People Protectionism
The Economist - Limiting Migration: Rich countries respond to the economic downturn by trying to limit the flow of migrants
IN THE boom years, migrants picked fruit in southern California’s orange groves, worked on construction sites in Spain and Ireland, designed software in Silicon Valley and toiled in factories all over the rich world. Many will continue to do so, despite the economic downturn. But as unemployment rises in most rich countries, attitudes towards migrants are hardening.
Attacks on Romanians in Northern Ireland and on Indian students in Australia are the most visible and disturbing manifestations of growing xenophobia. In response, many governments are also tightening their migration policies, according to a report published by the OECD on Tuesday June 30th. Governments are reducing quotas for foreign workers and imposing tougher entry requirements on them in an effort to control the flow. Some are even paying existing migrants to go home.
Several countries have cut the numbers of people allowed to enter through official programmes. Spain let in 15,731 foreign recruits under its “contingente” scheme in 2008, but slashed the quota to a tiny 901 this year. The Italian government has announced that no non-seasonal workers will be admitted in 2009, whereas 70,000 were officially admitted in 2008. South Korea welcomed 72,000 migrants under its Employment Permit Scheme last year, but this year’s limit is set at 17,000. And Australia, which had earlier said that 133,500 skilled migrants could enter the country this year, has now lowered the limit to 108,100.
Given that many more locals find themselves without jobs in the downturn, it may seem sensible to limit immigration. It is hardly surprising that Spain, where unemployment is 18%, is looking particularly hard for ways to stop migrant flows. But the OECD’s analysis points to several problems with this. Lessons from the 1970s, when the recession that followed the oil-price spikes led Germany, France, and Belgium to clamp down on immigration, suggest that such anti-migrant rules can persist even when they have outlived their use. More…
Read the full article with graphics and related items at http://www.economist.com/world/international/displayStory.cfm?story_id=13938782&source=most_commented
