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The West needs to be more open to migrants

http://www.economist.com/node/21526893?fsrc=scn/fb/wl/ar/letthemcome

Article in this week's Economist warning that if the West does not take a more open policy to migrants it faces losing them in the face of competition from Asia.

A couple of salient points from the article.

Evidence that immigration hurts indigenous workers is, however, weak. In seasonal work and construction, cheap foreign labour can depress wages and make it harder for the low-skilled to find work, but the flexibility and willingness of new workers can also boost productivity and encourage innovation.


Immigration is, on the whole, good for economies; and right now, rich countries can do with all the economic help they can get. Rather than sending immigrants home, with their skills, energy, ideas and willingness to work, governments should be encouraging them to come. If they don’t, governments elsewhere will.


No doubt this will not be what the Daily Mail audience want to hear!

Scroll to see replies

Could not agree more. The Tory policy is madness.
Reply 2
Avatar for T-ros
T-ros
13
Certainly not from muslim countries. And at least Western Europe tends to attract poor educated immigrants, due to welfare states. To think they will help the eonomy is simply delusional.
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 3
Avatar for Steevee
Steevee
15
I disagree entirely.

Immigration needs to be tightly controlled. We should encourage the best and brightest to come here, not take everyone who turns up on the dorrstep with a suitcase and a hand out. Middle ground people, middle ground.
They definitely need to strike a balance between the two...
Original post by T-ros
Certainly not from muslim countries. And at least Western Europe tends to attract poor educated immigrants, due to welfare states. To think they will help the eonomy is simply delusional.


Yes, I'm sure The Economist is wrong on this... :rolleyes:
I'm incredibly open to talented workers coming to our fair shores.

What I'm not so crazy about are people coming here to contribute very little and take very much.
Yeah, because Japan and South Korea are just suffering something fierce from the lack of immigration and homogeneity that is keeping their economies and.... oh wait.

EDIT: As an American, I just want to say it sounds like our refugees/ your asylum seekers really seem to be the ones who're not at all pulling their weight and even dragging us down. At times there certainly are miracle groups like the lost boys of South Sudan (free! yay!), but they seem to be few and far between.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Pax Amerifauna
Yeah, because Japan and South Korea are just suffering something fierce from the lack of immigration and homogeneity that is keeping their economies and.... oh wait.

EDIT: As an American, I just want to say it sounds like our refugees/ your asylum seekers really seem to be the ones who're not at all pulling their weight and even dragging us down. At times there certainly are miracle groups like the lost boys of South Sudan (free! yay!), but they seem to be few and far between.


your good ole US of A ensured japanese economic development after ww2 by safeguarding their military setup (least they could do after nuking them). Japan had to invest zilch in miltary expentidure, unlike european countries like germany and britian. This is the primary reason why japan has created its economy based on the electronics/automobile market after ww2.

Immigration was required in britain to work the factories and sectors such as the NHS and transport.
Reply 9
Avatar for almasy
almasy
Imigration costs us a few billion a year... it's very bad for our economy not good.
Original post by MonkeyMan2009
your good ole US of A ensured japanese economic development after ww2 by safeguarding their military setup (least they could do after nuking them). Japan had to invest zilch in miltary expentidure, unlike european countries like germany and britian. This is the primary reason why japan has created its economy based on the electronics/automobile market after ww2.


Yeah, and the USSR and Maoist China didn't exist.



Immigration was required in britain to work the factories and sectors such as the NHS and transport.

Hmm? Wouldn't the Post WWII years have freed up large numbers of former GIs to man these jobs and start families? The US didn't change our immigration policy till the mid 60's when our economy began to tank, did the UK really start importing unskilled workers right after WWII?
Original post by T-ros

Original post by T-ros
Certainly not from muslim countries. And at least Western Europe tends to attract poor educated immigrants, due to welfare states. To think they will help the eonomy is simply delusional.


Doesn't matter where the migrants come from, as long as they have the skills to get the job done. Personally, I'd like a higher Muslim population in London, not for a religious cause, but only because I'd love to see a halal McDonalds in London. Was at Bahrain airport the other month while switching flights, and had a Big Mac there at the halal McDonalds; the taste was bang on.
Original post by almasy

Original post by almasy
Imigration costs us a few billion a year... it's very bad for our economy not good.


Actually immigrants contribute a lot to the economy, they contribute more than they take on the whole. Just the fact that you can't spell 'immigrant' shows how bigoted or uneducated you really are, so please, don't type like you have an economics degree.
Reply 13
Avatar for Chucky
Chucky
i love how the idiots at the top are like (the torys are a disgrace) seriously they have done nothing yet! If you think immigration is being tightly controlled seriously open your eyes and look at all the council flats in london... the London riots, the amount of foreign people who are relying on tax payers all day for the rest of their lives while still having about 50 kids.
Reply 14
Avatar for Tommyjw
Tommyjw
18
Original post by almasy
Imigration costs us a few billion a year... it's very bad for our economy not good.


And where did you read this nonsense?

'Immigration' as a whole is beneficial for the economy and still gives us money however, yes, it is getting out of hand. But to say that with immigration we are LOSING billions is ridiculous.
Reply 15
Avatar for Chucky
Chucky
Original post by Abir Ishtiaq
Actually immigrants contribute a lot to the economy, they contribute more than they take on the whole. Just the fact that you can't spell 'immigrant' shows how bigoted or uneducated you really are, so please, don't type like you have an economics degree.


Why are you saying to him that he doesn't have the right to an opinion when you are the one just annoying the hard working Brits by declaring that the country that since immigration has been going slowly down hill.

Seriously your hardly in a neutral position to make such a bold opinion.

You should probably look out of the window...
Reply 16
Avatar for Chucky
Chucky
Original post by Tommyjw
And where did you read this nonsense?

'Immigration' as a whole is beneficial for the economy and still gives us money however, yes, it is getting out of hand. But to say that with immigration we are LOSING billions is ridiculous.


nope the majority of immigrant who come to the UK are here for the benefits that come with the country which is costing the tax payers huge, also the providing of houses which in some cases are in prime locations and have to house about 10 people.

And please at this current time where the economy is at a low and millions are unemployed tell me why letting even more people into the country is going to help people who are already suffering here as it will be even harder to get a job.
Whatever migration policy we have, it should be enforced properly, and decisions made quickly as to the acceptance of any application.

And we should criticise the politicians for the policy or non-enforcement of it, and not take it out on individuals who have come into this country and are working hard.
Reply 18
Avatar for Tommyjw
Tommyjw
18
Original post by Chucky
nope the majority of immigrant who come to the UK are here for the benefits that come with the country which is costing the tax payers huge, also the providing of houses which in some cases are in prime locations and have to house about 10 people.

And please at this current time where the economy is at a low and millions are unemployed tell me why letting even more people into the country is going to help people who are already suffering here as it will be even harder to get a job.


/yawn

Don't need any of your idiotic trolling. Cold hard facts state the country benefits from it. That's all that needs to be said. I don't really care about your idiotic stereotypical generalizations that you call views.
Original post by turn and fall
Could not agree more. The Tory policy is madness.


Madness? No...

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