Podcast
Migration Policy Institute Podcasts
Hosted by Migration Policy Institute · EN
MPI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank dedicated to the study of the movement of people worldwide.
13episodes
Episodes
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The ESSA Waiver Landscape and Implications for K-12 English Learners
Mar 2301:00:41Tap to summarizeAs states begin to take up the U.S. Secretary of Education’s offer to apply for waivers to their obligations under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015, there are significant implications for English Learner (EL) students around the country. In July 2025, the U.S. Department of Education issued a letter encouraging states to seek waivers to their federal mandate to improve student academic achievement and maximize the impact of federal education funding. One state, Iowa, received waiver approval, and several other states have begun the waiver request process. ESSA outlines statutory requirements that not only fund public education, but also provide guardrails to ensure all students, regardless of their background or community, have access to a quality education that prepares them to achieve in today’s world. The law also grants the Secretary of Education the authority to waive certain requirements outlined in the law, which has long been viewed as ensuring that ELs and all other students receive an equitable, quality education. While states have long had the ability to seek waivers, the Trump administration’s efforts to end the federal role in education, including by diminishing civil-rights oversight of schools, and attempts to cut program funding for particular populations, such as ELs, underscore the importance of understanding the potential implications of these actions for ELs and their communities. This webinar brings together a panel of experts to discuss the ESSA waiver process and requirements, an overview of current state waivers and their objectives, and what these developments mean in practice for ELs and the schools they attend. Speakers include: Megan Hopkins, Professor & Chair, Department of Education Studies, University of California, San Diego Trish Morita-Mullaney, Professor, English Language Learning, Purdue University Dave Powell, Senior Consultant, Education First Delia Pompa, Senior Fellow for Education Policy, MPI More information: www.migrationpolicy.org
Transcribe →Meeting Labor Skill Needs While Expanding Refugee Protection
Mar 2301:01:14Tap to summarizeAs humanitarian protection needs grow amid near-record displacement globally, labor migration pathways offer another route to safety and stability for qualified refugees while helping meet destination countries’ skill needs. In practice, however, qualified refugees can struggle to qualify for work visas due to poorly designed frameworks or operational practices. The circumstances of their displacement can make it impossible to meet certain requirements, such as providing a valid passport or original proof of qualifications or traveling for necessary appointments. And employers and visa applicants alike can be deterred from using these pathways because of cumbersome procedures, complex requirements, and unpredictable results. As countries across Europe and beyond explore reforms to their labor pathways to attract sought-after talent, and civil-society actors push to expand protection opportunities, this MPI Europe webinar explored ways to make work visas more accessible to qualified refugees. Speakers examined the barriers that prevent refugees from successfully applying for work visas and assessed initiatives and practices that aim to close this gap. They will discussed concrete policy design changes and practical solutions to help make visa systems more accessible and predictable—benefiting not only refugee workers, but employers and all applicants alike. The webinar marked the launch of Building Refugee-Inclusive Labour Mobility Pathways: A visa evaluation framework and accompanying scorecard that give policymakers a framework to understand how accessible different work visas are for refugee candidates and opportunities for reforms that can achieve these twin goals of addressing labor shortage and protection needs. This webinar was organized as part of the Skills, Talent, and Empowerment through Pathways (STEP) project, which focuses on developing and expanding labor mobility channels for displaced workers, in particular those to Ireland, Italy, and Spain. STEP is co-funded by the European Union’s Asylum, Migration, and Integration Fund (AMIF). Speakers included: Bassel Ramli, Co-Founder & Director, Global Initiatives, Jumpstart Refugee Talent Marius Tollenaere, Partner, Fragomen, Germany Belén Zanzuchi, Policy Analyst, MPI Europe Kate Hooper, Senior Policy Analyst, MPI More information: www.migrationpolicy.org
Transcribe →World of Migration: The Role of Immigration as South Korea Navigates Demographic Decline
Feb 2500:18:50Tap to summarizeWith the world’s lowest fertility rate and one of the fastest-aging populations, South Korea is confronting a shrinking workforce and mounting economic pressures. Immigration has become part of the policy conversation, but questions remain about how much it can help and how Korean society will adapt to diversity. In this World of Migration episode, our Lawrence Huang speaks with Juyoung Jang, chief of the Policy Research Department at the Migration Research and Training Center in South Korea, about the rapid shift from being a country of emigration to one of immigration. They discuss how migration to South Korea has evolved over the past decades, how the government is expanding pathways for workers and international students, and what challenges migrants encounter – from housing and language barriers to social acceptance. Looking ahead, they consider what the next 10 to 20 years could bring as immigration, integration, and demographic change reshape South Korean society.
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