research topic on immigration

• Browse All Articles
• Newsletter Sign-Up

Immigration →

• 11 Apr 2024
• In Practice

Why Progress on Immigration Might Soften Labor Pains

Long-term labor shortages continue to stoke debates about immigration policy in the United States. We asked Harvard Business School faculty members to discuss what's at stake for companies facing talent needs, and the potential scenarios on the horizon.

• 08 May 2023
• Research & Ideas

How Trump’s Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric Crushed Crowdfunding for Minority Entrepreneurs

When public anxiety about immigration surges, Black, Asian, and Hispanic inventors have a harder time raising funds for new ideas on Kickstarter, says research by William Kerr. What can platforms do to confront bias in entrepreneurial finance?

• 14 Feb 2023

Is Sweden Still 'Sweden'? A Liberal Utopia Grapples with an Identity Crisis

Changing political views and economic forces have threatened Sweden's image of liberal stability. Is it the end of the Scandinavian business-welfare model as we know it? In a case study, Debora Spar examines recent shifts in Sweden and what they mean for the country's future.

• 01 Nov 2022
• What Do You Think?

Why Aren’t Business Leaders More Vocal About Immigration Policy?

Immigration fuels the American economy, feeds the talent pool, and can directly affect company performance. And yet few executives and entrepreneurs have waded into the policy dialogue, says James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 30 Mar 2021
• Working Paper Summaries

Whose Job Is It Anyway? Co-Ethnic Hiring in New US Ventures

The impact of immigration has been particularly sharp in entrepreneurship, yet there is remarkably little evidence about how immigration in the workplace connects to the creation and scaling of new firms. The economic consequences of greater workplace and entrepreneurial diversity deserve closer attention.

• 11 Jan 2021

The Political Effects of Immigration: Culture or Economics?

This paper reviews and explains the growing literature focused on the political effects of immigration, and highlights fruitful avenues for future research. When compared to potential labor market competition and other economic forces, broadly defined cultural factors have a stronger political and social impact.

• 03 Nov 2020

An Executive Order Worth $100 Billion: The Impact of an Immigration Ban’s Announcement on Fortune 500 Firms’ Valuation

President Trump’s executive order restricting entry of temporary foreign workers to the United States negatively affected the valuation of 471 publicly traded Fortune 500 firms by an estimated $100 billion. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

• 15 Jun 2020

The Seeds of Ideology: Historical Immigration and Political Preferences in the United States

Researchers test the relationship between historical immigration to the United States and political ideology today.

• 11 May 2020

Immigration Policies Threaten American Competitiveness

At this time of crisis, America risks signaling to global innovators and entrepreneurs that they have no future here, says William R. Kerr. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 21 Apr 2020

Changing In-group Boundaries: The Role of New Immigrant Waves in the US

How do new immigrants affect natives’ views of other minority groups? This work studies the evolution of group boundaries in the United States and indicates that whites living in states receiving more Mexican immigrants recategorize blacks as in-group members, because of the inflow of a new, “affectively” more distant group.

• 06 Apr 2020

Where Do Workers Go When the Robots Arrive?

Marco Tabellini and colleagues investigate where workers go after losing their jobs to automation and Chinese imports. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 17 Feb 2020

The Impact of Technology and Trade on Migration: Evidence from the US

Labor mobility can re-equilibrate local labor markets after an economic shock. Both robot adoption and Chinese import competition between 1990 and 2015 caused large declines in manufacturing employment across US local labor markets (commuting zones, CZs). However, only robots were associated with a decline in CZ population, which resulted from reduced in-migration rather than by increased out-migration.

• 01 Jan 2020

Why Not Open America's Doors to All the World’s Talent?

SUMMING UP: The H-1B visa program is exploited by some employers to replace high-paid talent, but that doesn't mean foreign workers should be shut out of working in the United States, according to many of James Heskett's readers. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 19 Jun 2019

Migrant Inventors and the Technological Advantage of Nations

This study provides robust econometric evidence for how immigrant inventors shape the innovation dynamics of their receiving countries. Countries receiving inventors from other nations that specialize in patenting particular technologies are more likely to have a significant increase in patent applications of the same technology.

• 08 Jun 2019

The Gift of Global Talent: Innovation Policy and the Economy

High-skilled workers in today’s knowledge-based economy are arguably the most important resource to the success of businesses, regions, and industries. This chapter pulls from Kerr’s book The Gift of Global Talent to examine the migration dynamics of high-skilled individuals. He argues that improving our knowledge of high-skilled migration can lead to better policy decisions.

• 07 Feb 2019

Immigrant Networking and Collaboration: Survey Evidence from CIC

This study compares United States-born and immigrant entrepreneurs’ use of networking opportunities provided by CIC, the former Cambridge Innovation Center. Immigrants clearly take more advantage of networking opportunities at CIC, especially around the exchange of advice. It remains to be seen whether this generates long-term performance advantages for immigrants.

• 01 Nov 2018

Forecasting Airport Transfer Passenger Flow Using Real-Time Data and Machine Learning

Passengers arriving at international hubs often endure delays, especially at immigration and security. This study of London’s Heathrow Airport develops a system to provide real-time information about transfer passengers’ journeys through the airport to better serve passengers, airlines, and their employees. It shows how advanced machine learning could be accessible to managers.

• 01 Oct 2018

Is the US Losing its Ability to Attract Highly Skilled Migrant Workers?

As debates sharpen on the benefits and drawbacks of migrant labor, William R. Kerr's new book explores why global talent flows matter to national economic development and security. Book excerpt and author interview. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 19 Sep 2018

From Immigrants to Americans: Race and Assimilation During the Great Migration

The Great Migration of African Americans and the mass migration of Europeans both contributed to forming the modern American racial and ethnic landscape. This analysis finds that native whites more readily accepted European immigrants as African Americans arrived in the US North during the first Great Migration, facilitating the assimilation of European immigrants in northern urban centers.

• 07 Aug 2018

Gifts of the Immigrants, Woes of the Natives: Lessons from the Age of Mass Migration

Investigating the economic and political effects of immigration across US cities between 1910 and 1930, this paper finds that political opposition to immigration can arise even when immigrants bring widespread economic benefits. The paper provides evidence that cultural differences between immigrants and natives were responsible, at least in part, for natives’ anti-immigration reactions.

• MJC Library & Learning Center
• Research Guides

Immigration in America

• Research Immigration

Start Learning About Your Topic

Create research questions to focus your topic, find books @ the mjc library, featured books, find articles in library databases, find current news articles on immigration, videos on immigration, find web resources, cite your sources, key search words.

Use the words below to search for useful information in   books and articles .

• immigration
• illegal aliens
• illegal immigration
• legal immigration
• undocumented workers
• birthright citizenship

Background Reading:

It's important to begin your research learning something about your subject; in fact, you won't be able to create a focused, manageable thesis unless you already know something about your topic.

This step is important so that you will:

• Begin building your core knowledge about your topic
• Be able to put your topic in context
• Create research questions that drive your search for information
• Create a list of search terms that will help you find relevant information
• Know if the information you’re finding is relevant and useful.

All of these resources are free for MJC students, faculty, & staff.

• Issues and Controversies: Immigration Recent pro/con articles on immigration issues
• CQ Researcher: Immigrantion Overhaul See also sidebar on the right of the Immigration Overhaul article for additional related articles on the immigration issue.
• Immigration and Migration: In Context A two volume encyclopedia that provides readers with key data to understand the roots of the issues that make contemporary migration and immigration so contentious around the globe.
• Encyclopedia of American Immigration A three volume eEncyclopedia that covers the full depth and breadth of American immigration history—from the arrival of the early ancestors of Native Americans to a broad range of twenty-first century immigration issues.

Immigration is a complex issue that involves the law, the economy, and politics. You could concentrate on one issue and do in-depth research on that, or use several of the questions below to focus more generally on the topic of immigration.

• What is the history of immigration in America?
• Is immigration a serious problem in America?
• What are the laws regulating immigration in America?
• What are the issues involved in the enforcement of immigration laws?
• Why do immigrants come to America illegally?
• What are the economic affects of illegal immigration?
• What are the pros and cons of passing the Dream Act for undocumented students?
• Should Congress make it easier for people who immigrated illegally to become citizens? 

Why Use Books:

Use books to read broad overviews and detailed discussions of your topic. You can also use books to find  primary sources , which are often published together in collections.  

Where Do I Find Books?

You'll use the library catalog to search for books, ebooks, articles, and more.  

What if MJC Doesn't Have What I Need?

If you need materials (books, articles, recordings, videos, etc.) that you cannot find in the library catalog , use our  interlibrary loan service .

All of these resources are free for MJC students, faculty, & staff.

Search using the Key Search Words in this guide, or use words more specific to your topic.

• Gale Databases This link opens in a new window Search over 35 databases simultaneously that cover almost any topic you need to research at MJC. Gale databases include articles previously published in journals, magazines, newspapers, books, and other media outlets.
• EBSCOhost Databases This link opens in a new window Search 22 databases simultaneously that cover almost any topic you need to research at MJC. EBSCO databases include articles previously published in journals, magazines, newspapers, books, and other media outlets.
• Access World News This link opens in a new window Search the full-text of editions of record for local, regional, and national U.S. newspapers as well as full-text content of key international sources. This is your source for The Modesto Bee from January 1989 to the present. Also includes in-depth special reports and hot topics from around the country. To access The Modesto Bee , limit your search to that publication. more... less... Watch this short video to learn how to find The Modesto Bee .

Find videos and documentaries about immigration in Films on Demand .  These film resources are free for MJC students, faculty, & staff. 

Type immigration  in the search box to access videos on this topic.

• Films on Demand This link opens in a new window Use Films on Demand when you want educational video content. This streaming video collection contains unlimited, 24/7 access to thousands of videos. Teachers can embed videos in Canvas. In addition, there are mobile options for iPad and Android. more... less... Instructions for embedding Films on Demand into Canvas .
• Kanopy This link opens in a new window Kanopy is a video streaming database with a broad selection of over 26,000 documentaries, feature films and training videos from thousands of producers. Instructions for embedding Kanopy into Canvas .

Use Google Scholar to find scholarly literature on the Web:

Browse Featured Web Sites:

• Migration Policy Institute "The Migration Policy Institute is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank in Washington, DC dedicated to analysis of the movement of people worldwide."
• Pew Hispanic Center "The Pew Hispanic Center is a nonpartisan research organization that seeks to improve understanding of the U.S. Hispanic population and to chronicle Latinos’ growing impact on the nation. The Center does not take positions on policy issues."
• U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services "U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is the government agency that oversees lawful immigration to the United States."
• U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement "ICE's primary mission is to promote homeland security and public safety through the criminal and civil enforcement of federal laws governing border control, customs, trade, and immigration."
• U. S. Customs and Border Protection "CBP has a responsibility for securing the border and facilitating lawful international trade and travel while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws and regulations, including immigration and drug laws."
• MALDEF The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the nation's leading Latino civil rights organization, has many resources on immigration issues.
• Immigrant Resource Law Center The ILRC trains attorneys, paralegals, and community-based advocates who work with immigrants around the country. They inform the media, elected officials, and public to shape immigration policy and law.

Your instructor should tell you which citation style they want you to use. Click on the appropriate link below to learn how to format your paper and cite your sources according to a particular style.

• Chicago Style
• ASA & Other Citation Styles
• Last Updated: Apr 18, 2024 12:03 PM
• URL: https://libguides.mjc.edu/immigration

Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 and CC BY-NC 4.0 Licenses .

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• J Glob Health
• v.8(1); 2018 Jun

Immigration: analysis, trends and outlook on the global research activity

Matthias trost.

1 Goethe University Frankfurt, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

2 Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute of Occupational Medicine, Social Medicine and Environmental Medicine, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Eileen M Wanke

Daniela ohlendorf, doris klingelhöfer, markus braun, david a groneberg, david quarcoo.

* Equal authors’ contribution

Dörthe Brüggmann

Immigration has a strong impact on the development of health systems, medicine and science worldwide. Therefore, this article provides a descriptive study on the overall research output.

Utilizing the scientific database Web of Science, data research was performed. The gathered bibliometric data was analyzed using the established platform NewQIS, a benchmarking system to visualize research quantity and quality indices.

Between 1900 and 2016 a total of 6763 articles on immigration were retrieved and analyzed. 86 different countries participated in the publications. Quantitatively the United States followed by Canada and Spain were prominent regarding the article numbers. On comparing by additionally taking the population size into account, Israel followed by Sweden and Norway showed the highest performance. The main releasing journals are the Public Health Reports, the Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health and Social Science & Medicine. Over the decades, an increasing number of Public, Environmental & Occupational Health articles can be recognized which finally forms the mainly used subject area.

Considerably increasing scientific work on immigration cannot only be explained by the general increase of scientific work but is also owed to the latest development with increased mobility, worldwide crises and the need of flight and migration. Especially countries with a good economic situation are highly affected by immigrants and prominent in their publication output on immigration, since the countries’ publication effort is connected with the appointed expenditures for research and development. Remarkable numbers of immigrants throughout Europe compel medical professionals to consider neglected diseases, requires the public health system to restructure itself and finally promotes science.

Immigration has become a vital topic throughout Europe and globally around the world. Effective modes of transportation make it easy to move people quickly around the globe to accept worldwide jobs and boost personal careers [ 1 ]. But also new media attracts with transnational information and creates fundamental networks [ 2 ]. Additionally conflicts, persecution, human rights violation, or inequality force people to leave their homes and families with the hope to improve their quality of life [ 1 ].

In 2015 the number of migrants grew up to 244 million persons worldwide. Mainly originating from middle-income countries nearly two thirds of all international migrants live in Europe and Asia followed by Northern America [ 1 ]. Likewise, the number of asylum-seekers was reaching an all-time high with around 2.0 million submitted applications in 2015. 54% of the worldwide refugee population are originating from three countries: the Syrian Arab Republic, Afghanistan and Somalia with the main destinations in Germany, the United States and Sweden [ 3 ].

The general health of immigrants and refugees is commonly described as equal to the health of the population in the host country. Even sometimes a ‘healthy-immigrant effect’ is noticed which constitutes that ie, chronic conditions are even fewer in the immigrant group [ 4 – 6 ]. But during the period of acculturation a limited access to local health care systems, including individual and public health services, has a severe impact on the health of immigrants and finally on the health of the nation [ 7 ].

As frequently, immigrants do not hold any health insurance coverage, health care services need to be accessible regardless of financial or physical factors. But against the presumption that immigrants use emergency departments more often for routine consultations, this group is actually counted with less emergency department or physician’s consultations [ 8 , 9 ]. Looking at the costs of medical care from a public health perspective, given by an overall good health, the younger age and a fewer utilization of the health care system the health care expenses of immigrants are inferior compared to the native-born population [ 10 ].

Even health care professionals experience difficulties in the context of providing health care and public health to immigrants [ 11 ]. Language barriers, a different understanding of illness and treatment as well as cultural differences with a lack of trust or an inconsistent medical history are part of those complications. Besides this, traumatic experiences leading to psychological issues need to be addressed [ 11 ]. Health care professionals not only need to be aware of rare diseases but also need to address the different groups of immigrants to meet their specific health needs [ 12 ]. Immigrants or refugees are susceptible to communicable diseases and can be either the epidemiological originator or adversely affected by a public health emergency. Clear International Health Regulations (IHR) are necessary to provide a comprehensive coverage of infectious diseases [ 13 ].

Furthermore, neglected diseases like tuberculosis or parasitic infections may emerge, need to be taken into consideration and may form a major public health concern [ 14 ]. After previously declining numbers of tuberculosis during the past, as a result of the demographic development and elevated numbers of immigrants, a significant increase of tuberculosis cases was recognized in various immigration countries in 2015 [ 15 ]. The tuberculosis risk among immigrants is increased for several years after migrating to a low-prevalence country [ 16 , 17 ]. This implies a growing challenge for the global control of tuberculosis [ 18 ].

Despite numerous studies about several immigration areas can be found, there is no thorough scientometric analysis available. Scientometric studies are an integral part of research evaluation, deliver objective data for budget or funding decisions and provide a vital evidence for an impartial quality assessment [ 19 ]. This study maps an overview of the international research activity on immigration. It investigates variations and propensities of scientific development and it illustrates priorities, requirements and opportunities of research.

Although the current refugee movement in Europe requires particular attention, the study was not confined to the peculiar issue of refugees or asylum seekers but was planned to observe the spectrum of immigration as a whole over the last decades and centuries.

Immigration is increasingly important and as one of the most dynamic group immigrants can advance their host country by offering cultural diversity or by leading new pathways in science, medicine and technology [ 1 ]. The health of immigrants is a major part to well-being. It enables to work, helps building social networks and promotes integration, whereas on the other hand side integration ultimately leads to better health outcomes [ 20 ].

Specific benchmarking systems are being used to evaluate the increasing scientific publication output. Therefore, the New Quality and Quantity Indices in Science (NewQIS) platform provides tools for objective scientific evaluation and visualization [ 21 ]. Scientific output, semi-qualitative indices and quantities of research activity in particular areas of science can be evaluated and transparently compared considering specific scientometric parameters within a distinct time period.

Data source

The database Web of Science Core Collection (WoS) was used to capture the bibliometric information of the listed articles on immigration. As an international, multidisciplinary tool it offers access to literature of biomedicine and other disciplines [ 22 ].

Search and data processing

In the scientific world, the word ‘migration’ is being used with several meanings. To secure a clear differentiation conclusively the search term ‘immigra*’ was selected to perform a title search on biomedical categories of the WoS Core Collection without any chronological restriction. The data was captured in September 2016.

Evaluation criteria

The number of specific publications was analyzed including the publication year, the country of origin and national or international collaborations. Additionally, journals, articles and subject areas, the publication language as well as the authors and their particular institution were taken into account. Furthermore, the total number of citations, the citation rate [ 23 ], and the modified country- and issue-specific h-index [ 24 ] were evaluated to assess the awareness of the scientific community. To rectify a possible bias of the low publishing countries, only countries with a threshold of at least 30 articles were taken into consideration while assessing the citation rates.

On additionally considering socioeconomic factors ie, the size of the population and the GDP a further interpretation regarding a countries’ performance is possible. Equally to the citation rates, a minimum of at least 30 articles per country was determined to prevent a distortion of the outcomes.

The h-index is defined by the number n of published articles of an author that have been cited at least n-times each [ 24 ]. In this study, it has been applied in a modified way, meaning that it is adapted to countries and only includes the evaluated articles.

Visualization of findings

Utilizing the density equalizing mapping projection (DEMP) [ 25 ], a two-dimensional cartographic image with variable proportions can be designed. By scaling the country size adjusted to specific parameters, this technique facilitates a swift overview of the gathered results.

General parameters

The search delivered a total number of 6763 articles (n). The chronological distribution shows eminent article numbers (n ~ 100/y) in the first years of the 20th century. These articles mainly originate from Public Health Reports . The first case report was published in 1902. In 1999, the limit of 100 articles per year was approached. After multiplying the scientific output on immigration an all-time high with n = 461 and n = 460 publications per year was reached in 2012 and 2015 ( Figure 1 , panel A ).

A. Chronological development of the total number of publications on immigration, r 2  = coefficient of determination. B. Chronological development of the total number of received citations for articles on immigration, r 2  = coefficient of determination, dashed line = assumed beginning of the cited half-life effect.

In 1957, first more than a hundred articles on immigration were cited (c = 157) exceeding the limit of one thousand citations first in 1986 (c = 1020). After an excessive increase, the maximum of 5186 citations is seen in 2007. The linear regression of the number of articles over the years showed a coefficient of determination of r 2  = 0.3169 and respectively for the number of citations of r 2  = 0.4732 ( Figure 1 , panel B ).

Regarding the top 10 articles on immigration by the number of received citations seven articles are originating from the USA, two articles are from Canada and the most cited article on immigration is published from Japan. The publications were released between 1983 and 2008 and cover several immigration specific topics. A reasonable part of those papers is facing the acculturation and observed health changes after immigration. Apart from cancer, health behaviors and mortality comparisons furthermore obesity, mental disorders or infections are being discussed ( Table 1 ).

Top 10 articles on immigration by number of received citations

Country specific analysis

The identified publications originate from 86 different countries. With a total of n = 2629 articles (38%) the USA reflect around quadruple of the number of articles published in Canada (n = 664, 10%) followed by Spain (n = 454, 7%), Sweden (n = 350, 5%) and Israel (n = 344, 5%) ( Figure 2 ).

Publishing countries on immigration. DEMP illustrating the number of publications by country.

Setting these outcomes in relation to the size of the particular population of each country results in a different picture (i = publications/inhabitants in million). In this scenario, Israel (i = 42.7) plays the leading role followed by Sweden (i = 35.7), Norway (i = 24.8), Canada (i = 18.9) and Denmark (i = 17.6). The United States (i = 8.2) appear on position ten ( Figure 3 , panel A ).

A. Countries publishing on immigration by number of publications in relation to the population size in million, threshold: 30 articles per country. B. Most publishing countries on immigration by the ratio of publications/GDP in 1000 billion US$, threshold: 30 articles per country.

Reviewing the publication numbers in correlation to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in billion (g = publications/GDP in 1000 bn. USD) Israel (g = 1220.3) and Sweden (g = 739.3) are still prominent followed by Canada (g = 406.9), Denmark (g = 378.8) and Norway (g = 362.2). The United States (g = 146.5) appear on position 13 ( Figure 3 , panel B ).

Observing the modified h-index, the United States take the lead again (h = 76). Canada takes the second place (h = 42) and the United Kingdom is on position three (h = 41) followed by Sweden (h = 34) and the Netherlands (h = 33).

Regarding the received citations (c) by country, the order of the top countries is: USA (c = 37 742), Canada (c = 9029), United Kingdom (c = 5766), Sweden (c = 4738), Netherlands (c = 3942).

Analyzing the citation rate (cr), Japan (cr = 29.3) is taking the lead. The United Kingdom (cr = 20.0) and Finland (cr = 19.4) appear on position two and three followed by the Netherlands (cr = 18.6) and Australia (cr = 16.2). The United States (cr = 14.4) and Canada (cr = 13.6) flag up on positions six and seven directly followed by Sweden (cr = 13.5) ( Figure 4 ).

Citation rate for articles on immigration, threshold: 30 articles per country.

International collaborations

Observing the scientific partnerships, an interlinked, international network with multi-layered collaborations over national borders can be ascertained.

The highest numbers of direct collaborations between countries were found between the United States and Canada working together on n = 56 papers and the United States together with South Korea counting n = 54 joint publications. The United States and Sweden count n = 49 collaborative papers and Sweden counts in collaboration with Germany n = 33 joint articles. The United States together with Mexico count n = 31 collaborative publications ( Figure 5 ).

International collaborations. Numbers in brackets: (total number of articles/total number of articles in collaboration).

The United States publish 15% of articles in cooperation. Canada shows 19% of collaborative papers while Sweden represents 35% followed by Germany (39%), South Korea (54%) and Mexico (87%).

Journals and subject areas

The highest number of immigration papers was published by Public Health Reports (n = 638, c = 121). The Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health has issued n = 335 papers receiving c = 1671 citations. Social Science & Medicine published n = 143 articles and received the highest total amount of citations with c = 4078, whereas the American Journal of Public Health received c = 3016 citations with n = 85 articles and the Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences gains c = 1288 citations with n = 83 papers ( Table 2 ).

The 15 most cited journals publishing on immigration

The vast majority of research was found under the subject area Public, Environmental & Occupational Health (n = 2564). These articles additionally show the highest citation numbers (c = 23 906). Number two and three form Psychology (n = 1065, c = 11 425) and Psychiatry (n = 688, c = 12 059) followed by General & Internal Medicine (n = 579, c = 8638) and Nursing (n = 334, c = 2410) ( Figure 6 , panel A ).

A. Most assigned subject areas for papers on immigration by article number and by number of citations. B. Relative distribution of the most assigned subject areas by time interval for papers on immigration.

Over the last decades, a change of the applied subject areas can be observed with an increasing trend especially in the field of Public, Environmental & Occupational Health . Furthermore, Psychology continues to play a major role. Additionally, subject areas like Nursing and Health Care Sciences & Services gain more visibility ( Figure 6 , panel B ).

The objective of this study was to evaluate the published scientific output using scientometric methods. With the use of the NewQIS System [ 21 ] scientific work was assessed regarding quantitative and semi-qualitative parameters considering chronological and geographical factors and additional publication criteria.

This study does not intend an entire content-analysis of the scientific publications on immigration but it considers titles and subject areas. By additionally analyzing scientometric parameters it is possible to investigate characteristics of the worldwide research output as well as the impact on the scientific community [ 26 ].

The search term was selected in consensus between the authors. In the light of quality and after thoughtful consideration the expression ‘immigra*’ had to be chosen to acquire a representative data set. With this search we figured out to achieve the best thematic results for the project. The asterisk ‘*’ opens up the option to study ‘immigration’, ‘immigrant’ and other possible spelling variants, keeping in mind that single words like ‘migration’ or ‘emigration’ -if they occur alone- cannot be included in this analysis. But as these terms produced high numbers of artefacts for the purpose of the regarded meaning, it was necessary to exclude these words.

The utilized database was the Web of Science Core Collection (WoS). WoS offers search queries through a title or topic selection. The topic search includes the title, the abstract and the author keywords. As an inconsistency can be observed in the structure of keywords [ 27 ] and as an abstract search without scanning the keywords is not provided by WoS a title search was performed accepting the limitation to receive less but higher quality results.

The comparison of WoS, Scopus and Google Scholar , which are the only sources for citation analyses yet, results in the detection of different citation numbers for high-profile medical articles [ 28 ]. While Scopus covers a wider journal range it has a strong limitation by publishing only recent articles after 1995 [ 29 ]. Google Scholar lacks in less frequently updated citations [ 29 ], consequently WoS was the best, but certainly limited, choice.

As WoS originates from the United States a bias of the English language has to be taken into detailed consideration. English is used as the universal language of science [ 30 ]. This can correspondingly be demonstrated on the gathered results with a clear domination of the English language. As English-language articles reveal a higher impact factor [ 31 ] they subsequently receive even more citations.

All parameters based on the amount of citations are affected by incorrect citations or may be manipulated by self-citations [ 32 ]. Additionally, several characteristics of citation can be evaluated throughout the different academic disciplines [ 33 ].

While assessing the h-index of an author, the age of a scientist has not been taken into account whereas the total period of a scientists’ research activity might influence the results [ 34 ]. Furthermore, specific details of an authorship or the country of origin are disregarded.

The citation rate provides single measures but cannot evince the complete work of a researcher. By studying semi-qualitative indicators, the recognition of articles within the scientific community can be investigated. The synopsis of multiple parameters guides to a meaningful statement.

In the first years of the 20th century, remarkable numbers of articles on immigration can be found in Public Health Reports . The intention of these reports was to provide epidemiologic information [ 35 ]. The first published papers in the early 1900s covered several medical immigration topics. Not only trachoma or hookworms were discussed, noticeable are several articles about ‘insanity’ and ‘mentally defective’ immigrants. It shows that the ethical requirements and the moral attitude during this time were completely different from nowadays.

Looking at the number of articles per annum, increasing scientific work on immigration can be found at the end of the 20th-21st century. On one side, this can be explained by an overall increase of scientific work and publications [ 36 , 37 ]. On the other hand, immigration has become a frequently discussed topic in all areas of life. Not only triggered by worldwide crises and a generally increased mobility [ 1 ] immigration has certainly become one of the main topics of public interest in several countries.

The USA releases the vast majority of the total publications. Canada can also be identified as a frequent publishing country. Interestingly Spain, Sweden and Israel are on the next positions which demonstrates the significance of immigration for these countries.

Different countries are equipped with different proportional resources. Not only the national population size but also differing funds for research and development (R&D) need to be taken into consideration [ 38 ]. Ranking each countries’ articles in relation to the GDP clearly shows Israel on position one followed by Sweden, Canada and after several mainly European countries the United States on position 13. Comparing the worldwide gross domestic expenditure on R&D (GERD) as a percentage of the GDP Israel and Sweden can correspondingly be found under the top five countries [ 39 ]. After adjusting the absolute numbers to the number of inhabitants of each country Israel, Sweden and Norway turn up to be on the first positions which shows their substantial work. These findings clearly validate the importance of immigration for the affected countries.

As scientists are interested in a high visibility and recognition of their work, the preference of collaboration partners within prestigious institutions can explain the collaboration share with the USA. In the scientific world international cooperation is important as it achieves a higher impact [ 40 ], it offers access to resources, encourages a spread of knowledge and finally receives more citations [ 41 ].

The most cited articles show the broad spectrum of health issues on immigration. Although several subject areas are being used and different authors and institutions are contributing the research, on evaluating the scientific work, a possible country bias needs to be acknowledged as on nine of the top 10 most cited articles the USA are mainly involved. While barely reaching the threshold (n = 30) by publishing 35 articles in total, Japan achieves the highest citation rate. In this context, the bias of one paper from 1991 in collaboration with the USA, on cancer among Japanese US-immigrants, is appreciable. With 532 citations, it is the most cited article in this study indicating the importance of cancer in conjunction with different home countries.

Concerning the subject areas, a difference can be recognized by comparing Italy and Spain with other countries. Relatively these two countries publish a high number of articles using the subject area Infectious Diseases with a noticeable focus on tuberculosis. Furthermore, ie, hepatitis, HIV or parasitic diseases are being discussed. This shows the impact of immigration on these countries and the specific health topics they are affected with.

With the general increase of publication numbers interestingly a shift between the topics can be documented over the last years. Although a consistent absolute amount of papers is still being published under the subject area General & Internal Medicine the article numbers in the category Public, Environmental & Occupational Health are remarkably increasing leading this group to the mainly used subject area. This demonstrates that immigration is not only relevant for individual medicine, but it is in fact an important aspect for public health and subsequently for a whole nation’s health system.

Immigration is a frequently discussed topic which can also be determined by an increase of scientific work about immigration especially during the recent times. During the next years and decades immigration will be in the focus and further scientific work on immigration will be seen. To satisfy this need of science, future international networks as well as interdisciplinary and international scientific cooperation are extremely important.

Acknowledgements

We thank G Volante for technical assistance and C Scutaru for his pioneering work during the establishment of the NewQIS platform.

Funding: None declared.

Authorship contributions: MT conceptualised the aim of the study, drafted and wrote the manuscript, analysed the data pool. EMW, DO, DK, MB, JB, DAG, DQ, DB contributed to conception, design and analyses and the interpretation of findings. The authors selected the search term and database, revised the article and participated in the final approval of the manuscript.

Competing interests: The authors have completed the Unified Competing Interest form at www.icmje.org/coi_disclosure.pdf (available on request from the corresponding author) and declare no conflict of interest.

• Frontiers in Sociology
• Sociological Theory
• Research Topics

Immigration in the Global Era: Migrants and the People and Laws at Origin and Destination

Total Downloads

Total Views and Downloads

About this Research Topic

Every day, and all around the world, people are moving – from something, to something; with help, without help; openly or in secret ; for a short time or forever . Meanwhile, every day, and all around the world, people are expressing views and making ...

Keywords : Migrant selectivity, integration of immigrants and their descendants, impacts of immigration, laws on exit and entry, public attitudes toward migrants in both origin and destination countries

Important Note : All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

Topic Editors

Topic coordinators, recent articles, submission deadlines.

Submission closed.

Participating Journals

Total views.

• Demographics

No records found

total views article views downloads topic views

Top countries

Top referring sites, about frontiers research topics.

With their unique mixes of varied contributions from Original Research to Review Articles, Research Topics unify the most influential researchers, the latest key findings and historical advances in a hot research area! Find out more on how to host your own Frontiers Research Topic or contribute to one as an author.

Selected Topics in Migration Studies

• © 2023
• Frank D. Bean 0 ,
• Susan K Brown 1

Department of Sociology, University of California, Irvine, USA

You can also search for this editor in PubMed   Google Scholar

• Encompasses different aspects of migration
• Covers multiple disciplinary perspectives and parts of the world
• Provides a global perspective on the field of Migration Studies

15k Accesses

3 Citations

4 Altmetric

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this book

• Available as PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Compact, lightweight edition
• Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
• Free shipping worldwide - see info
• Durable hardcover edition

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

Licence this eBook for your library

Institutional subscriptions

Table of contents (56 chapters)

Front matter, african island migration: i. walker, southern african migration: e. campbell.

• Eugene K. Campbell

Trans-Saharan Slave Trade: M. Kehinde

• Michael Kehinde

Western African Migration: P. Adebusoye

• Paulina Makinwa Adebusoye

Asylum and Human Rights: T. Southerden

• Thomas Southerden

Asylum and Language Analysis: P. Patrick

• Peter L. Patrick

Gender and Asylum: A. Shuman, C. Bohmer

• Amy Shuman, Carol Bohmer

Medical and Psychological Evidence of Trauma in Asylum Cases: S. Berthold

• S. Megan Berthold

Refugee Roulette: J. Ramji-Nogales, P. Schrag, A. Schoenholtz

• Jaya Ramji-Nogales, Philip G. Schrag, Andrew I. Schoenholtz

Relationship Between Asylum and Trafficking: J. Gauci

• Jean-Pierre Gauci

Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Asylum: R. Lewis

• Rachel Lewis

Contexts of Migration

Changing contexts: from multiculturalism to transnationalism s. castles.

• Stephen Castles

Citizenship in the Context of Immigration – Comparative Perspectives: T. Faist, K. Schmidt-Verkerk, C. Ulbricht

• Thomas Faist, Kerstin Schmidt, Christian Ulbricht

Group-specific Effects of Contexts of Migration: S. Model

• Suzanne Model

Migration, Diversity, and the Welfare State: K. Banting

• Keith G. Banting

Role of Contexts and Political Culture in Political Incorporation: A Case Study of Chilean Migration to Toronto: P. Landolt

• Patricia Landolt

Human Trafficking

Child trafficking: w. adelson.

• Wendi Adelson

Human Trafficking: F. Sarrica

• Fabrizio Sarrica

Human Trafficking Policy Responses: K. Sreeharsha

• Kavitha Sreeharsha
• Migration and population movement
• Migration and immigration
• Migration in Africa
• Asylum and Human Rights
• Migration and Language
• Gender and migration
• Asylum and Trauma
• Asylum, Refugees and Human Trafficking
• Citizenship and Immigration
• Migration and Diversity
• Migration Policy
• Population Distribution
• Labor Migration and Migrant Workers
• Citizenship and Naturalization
• Methods for Estimating Internal Migration
• Forced migration
• Registration Data to Measure Migration in the EU
• Island Migration
• High-Skilled Migration

About this book

This book provides a collection of key papers about migration, focusing on multiple aspects of international and internal migration in various times and places. Because migration has been such an important part of global peopling, the book contains synopses of major geographic movements from ancient and early history as well as the present. It includes material from anthropology, archaeology, criminology, demography, economics, ethnic studies, geography, health sciences, history, law, public policy, political science, psychology, and sociology. By providing a treatment of migration that is multifaceted, comparative, and multi-disciplinary, it offers not only a basis for conceptualizing broad features of migration and their changes, but also one for discerning the formal and informal policy auspices that have influenced migration. The book thus constitutes a significant resource for students, teachers, practitioners, scholars, and researchers interested in or working on aspectsof migration in any field. It should be particularly useful for people seeking information and knowledge about migration from fields other than their own.

Editors and Affiliations

Frank D. Bean, Susan K Brown

About the editors

Dr. Brown is a tenured Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Irvine. She is a sociologist/demographer whose areas of specialization are immigration, residential segregation and urban sociology. As a result of conducting research in these areas, she has also developed considerable expertise in geography and urban policy. In addition to her academic and research specializations, she also brings more than fifteen years of journalistic experience as a reporter and editor starting when she was on the staff of the Harvard Crimson and including nearly twelve years with the St. Louis-Post Dispatch.

Bibliographic Information

Book Title : Selected Topics in Migration Studies

Editors : Frank D. Bean, Susan K Brown

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-19631-7

Publisher : Springer Cham

eBook Packages : Social Sciences , Social Sciences (R0)

Copyright Information : The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023

Hardcover ISBN : 978-3-031-19630-0 Published: 02 March 2023

Softcover ISBN : 978-3-031-19633-1 Published: 03 March 2024

eBook ISBN : 978-3-031-19631-7 Published: 01 March 2023

Edition Number : 1

Number of Pages : XI, 342

Number of Illustrations : 1 b/w illustrations

Topics : Migration , Population Economics , Human Geography , Human Geography

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Read our research on:

Full Topic List

Regions & Countries

• Publications
• Our Methods
• Short Reads
• Tools & Resources

Read Our Research On:

Key facts about recent trends in global migration

The number of international migrants grew to 281 million in 2020, meaning that 3.6% of the world’s people lived outside their country of birth that year, according to the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) . The increase came despite widespread restrictions on travel and international movement in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic .

Here are eight key facts about international migrants, based on the latest available data from the UN and other sources.

Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to better understand trends in global migration and remittances, or the money that migrants send back to their home countries.

Data on the number of international migrants comes from the 2020 International Migrant Stock datasets from the United Nations. Data on the number of refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced people and other globally displaced Venezuelans comes from the UN’s World Migration Report 2022 . The total population estimates for countries and regions used to calculate ratios and percentages for charts come from the UN’s 2022 World Population Prospects dataset . Intraregional migration data for Latin America comes from the International Organization for Migration regional office for South America and Central America, North America and the Caribbean.

To examine changes in monthly remittances during the COVID-19 pandemic, this analysis uses global estimates of remittance flows from the World Bank.

The UN uses a taxonomy of regions, nations and territories that counts those who were born in Puerto Rico and are living in the 50 states or the District of Columbia as international migrants to the U.S., even though they are U.S. citizens by birth. For this reason, some UN estimates of the foreign-born population shown here may differ from other estimates published by the U.S. Census Bureau or Pew Research Center.

Europe and Asia have the most international migrants. An estimated 86.7 million international migrants lived in Europe in 2020, followed by 85.6 million in Asia. The number of international migrants living in these two regions has steadily increased since 2005, according to the IOM.

The Latin America and Caribbean region has the fastest-growing international migrant population. Since 2005, the region’s international migrant population has roughly doubled.

International migrants make up a larger share of Oceania’s population than any other region. In 2020, 21.4% of all residents in Oceania – which includes Australia, New Zealand and various Pacific island nations and territories – were international migrants. The Northern America region is second after Oceania, with migrants making up 15.7% of the population. In Europe, migrants account for 11.6% of the population. In all other world regions, they represent 2.3% or less of the population.

Using other regional groupings, however, Oceania might be surpassed. For example, in Gulf Cooperation Council countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – more than half (52.7%) of resident populations are international migrants, according to UN data.

The United States has more international migrants than any other country. With nearly 51 million migrants in 2020, the U.S. leads the world on this measure by a wide margin. Germany has the next-largest such population with about 15.8 million migrants, followed by Saudi Arabia with 13.5 million. (For the U.S., the UN counts some people living in the 50 states or the District of Columbia as international migrants even if they were born in Puerto Rico or other U.S. territories; those born in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories are U.S. citizens at birth.)

The countries that have the most international migrants are generally not the same countries where international migrants make up the greatest share of the population. For example, while the U.S. has more migrants than any other nation, migrants only account for about 15.1% of the U.S. population – a smaller share than in 24 countries or territories with a total population of at least 1 million.

The Middle East accounts for most of the top 10 countries when looking at the migrant share of the population. In 2020, 93.9% of all people living in the United Arab Emirates were international migrants, followed by 80.6% of people in Qatar and 71.3% of people in Kuwait. Other Middle Eastern countries among the top 10 include Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Lebanon.

India remains the top origin country for the world’s migrants. India has been a large source of international migrants for more than a century. In 2020, 17.9 million international migrants traced their origins back to India, followed by Mexico with about 11.2 million and Russia with about 10.8 million.

India’s migrants are dispersed around the world, but the countries with the largest Indian migrant populations are the United Arab Emirates (3.5 million), the U.S. (2.7 million) and Saudi Arabia (2.5 million).

Though India is the single largest source of international migrants, its 17.9 million migrants in 2020 accounted for only 1.3% of all people born in India by that year. By comparison, the United Kingdom’s 4.7 million international migrants accounted for 7.6% of those born in the UK by 2020. Mexico’s 11.2 million international migrants accounted for 8.2% of those born in Mexico.

Remittances – the money that migrants send to their home countries – decreased by about $11 billion from 2019 to 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic arrived. Global remittances had been steadily increasing since 2010, but they fell from $722 billion in 2019 to $711 billion in 2020. (These figures are nominal values, meaning they are not adjusted for inflation.) Notably, some countries in Latin America saw remittances fall sharply in the first half of 2020 – especially in April, when much of the U.S. was locked down due to the COVID-19 outbreak – before rebounding.

According to the World Bank, remittances reached $781 billion in 2021 and are estimated to reach $794 billion in 2022, both record highs.

India has been the world’s top receiver of remittances since 2010. Remittances to India grew from $53 billion in 2010 to $89 billion in 2021.

The U.S. has been the top sending country for remittances since 1990, the earliest year with available statistics. In 2021, international migrants living in the U.S. sent $73 billion in remittances globally.

The number of displaced people in the world rose to a new high of 89.4 million in 2020. Displaced people are those forced to leave their homes due to conflict, violence or disasters. They include refugees , asylum seekers , and people internally displaced within their country of birth. Overall, the number of displaced persons rose from 84.8 million in 2019 to 89.4 million in 2020, according to the UN’s World Migration Report 2022 . Overall, about 1.1% of the world’s population are displaced people.

Among the world’s displaced people, about 34%, or 30.5 million, were living outside their country of birth as refugees (26.4 million) or asylum seekers (4.1 million) in 2020. An additional 3.9 million displaced Venezuelans who have not applied for refugee or asylum status lived outside of Venezuela in 2020. The majority of displaced people, 55 million, were internally displaced in their birth countries because of conflict, violence or disasters.

The share of international migrants who are men has ticked up in recent decades. In 2000, 50.6% of international migrants were men and 49.4% were women. By 2020, men made up 51.9% of global migrants while 48.1% were women, according to estimates by the United Nations.

A majority of the world’s international migrants lived within their region of origin in 2020. While some migrants may go to new regions of the world, a majority (54.9%) lived within their region of origin in 2020. However, international migration within regions still varies widely. For example, 69.9% of Europe’s international migrants resided in another European country in 2020, reflecting migration out of Eastern European countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Poland and Romania to Western European ones.

International migrants in Asia and Oceania are the next most likely to live in their region of origin at 59.6% and 56.2%, respectively. Migrants from Africa are about as likely to live within Africa as they are to live outside of the continent (51.6% vs. 48.4%).

Migrants from Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as the Northern America region, are the least likely to live within their region of origin, at 26.3% and 25.2%, respectively.

Note: Here is the UN’s list of  countries and territories grouped by region .

• Immigrant Populations
• Immigration & Migration
• Immigration Trends
• Remittances

Anusha Natarajan is a former intern at Pew Research Center .

Mohamad Moslimani is a research assistant focusing on race and ethnicity at Pew Research Center .

Mark Hugo Lopez is director of race and ethnicity research at Pew Research Center .

Key facts about Asian Americans living in poverty

Latinos’ views on the migrant situation at the u.s.-mexico border, key facts about the nation’s 47.9 million black americans, key facts about the wealth of immigrant households during the covid-19 pandemic, what we know about unauthorized immigrants living in the u.s., most popular.

1615 L St. NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20036 USA (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax (+1) 202-419-4372 |  Media Inquiries

Research Topics

• Age & Generations
• Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Economy & Work
• Family & Relationships
• Gender & LGBTQ
• International Affairs
• Internet & Technology
• Methodological Research
• News Habits & Media
• Non-U.S. Governments
• Other Topics
• Politics & Policy
• Race & Ethnicity
• Email Newsletters

ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER  Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of  The Pew Charitable Trusts .

Copyright 2024 Pew Research Center

State Immigration Project

• Economic Integration and Growth

Inclusive Social Supports

Welcoming communities, building worker power.

• Publications
• Advisory Board

Understanding economics, advancing policy, supporting action

“Crisis” in Context: What the Mariel Boatlift Can Teach Us About the Current Trends in Immigration

“I Could Not Understand the Form”: Challenges for Immigrant New Yorkers During the Medicaid Unwinding

Hidden in Plain Sight: Black Immigrants and the Organizations Working to Welcome and Support Them

Global Greater Boston: A New Report from IRI and Boston Indicators

Asylum Seekers and New Immigrants: Economic Projections in the US and by Region

Reimagining What’s Possible: Innovative Solutions to Provide Temporary Housing for New Migrants and Asylum Seekers While Also Addressing NYC’s Housing Crisis

New Study Reveals 70,000 High Schoolers in Michigan from Immigrant Families

Immigrants in the Oregon Economy: Overcoming Hurdles, Yet Still Facing Barriers

Economic Projections for Asylum Seekers and New Immigrants in Oregon

Immigration Research Initiative is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank on immigrant integration, looking at issues of economic, social, and cultural inclusion of immigrants in the United States.

Economic Integration & Growth

How America’s diverse receiving communities fare as the demographic mix changes

Improving unemployment compensation, Medicaid enrollment, and other social supports

Ways government, nonprofit groups, and private actors can help immigrants

Laws, policies, and analysis that support workers organizing efforts and worker rights

IRI supports state-based groups across the country in immigration research and policy work, providing 50-state data analysis, and working closely with the State Priorities Partnership and EARN networks.

In The News

Chnv parole program will continue.

Thanks to the hard work of advocates, lawyers and researchers, including IRI’s Deputy Director, Cyierra Roldan, the Biden Administration can continue operating the Parole Programs for people from Cuba, Haiti,… Read more

IRI’s Director Featured on Spectrum News

IRI’s director, David Dyssegaard Kallick, was featured on Spectrum News NY 1, where he discussed the findings of IRI’s newly released regional reports, “New Immigrants Arriving in New York State:… Read more

Stay in touch

We will send you occasional updates about immigration and our work. We won’t flood you with emails!

• Follow IRI on Twitter Twitter
• Follow IRI on Facebook Facebook

Support our work

Enjoy a completely custom, expertly-written dissertation. Choose from hundreds of writers, all of whom are career specialists in your subject.

110 Immigration Research Paper Topics

Immigration is the process of people moving to a country and can be either voluntary or involuntary. Immigration is a very interesting aspect of education, and you may be asked at one point or another to come up with a research paper in the immigration niche.

Immigration is a broad topic, and it can be difficult to choose immigration research paper topics. Here are some broad categories of immigration.

• Voluntary migration : This refers to people who move to another country on their own accord and are not forced by the government. It could be for health reasons, lifestyle change, economic reasons, educational reasons, tax evasion, etc.
• Involuntary migration : This refers to people who are forced to move to another country because there is no other option for them. Examples include migration during a crisis, migration due to fear of persecution, etc.
• Emigration : This refers to people who decide on their own not to stay in a particular country and return home.
• Internal migration : This refers to people who move within a country for work or school purposes or simply for personal reasons, such as living closer to family members or friends.

Why Do You Need Help Choosing Immigration Research Paper Topics?  

You’re ready to write your immigration research paper, but you’re scared. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you’re looking for research paper topics. Why? Because there are so many things that you can write about, it can be hard to know where to start.

You’ve put a lot of thought into the topic, but you’re not sure how to start. Maybe you have a great idea but don’t know where to start writing. Or maybe you’ve already written the outline, but it’s not working out. You feel stuck.

Whatever the case may be, it’s normal to get stressed out when writing a research paper on an important topic like immigration. When you’re in this situation, it can be really helpful to have someone who can point out what works and what doesn’t work with your outline or subject matter. And that’s where we come in.

There are many benefits to getting help with your immigration paper research topics.

• Immigration research paper topics are hard to come by.

Immigration has been a hot topic for quite some time now. Since the government has been putting a heavy focus on it, there are a lot of different angles to research. This can make it difficult to find a topic that is interesting and relevant to your own life experience.

• Immigration research paper topics are often controversial.

Immigration is a very touchy subject, which means that it can be hard to find something that accurately reflects your views on the issue without being too extreme or inflammatory.

• You’ll save time.

If your research paper is due soon, you might not have enough time to do the necessary research and choose topics yourself. Seeking help out there makes your work easier and saves you from stress!

• It will be well detailed.

Other than just looking at things from your point of view, seeking help from other sources can help you get detailed in-depth approaches.

Immigration Research Paper Topics

As a result of the Covid-19 Pandemic and other global military wars, the difficulties associated with immigration are now more widely recognized in the world. Are you looking for good topics to write about for your immigration research paper? If so, the list below includes some of the top options:

• How did the Covid-19 pandemic affect immigration into the UK and the United States?
• How does immigration affect the global economy?
• What are the benefits and disadvantages of immigration?
• What are the top five benefits of being an immigrant?
• What is the relationship between immigration and crime?
• How does the cost of immigration compare with other factors that influence business?
• How do illegal immigrants affect our economy and society, and how can they be made legal?
• What are the most common reasons people apply for a U.S. visa?
• What are some of the benefits of having an immigration visa program in the U.S.?
• How many countries have a visa waiver program with the U.S. and how does it work?

Simple Immigration Essay Topics

Selecting a simple topic for an immigration essay is not always an easy thing to do. At times, it requires you to spend a lot of time doing research here and there. To save you from this stress, we have compiled the top ten simple immigration essay topics for you!

• How has immigration impacted your life?
• What are your thoughts on illegal immigration?
• How would you improve the process for naturalized citizens?
• What are some of the challenges associated with immigration?  
• Give some examples of how immigration benefits the U.S.  
• What is the motivation for immigration?
• Discuss the attitude of nativism towards immigrants.
• How has being an immigrant changed the way you think about yourself?  
• What is the greatest barrier to becoming a citizen?
• What would you say to people who believe that immigrants should not be allowed into the U.S.?

International Immigration Essay Topics

We have compiled 10 international immigration essay topics for your essay because when it comes to choosing topics about immigration internationally, you need to make sure it covers the entire world of immigration. This can often be a difficult process.

• How have international immigration policies changed over time?
• How can we increase our understanding of the diversity of the world’s cultures?
• What are some of the benefits of allowing more immigration?
• Describe the UK’s current immigration system.
• Discuss Canada’s 20th-century immigration policies.
• Talk about the EU’s current immigration problems and how they affect the terrorism rate.
• Examine the connection between immigration and Australian national identity.
• Describe Switzerland’s newest immigration law.
• Examine the effects of Muslim immigration on Britain.
• Examine the importance of gender in Irish immigration.

Best Immigration Research Topics

Do you want to come up with the best topic for your essay in your class? We also want you to be the best, so we’ve put together a list of some of the best topics on immigration that you could pick from.

• The impact of immigration on wages and employment levels
• The impact of immigration on public health and other social outcomes
• The impact of immigration on local governments and their budgets
• How immigrants help contribute to economic growth
• What are the best ways to attract immigrants to your country?
• The impact of immigration on education and health care
• What is the relationship between immigration and terrorism?
• Does immigration increase or decrease social cohesion?
• What effect immigration has on things like forests, water sources, and wildlife habitats.
• What are the best ways to encourage new immigrants to stay in their new home country?

Immigration Argumentative Essay Topics

Because you would need to compare and view the issue from all sides, choosing an argumentative immigration topics to write about could be challenging. To make your job easier, we have compiled a list of 10 argumentative immigration essay ideas for you below.

• Immigrants are taking jobs away from American citizens who deserve them.
• Should an immigrant be given a path to citizenship?
• Do you think that it is important for countries to take in refugees who are fleeing war-torn countries?
• Immigrants contribute to the growth of our economy, our culture, and our society.
• Should immigrants pay taxes?
• Should immigration from certain countries be limited based on their economic impact on the country?
• Should incentives be given to people who want to immigrate legally instead of illegally?
• Should businesses be permitted to hire foreign workers over Americans if they can’t find any eligible Americans?
• Should immigrants be allowed to stay in the country indefinitely?
• Should people be treated differently based on their immigration status?  

Controversial Immigration Topics

When we discuss contentious topics, we typically engage in debate or discussion of divergent viewpoints. Finding a topic on this can be difficult at times, but don’t worry; to relieve some of your tension, we’ve selected 10 contentious immigration topics for research paper that you can choose from or use as a reference:  

• Should gay couples be allowed to marry?
• Race and Immigration
• Ethnicity and Immigration
• Should non-citizens be able to vote?
• Is it okay for parents to get deported because they refuse to pay child support?
• Undocumented immigrants and identity theft.
• Deportation rates for undocumented immigrants
• Immigration: Illegals vs. Legal Immigrants
• The wall between the U.S. and Mexico.

Immigration Thesis Topics

Choosing a thesis topic on immigration requires extensive research because the paper needs to be outstanding and well written. Do you need a thesis for an academic degree? Here are 10 thesis immigration topics for essays that could help you.

• The historical impact of immigration on America
• The impact of immigration on the economy
• The impact of immigration on our culture and society
• Why should immigrants be allowed into the United States?
• How can we make sure that immigrants are treated fairly and humanely in America?
• Immigration is a major issue that affects Americans in many ways.
• Immigrants are less likely to commit crimes
• Immigrants do not make any significant difference in the unemployment rate of native-born Americans
• Immigrants create more jobs than they take
• Immigrants need government assistance to survive

Global Politics Immigration Paper Topics

Global politics is a large topic. So, finding suitable global political immigration topics may be a bit tiresome. Here are 10 global research topics on immigration that you can choose from!

• Immigration policies in the U.S., Canada, and Australia.
• International trade and immigration policies.
• The diversity of immigrants: A look at America’s immigrant population.
• The social structure of immigrants in the Netherlands.
• Globalization and migration patterns: A case study of Australia.
• Global recessions, financial crises, and the labor market.
• Immigration policy and human rights violations
• Migration patterns around the world
• The history of immigration in the U.S.
• Political and economic implications of immigration in Europe

Illegal Immigration Research Paper Topics

Illegal immigration is a big problem for law enforcement and the national security of many countries. It also often leads to violations of the human rights of the most vulnerable people.

Would you like to investigate this for a research paper? Here are some illegal immigration topics to research that can help.

• The effects of illegal immigration on businesses
• Illegal immigration and public safety
• Illegal immigration and workplace discrimination
• The impact of illegal immigration on the American workforce
• How does illegal immigration affect the U.S?
• Should illegal immigration be legalized?
• What are some of the consequences of legalizing illegal immigrants?
• What are some benefits of legalizing illegal immigrants?
• How many people illegally immigrate to the U.S. every year?
• How are illegal immigrants treated by society?

Research Paper Topics on Immigration in America

Are you seeking a topic to write about for a research paper about immigration in America? Here are 10 excellent American immigration research paper topics for you.  

• Why America’s immigration policies are unfair and unproductive, and why we need to change them.
• Why the Mexican border is a good immigration channel
• Border security and border policy in the U.S.
• How does immigrant crime compare to native crime?
• Immigrants are more likely to have good grades than native-born Americans
• Which groups of immigrants have been most affected by the rise in deportations and why?
• Are immigrants more likely to start businesses than native-born Americans?
• Immigrants have made incredible contributions to the U.S., like Levi Strauss and Albert Einstein
• Should undocumented immigrants have health insurance coverage in the U.S.?
• The Effect of Immigration on Social Security in the U.S.

Persuasive Speech Topics About Immigration

You need to make sure the topics you choose for your persuasive speeches are compelling enough to win over your audience. Finding a topic like this could be difficult, but we have nonetheless put together a list of the top 10 persuasive immigration topics for essay from which you can choose.

• Should immigration be a human right?
• Can immigrants help economies grow and make countries better
• Why immigration is not a threat to our culture but a benefit
• We need more immigrants in this country because it’s not sustainable otherwise!
• Immigrants are an asset to any country, not a burden.
• Are most immigrants hard-working, honest, and law-abiding citizens?
• Illegal immigration is not a problem—it’s a solution to problems—like unemployment and poverty
• The U.S. needs immigrants to keep growing and stay strong in the world economy
• Are immigrants good for business and do they make great contributions to society?
• Immigrants bring in new ideas and experiences that enrich culture and nation growth.

How to Choose a Topic on Immigration

Choosing a topic for your immigration research paper is a big decision. You have to consider your audience, the content of the paper, and how much time you have to write it. Here are some tips for choosing the best immigration research paper topics.

• Know your audience.

You can’t write an immigration research paper if you don’t know who you’re writing it for! Before you start writing, sit down with the person in charge of your assignment (usually the professor) and get their feedback on what they need from you. This will help you narrow down topics that they’ll find interesting and relevant, which will make them more excited about reading your work!

• Look at what’s already out there.

You may want to try writing something new, but don’t forget about other people’s work! Go online and check out any papers written by professors on similar topics in your field. Have them give their opinions about whether or not those papers are good examples of quality work done well. If they love something else, maybe those details can help inspire yours!

• Do your research.

Do some research on current events. This is where most of the immigration news comes from, so it’s a great way to find out what’s happening in your community.

Read blogs and articles from reliable sources like newspapers or websites that focus on profiling immigrants and people who are looking for asylum.

Immigration research paper topics could be challenging to find. Sometimes they are complex and require an in-depth understanding. Here are 110 immigration research paper topics you can choose from. Sometimes, you might need help in writing your research paper. You can always outsource your research paper to a trusted writing company to help you!

Frequently Asked Questions

Richard Ginger is a dissertation writer and freelance columnist with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the writing industry. He handles every project he works on with precision while keeping attention to details and ensuring that every work he does is unique.

Succeed With A Perfect Dissertation

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

As Putin continues killing civilians, bombing kindergartens, and threatening WWIII, Ukraine fights for the world's peaceful future.

Ukraine Live Updates

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Research into Immigration and Crime

The relationship between immigration and crime has been the subject of much debate and great concern for public officials. Although there are arguments that stringent immigration enforcement policies are needed to combat increased risk of crime by undocumented immigrants, recent research suggests that those who immigrate (legally or illegally) are not more likely, and may even be less likely to commit crime in the US. NIJ funds projects designed to advance understanding of this complex association.

On this page, find links to articles, awards, events, publications, and multimedia related to immigration and crime.

• Immigrants as Victims

Recent Publications

• Race, ethnicity, phycological factors, and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Immigration and School Threat?: Exploring the Significance of the Border
• Do Local-Federal Immigration Enforcement Agreements Reduce Crime? A Nationwide Evaluation Of The Crime Reduction Benefits of Section 287(g) of the United States Immigration and Nationality Act
• View related awards
• Find sites with statistics related to: Research into Immigration and Crime

240 Immigration Essay Topics

Immigration is a permanent move to a foreign country. It takes place all over the globe, including the United States. It played an important role in history, and it continues to influence society today.

This article offers a variety of immigration essay topics. They are suitable for college-level works, as well as middle and high school papers.

But first, take a look at our custom writing company . If your task seems overwhelming, we can write an immigration essay for you!

🔝 Top 10 Immigration Topics to Write About

• ✍️ How to Choose a Topic

❓ Top 10 Immigration Research Questions

• ✈️ Legal Immigration
• 🗺️ Illegal Immigration
• 🗽 Immigration in the U.S.
• 🌐 Worldwide Immigration
• 🧳 Personal Immigration
• 🌎 Environmental Migration
• 🎓 Job and Education
• ⚖️ Immigration Pros and Cons

🔍 References

• The harm of immigration policies
• Push and pull factors of immigration
• Immigration as an escape from poverty
• Reproductive health of women immigrants
• Racism in the American housing market
• Mexican economy and the immigration rate
• Immigration increase vs. welfare decrease
• Challenges of immigrant assimilation in the US
• The cause of discrimination towards immigrants
• Immigration detention effects on mental health

✍️ How to Choose an Immigration Topic

The subject of immigration is broad. You can explore it from many points of view. Focus on economics, sociology, or the legal system. Here are a few things to remember as you chose the essay title:

• Use verified up-to-date information. As simple as it seems, it’s essential.
• Do not judge. We cannot know the life story of every immigrant and what they went through.

You may try to approach the subject from the political viewpoint. Or, try to stand in the shoes of someone looking for a better life.

Below you will find many great questions and topics on immigration. Choose the one you like best, and get down to writing!

• Do expats boost innovations?
• Is terrorism related to immigration?
• How does migration influence culture?
• What is seasonal labor immigration?
• Can immigration reduce global poverty?
• What is the economic effect of refugees?
• How does immigration affect social capital?
• How do immigration control measures vary?
• Is Third World immigration a threat to the US?
• Why do immigration laws differ among the states?

✈️ Legal Immigration Essay Topics

• Pros and cons of sanctuary cities
• Modern immigration policy in the UK
• ICE’s policy under Obama vs. Trump
• The process of naturalization in the US
• The importance of the DACA program
• Should the TPS program be permanent?
• Health concerns of illegal immigration
• The effect of immigration on international students
• The difference between an asylum and refugee status
• The Second Industrial Revolution’s impact on immigration
• The role of visas in the modern world.
• Does federal immigration law ensure safety for the U.S. citizens?
• Changes in immigration policies following 9/11 .
• What will happen if the U.S. declares open borders for all countries?
• How is multiculturalism a good thing?
• How much time does it take to complete immigration documents?
• What rights do immigrants have in the U.S.?
• Does congress limit the number of immigrant visas?
• What are the main functions of immigration?
• Why does the U.S. refuse to accept Syrian refugees?
• The majority of immigrants seek to receive the U.S. citizenship.
• Fake marriage for the sake of legal immigration.
• How can immigrants ensure a legal status for their children?
• Why do people applying for U.S. citizenship have to live in America for five years?
• What’s the difference between naturalization and citizenship ?
• Is it fair that children can have citizenship by being born in the U.S.
• What does the government look for in a person before granting them legal status?
• Ways to pass the test for naturalization for a person with disabilities.
• How can children become the U.S. citizens through their parents?
• What are the physical presence requirements for naturalization?
• Steps necessary to prepare for a naturalization test.
• How to reapply for citizenship.
• What is a naturalization ceremony?
• Can a person become a citizen through military service ?
• Do all visas allow legal immigration?

The immigration process should be legal. There is an “Immigration Law” in the U.S. that provides legitimate ways to become an American citizen. In this section, you will find ideas for your research paper or informative essay on legal immigration.

🗺️ Illegal Immigration Essay Topics

According to Washington State Department of Social and Health Services , the main difference between legal and illegal immigration lies in documentation. That’s why illegal immigrants are also called undocumented. The following list can provide an idea for a topic sentence or a thesis statement in a persuasive essay.

• Can there be any valid excuse for immigrating illegally?
• Do undocumented aliens harm the U.S.?
• The overstaying legal migration period is common for illegal immigration.
• What is more valuable for the government: paperwork or people?
• Which countries do most undocumented immigrants come from?
• Human trafficking is a tragedy that feeds illegal immigration.
• Settled undocumented immigrants should still get punished.
• The presence of undocumented immigrants indicates corruption.
• Do illegal immigrants affect the local economy of southern states?
• Does illegal immigration bring American society out of balance?
• The presence of undocumented aliens affects crime rates.
• The issues associated with illegal immigration in America.
• What organizations support illegal immigration?
• Children of immigrants bear the consequences of their parents’ actions.
• Should undocumented immigrants be provided legal help?
• The term “illegal immigrant” must be rejected as offensive.
• Does the problem of illegal immigration feed the issue of racism?
• Undocumented immigrants deserve to be treated with respect.
• The term “ illegal immigrant ” stirs up racial fear in the U.S.
• Does the phrase “No human is illegal” have any truth to it?
• Is illegal immigration a threat to hosts and immigrants?
• Are undocumented aliens treated with hostility by the government?
• Can illegal immigration for personal reasons be justified?
• Should we consider the absence of proper documentation an offense?
• Do the lives of illegal immigrants matter in America?
• Can an undocumented immigrant be considered an American?
• Does the “Drop the I-word” campaign provide valid arguments?
• Is there anything good about illegal immigration?
• Immigration detention brings more harm than good.
• Should the “catch and release” policy function in the U.S.?
• Should a person take a chance to obtain a legal status by entering the country illegally?
• Will the construction of a wall resolve the issue of illegal immigration?
• If America is the land of opportunities , why doesn’t it accept undocumented aliens?
• Does illegal immigration promote terrorism ?
• Should the U.S. government introduce specific policies for elderly immigrants?

🗽 Immigration in the U.S. Topics

Millions of people worldwide want to get a taste of the American Dream. After many decades, America is shaped by the immigrant presence. Think about the cultural components and history of immigration in the U.S. This list may provide you with ideas for thesis topics.

• Should immigrants be allowed to vote?
• Can aliens who received U.S. citizenship be called Americans?
• Should Americans be concerned about the “green card lottery?”
• Mexican immigration as a political controversy.
• Difference between citizenship and a green card.
• The immigrants are fulfilling the labor market demand in the U.S.
• Professional psychologists must cooperate with immigrants.
• Children born to undocumented aliens should receive U.S. citizenship.
• Should there be a mandatory English language test for all immigrants?
• Should resident aliens use international driver licenses in the U.S.?
• Does the U.S. immigration policy need reform?
• From a historical perspective, could the U.S. survive as a country without immigrants?
• Immigration is at the core of American history.
• What were the reasons for the migration wave in the 1960s?
• Homeland security and immigration policy in the U.S.
• How did the 18th-century Chinese emigration influence America?
• The U.S. language policy regarding immigration.
• The 9/11 tragedy changed the way Americans view foreigners.
• Should children of illegal aliens be denied U.S. citizenship?
• How does immigration change life in bigger cities in the U.S.?
• Benefits of the DREAM act.
• Do legal aliens affect the American education system?
• Can a child raised by immigrants in the U.S. be called an American?
• Do Americans move to other countries?
• Immigrants come to the U.S. for religious purposes.

🌐 Worldwide Immigration Topics

History proves that people have always been moving around. Sometimes they immigrate because “the grass is greener on the other side.” But some have to flee their countries as refugees. The U.S and the European Union are receiving large numbers of immigrants. Here are some topic ideas for a paper on immigration worldwide.

• Was border control possible before the invention of visas?
• Syrian children refugees in Canada and ethics of care.
• What benefits does a country receive by granting someone asylum status?
• Can asylees feel safe in their host country?
• What is the difference between the words “immigrant” and “refugee?”
• Refugees need psychological assistance to overcome stress.
• Most refugees hope to come back to their home countries.
• What attitude locals usually have towards emigrants?
• There is a substantial prejudice against immigrants and refugees.
• Should the government invest in education for displaced people?
• The refugee crisis is a growing global issue.
• Assimilation policy as a form of aborigenal control in Australia.
• Wars have been one of the primary reasons for migration throughout history.
• How did 9/11 affect international traveling and global immigration?
• What happens to people who are rejected by the border control service?
• The impact of globalization on immigration control.
• Does Europe benefit or suffer from immigrants?
• The effects high numbers of refugees have on the European economy.
• Does the tourism industry in Europe suffer from the refugee presence?
• Effect of immigration on European history.
• Influence of globalization citizenship in the EU.
• What are the benefits of the asylum status in Europe?
• The effect of the Cold War on global immigration.
• Do most of the refugees in Europe want to receive EU citizenship?
• Does immigration rate vary amongst men and women?

🧳 Personal Immigration Topics

There is a person behind each number on immigration statistics. You may be wondering why somebody would want to leave home. Immigration is a serious step that forever changes one’s life. If you would like to look at the heart of immigration, this section is for you.

• Should immigration be perceived as an act of courage?
• Can the elderly have a better retirement in other countries?
• Religious persecution as a reason for moving.
• People often immigrate to provide a better life for their children.
• Racial persecution is a valid reason for moving abroad.
• The decision to relocate should have a solid reason behind it.
• Refugee families suffer enormous emotional pressure.
• Health problems are a sufficient reason for immigration.
• Immigration as a way to provide for one’s family is a noble act.
• Parent’s love for their children can motivate them to move abroad.
• Immigrant children and the governmental responsibility.
• People shouldn’t judge the financial instability of refugees.
• Disagreement with the country’s politics can push citizens to move.
• Are certain personality types more likely to immigrate?
• The lack of a sustainable education system in a home country pushes young people to move abroad.
• For some, the only hope for a good life is in immigration.
• Relocation for romantic reasons is common in the modern world.
• Experiences of Lithuanian and Chinese immigrants in America.
• Can relational complications drive people out of their native countries?
• An urge to be free from oppression leads to immigration.
• Loss of a family member can force a person to move abroad.
• Some choose immigration as a way to escape financial responsibility.
• Because of the internet, some people identify with foreign cultures.
• Immigration is a way to change one’s life.
• Athletes choose to relocate to have better conditions for training.

🌎 Environmental Migration Topics

You can define migration as the movement from one place to another. It can happen within or outside country borders. Migration isn’t always permanent. Nature is full of surprises, and sometimes natural disasters occur. Some people don’t have other options but to migrate. This section includes a variety of topics on environmental migration.

• Climate change is a significant reason for migration.
• Should environmental migrants receive a refugee status?
• Countries with significant environmental problems should encourage immigration.
• How many people choose to migrate due to ecological issues?
• Should the border control require documentation from environmental refugees?
• For how long environmental migrants are allowed to stay in the host country?
• Do climate refugees receive support from their host countries?
• Describe the Haitian migration following the 2010 earthquake.
• Migration after the tsunami in the Indian Ocean in 2004 .
• Chinese citizens migrate due to floods .
• Do Americans move to different states because of ecological issues?
• Documented cases of mass environmental migration throughout history.
• The role of sea-level rise in climate migration.
• How polluted oceans affect human population movement.
• What are the main factors of environmental migration?
• Does the global warming influence migration levels?
• Is the number of climate refugees likely to increase in the future?
• How often do environmental migrants become legal immigrants?
• How can those who have lost their possessions afford to move abroad?
• Which countries receive the most climate migrants?
• Is the status of “environmental refugee” legitimate?
• Do environmental migrants consider going back to their home countries?
• Which organizations provide help to climate migrants worldwide?
• From which countries do people flee the most due to ecological reasons?
• People migrate due to the lack of clean water .

🎓 Immigration Essay Topics: Job and Education

Not all countries have a reliable education system. Sometimes there are not enough resources to provide jobs for everyone. Immigration gives people a chance to pursue a better career path. The following list can inspire your immigration thesis topic.

• Should international students be encouraged to return after graduation?
• Can online job opportunities decrease immigration rates?
• High-quality education in the U.S. attracts immigrants.
• What steps must one take to receive a work visa?
• Religious missionaries should receive governmental support.
• How often do people move to a different country for educational reasons?
• Immigrants in Toronto: social and economic challenges.
• How do institutions check the language abilities of international students ?
• Do all U.S. institutions receive international students?
• What does it take to receive a student visa?
• Cross-cultural management and work abroad.
• Can immigrants find jobs without knowing the local language?
• What are the primary countries people immigrating to for occupational purposes?
• Which countries people are most likely to leave to receive a better education?
• Is America the land of opportunities for immigrants?
• Is it economically sufficient for the U.S. to receive workers from other countries?
• Why are international students willing to pay a high price for education in the U.S. ?
• The industrial revolution caused a wave of immigration.
• Some people move to less developed countries to help with their development.
• Poverty often pushes people to move abroad.
• Immigrants from developing countries aren’t picky when it comes to jobs.
• Do immigrants regret moving to the U.S. if they’re faced with discrimination?
• What’s the average age of international students that are coming to the U.S.?
• Health of expatriates often worsens due to the nature of their jobs.
• Examples from history of people seeking education abroad .

⚖️ Pros and Cons of Immigration: Essay Ideas

There are two sides to the immigration: positive and negative. Think about the economy, food, art, sociology, and politics. Decide what are the benefits and downsides of immigration. The following list of topic ideas on migration will help you with this task.

• International employees fill the gaps in the workforce.
• Foreigners bring a unique perspective that can benefit the host country.
• Some expatriates possess rare skills that can be useful.
• Cuisine of immigrants often becomes popular in the host country.
• International students add numbers to struggling institutions.
• Talented immigrants find themselves useful in a host country.
• Foreigners improve international trade and business.
• International employees are often enthusiastic about their job position.
• Foreigners have an unusual view on life.
• Immigration brings cultural diversity to the host country.
• Foreign presence pushes host countries towards ethnic inclusiveness.
• Immigrants are more willing to take less prestigious jobs.
• People from abroad bring their mentality everywhere they go.
• Children of immigrants can have better opportunities in life.
• The money earned by foreigners in the host country is spent in their home countries.
• Immigration is a channel for the drug industry.
• Immigration gives hope for a brighter future.
• In some cases, aliens take job opportunities from the locals.
• Immigrants tend to increase the crime rate of the hosting country.
• Home countries of immigrants suffer from “brain drain.”
• Foreigners are subject to racial intolerance.
• Immigration causes overcrowding .
• The language barrier creates social complications.
• Immigration takes away the attention of the government.
• Resident aliens might suffer from strained relationships with locals.

We hope this article helped you to choose the topic for your essay. In conclusion, we want to wish you good luck with your assignment!

You might also be interested in:

• 560 Unique Controversial Topics & Tips for a Great Essay
• Canadian Identity Essay: 20 Essay Topics and Writing Guide
• 147 Social Studies Topics for Your Research Project
• 480 Sociology Questions & Topics with Bonus Tips
• 240 Unique Geography and Geology Topics & Questions
• Immigration: Encyclopedia Britannica
• Population Reference Bureau: Trends in Migration to the U.S.
• Myths and Facts about Immigrants and Immigration: Anti Defamation League
• Resident Alien Definition: Investopedia
• Nonresident Aliens: Internal Revenue Service
• Immigration: Cornell Law School
• Citizenship Through Naturalization: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
• A Dozen Facts about Immigration: Brookings.edu
• Environmental Displacement and Migration: Environmental Law Institute
• Immigration: ProCon.org
• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to LinkedIn
• Share to email

Should you buy a green or a red apple? Before making a decision, people often compare their options. In a compare and contrast essay, you analyze the similarities and differences between certain things. In this article, you’ll find interesting and easy compare and contrast essay topics for college, high school...

An opinion essay requires a student to present a point of view on a chosen subject and back it up with substantial evidence. Like in a debate, the writer has to give their opinion and defend it while using scholarly resources. This article will help you find a good opinion...

When you start studying philosophy, you may think it’s boring and has nothing to do with the real world. It couldn’t be further from the truth! The study of philosophy deals with the most exciting and mysterious aspects of reality. It is closely connected with science, psychology, art, and politics....

It would be great if economics in college would just teach you how to save and make money. In reality, however, students usually write research papers on micro- and macroeconomics topics to learn about the production and consumption of goods on an international level.

The corporate world is the world of the future – there’s no doubt about that. And education in ABM will help you conquer it! What is ABM strand, exactly? ABM stands for Accountancy, Business, and Management. Future leaders and entrepreneurs pursue education in this field to learn the skills essential...

If you are a psychology student and you think that Mindhunter is just not good enough, you are not alone! Psychology is one of the most exciting research areas. It is one of the reasons why Custom-writing.org experts prepared as many as 191 psychology research topics! 🔝 Top 10 Communication...

There is a big difference between research conducted in science and humanities. Scholars in humanities and social sciences (HumSS strand) are more interested in questions rather than answers. Interpreting the known facts and looking at them from a new perspective is also a part of research in HumSS. There are...

The importance of health research can’t be underestimated. It helps move medicine forward and save millions of people. It also promotes various preventive techniques that help us live longer and safer lives.

Do you enjoy revealing the mysteries of nature? There are as many secrets in space as there are deep in the ocean. You may be the one who solves the next puzzle! Natural science focuses on our environment. We try to understand how and why everything around us works. Living...

Developing healthcare, engineering, and IT is undoubtedly useful. However, the professionals in these areas do not grow on their own. The education system is the birthplace of all the science geniuses who change our world. If you’re looking for a research title about education, you’re in the right place! This...

Florence Nightingale is called “the mother of modern nursing.” She was the first one who started incorporating research into her practice. While providing patients with health care and support, nurses observe things that may need further investigation. This way, they become not only caretakers but also scientists. Research topics in...

Did you know that time travel is possible? Researching historical topics allows us to do that. It not only reveals the origins of our existence. It also tells us who we are, and even enables us to glimpse into the future! The process of investigating a topic in history is...

📕 Studying HQ

32+ argumentative essays topics on immigration with prompts [+ essay outline], dr. wilson mn.

• August 1, 2022
• Essay Topics and Ideas , Samples

There are a lot of immigration issues that people are passionate about. If you care about the immigration and want to make a difference, then you should consider writing an argumentative essay on one of these topics. Here are some ideas on Argumentative Essays Topics on Immigration to get you started:

What You'll Learn

Interesting Topics On Migration

• Different Perspectives on Immigration Reform Essay Prompt: Over the past few years, people have moved to the United States for various reasons. Some have moved to the United States to reunite with their families, work, or look for safety.
• Arguments on Why Immigration Should be Stopped Essay Prompt: Immigration can be defined as the movement of an individual from one’s country of origin to set up new and permanent residence in another country. Immigration has been a pertinent issue in most countries, especially the United States.
• Effects of Immigration Essay Prompt: Immigration is moving from one place to another in order to live and work in that place. The history of immigration dates back to thousands of years ago when the first Africans arrived in Egypt.
• How does racism impact the way we view Immigration? Essay Prompt: In recent years, views of immigration in the United States have shifted with many Americans perceiving immigrants as a source of national prosperity, rather than an eminent burden. (Interesting Topics on Migration)
• Immigration, Essay Prompt: Consider any issues such as how to deal with illegal immigrants, how to encourage new, productive immigrants, cost of illegal immigrants.

As you continue,  thestudycorp.com  has the top and most qualified writers to help with any of your assignments. All you need to do is  place an order  with us . Select a Argumentative Essays Topics on Immigration and we will write the essau for you.

Argumentative Essay Ideas On Immigration with Prompts

• What Role Should The State Of Texas Play In The Immigration Policy
• No One Is Safe.’ How Trump’s Immigration Policy Is Splitting Families Apart Essay Prompt: In the past, people who immigrated to the US illegally and had criminal records were some of the most targeted, but now the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can pick up family members and separate them from their families.
• The economic impact of Immigration on the US economy Essay Prompt: Immigration has a significant impact on the United States economy. Immigration has enhanced economic development and has small to no effects on employment and wages for native-born workers.
• Describe Immigration Laws And Potential Illegal Immigrants
• Essay Prompt: You explore your position on the topic of immigration laws. Select an immigration law for this Discussion and consider whether or not that law is justifiable.
• The bad impact of Immigration on the U.S. economy. Essay Essay Prompt: Immigration is a hotly debated topic in the United States, especially in political circles. Over the years, millions of people have immigrated to the United States from all parts of the world and it has become a melting pot of cultures. (Interesting Topics on Migration)
• Impact of Immigration on American Cities Essay Prompt: The issue of immigration is a sensitive national topic in the United States. The topic’s sensitivity is fueled by several misconceptions about immigration and its impact on the United States. (Argumentative Essay Ideas On Immigration)
• Research Assignment on Enforcement of Immigration Laws Essay Prompt: Explain at least one challenge related to enforcing the laws at the state level. Provide an insight you had about the effectiveness of enforcement of laws. A Research Project On Migration.

Further read on Creative Synthesis Essay Topics & Ideas in 2022

If you care about immigration and want to make a difference, then you should consider writing an argumentative essay on one of these topics . Here are some ideas on Argumentative Essays Topics on Immigration to get you started:

Immigration Research Paper Topics

• Immigration is Good to America: Immigration Makes Americans Less Isolated Globally Essay Prompt: Incorporate analysis of the reading and somebody’s personal experience to make a clear and precise argumentative essay on immigration.
• Republican Party Restrictions on Immigration Law Essay Essay Prompt: The US president Donald Trump is from the Republican Party with the decision made following the policies of the party. Republican Party has a strong stand on restrictions on immigrants which have caused unrest to blacks and minority groups in the US.
• Discuss one specific issue position from either the Democratic or Republican parties’ platforms, indicating whether you agree or disagree.
• Why The United States Should Adopt An Open Immigration Policy Essay Prompt: Two Viewpoints explaining why Immigration Must Be Restricted to Protect American Americans Against Terrorists and why the United States Should Adopt an Open Immigration Policy.
• Liberal Critique And Reform Of Immigration Policy Essay Prompt: Immigration reforms have remained fundamental similar to civil rights and desegregation throughout the history of the united states (US). In the past centuries, immigration reforms have been greatly influenced by the civil rights movement. As noted, the civil rights movement was about winning full and…
• Immigration, Pluralism, and Amalgamation Essay Prompt: The world has significantly transformed into a global village mainly due to technological advancement that has made almost every part of the world accessible. Consequently, migration has become a common aspect of modern life. These changes have prompted different countries to establish immigration policies…
• Essay Prompt: In the current interconnected world, global migration has turned out to be a reality that affects approximately all countries across the world. With advanced modern means of transport, people find it easier, cheaper and more convenient to move from one nation to another searching for employment.
• How to Strengthen America’s National Security
• Essay Prompt: Enhancing border control and enforcement of immigration laws are the two primary ideas that can effectively manage the problem of illegal immigration in the US. (Interesting Topics on Migration)
• Immigration Policy Impact on Economic, Security & Humanitarian Policy Essay Prompt: The current immigration policy has a far-reaching impact on humanitarian, security, and economic aspects. For instance, Migrant Protection Protocols by former President Trump prevents the imprisonment of asylum seekers, especially women and children, until the hearing of their case.
• Should American Citizenship be a Birthright? Research Paper Essay Prompt: The belief that everybody born in American soil becomes subject to the jurisdiction, hence citizens of the United States was included in the Constitution in 1868, in the 14th amendment.

These are just a few examples of Argumentative Essays Topics on Immigration. If you can find a topic that is relevant to your audience and that you are passionate about, you will be well on your way to writing a great argumentative essay .

Bonus essay outline for your Argumentative Essay On Immigration

Start by filling this short order form order.studyinghq.com

And then follow the progressive flow. 

Having an issue, chat with us here

Cathy, CS. 

New Concept ? Let a subject expert write your paper for You​

Have a subject expert write for you now, have a subject expert finish your paper for you, edit my paper for me, have an expert write your dissertation's chapter, popular topics.

Business StudyingHq Essay Topics and Ideas How to Guides Samples

• Nursing Solutions
• Study Guides
• Free College Essay Examples
• Privacy Policy
• Writing Service 
• Discounts / Offers 

Study Hub: 

• Studying Blog
• Topic Ideas 
• How to Guides
• Business Studying 
• Nursing Studying 
• Literature and English Studying

Writing Tools  

• Citation Generator
• Topic Generator
• Paraphrasing Tool
• Conclusion Maker
• Research Title Generator
• Thesis Statement Generator
• Summarizing Tool
• Terms and Conditions
• Confidentiality Policy
• Cookies Policy
• Refund and Revision Policy

Our samples and other types of content are meant for research and reference purposes only. We are strongly against plagiarism and academic dishonesty. 

Contact Us:

📧 [email protected]

📞 +15512677917

2012-2024 © studyinghq.com. All rights reserved

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

• International

Student visa: Views of students and higher education institutions

This report explores the experiences and activities of international students and university sponsors accessing the Sponsored Study visa route.

Views of students and higher education institutions: Student data tables

ODS , 382 KB

This file is in an OpenDocument format

Views of students and higher education institutions: HEI data tables

ODS , 215 KB

The research presented throughout the following report provides insight into the experience of international Student visa applicants studying in the UK. Specifically around factors relating to decision-making; the influence of policy (such as the ability to bring dependants); the impact of the Graduate route on study intentions; and the wider economic impacts of international students and their dependents.

The research also addresses the experiences and understanding of higher education institutions (HEI), which sponsor students on this route. Primarily looking at how HEI’s operate to achieve international recruitment objectives, and how changes to the Student route impact HEI international recruitment strategies.

Related content

Is this page useful.

• Yes this page is useful
• No this page is not useful

Help us improve GOV.UK

Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.

To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. Please fill in this survey (opens in a new tab) .