite investing billions of dollars since 9/11, it's still a struggle to measure how effective U.S. border security operations are.

Dec 9, 2017
Report

American Jihadists Are Made in the U.S.A., Not Imported

Homegrown jihadists account for most of the terrorist activity in the United States since 9/11. A review of 86 plots and 22 actual attacks indicates that vetting people who come to America cannot identify those who radicalize on U.S. soil.

Nov 20, 2017

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