Much has changed—and is changing—in the world of migration and integration policy. Migration management has become more complex as flows have diversified in types and origins; overtaxed humanitarian protection systems globally are facing record challenges; societies have become more polarized, with immigration often used as a wedge issue; climate migration is an ever-growing area of concern for the future; and key immigrant-destination countries are increasingly competing for the types of immigrants they want. What do leading migration thinkers have to say about these and other developments? World of Migration offers fresh takes and thoughtful perspectives on some of the top migration issues, some of which figure rarely in the headlines. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or listen to episodes here. And please leave us a review. Engage with us at info@migrationpolicy.org.
Episodes
Friday Jan 09, 2026
Friday Jan 09, 2026
Foreign aid budgets have been slashed significantly by governments in the United States, Europe, and beyond, raising questions about what humanitarian assistance will look like in practice. Recent and abrupt funding cuts by major donors are already affecting refugee-hosting countries, where resources were strained even before these changes.
In this episode of World of Migration, host Lawrence Huang speaks with Micheal Gumisiriza, a program lead based in southwest Uganda for COHERE, an international NGO that works with refugee-led organizations, about how funding cuts by international donors are being felt on the ground—from food assistance and access to essential medicines to education. They discuss what the immediate impacts reveal about the humanitarian system’s capacity under pressure, and what “localization” could realistically mean as humanitarian response efforts adjust to a period of shrinking resources.