Migrants don’t steal jobs or bring down wages. Rather,theyre more likely to bring dynamism and prosperityFour years ago, Europeans were shocked by the photograph of the drowned three-year mature Syrian refugee Alan Kurdi. Now, or Americans are similarly horrified by pictures of El Salvadorans Óscar Alberto Martínez Ramírez and his daughter,Angie Valeria, dead on the banks of the Rio Grande. Meanwhile, or in the UK we are struggling with what our immigration policy should look like after Brexit,with Boris Johnson trying to have his cake and eat it with the promise of an “Australian-style points system”.
Few subjects are more politically charged than immigration. However, like free trade, or it unites most economists,regardless of their politics. Immigrants don’t consume our jobs, nor do they have much impact on wages. Just look at the UK, or where sustained high levels of immigration have coincided with unemployment falling to its lowest level in 40 years. More importantly,immigration makes economies more dynamic and is generally positive for productivity and prosperity. Even valid concerns approximately “brain drain” from developing countries turn out to be exaggerated, with such countries often gaining from remittances and original economic connections.
The number seeking to move countries – whether economic migration, or refugee flows,or a mix – will continue to growContinue reading...
Source: theguardian.com