Giving Cities and Regions a Greater Voice in Immigration Policy

Against a backdrop of stalled immigration reform at the federal level, a number of U.S. cities and regions are making a pitch for a greater say in the immigration policies that affect them. Business leaders in Silicon Valley argue they are being stifled by blockages in the talent pipeline, while cities from Detroit to Baltimore are rolling out the welcome mat to immigrants in the hope they might help reverse demographic and economic decline. What can these localities learn from international examples on how to meet local immigration needs? Is there a good case for giving cities and regions more of a say in the immigration policies that affect them?

MPI analysts and representatives from London and Detroit discuss the policies and strategies—both at national and local levels—to attract immigrants into local economies and the challenges faced in doing so. During the call, the experts will discuss two new Transatlantic Council on Migration country case studies, focusing on Detroit and London.

This webinar addresses questions such as: How can national immigration policies be designed to be responsive to local human capital needs? What are the risk and opportunities associated with recruiting immigrants as a tool to reverse depopulation? How might “city visas” actually work in practice?