Immigration Reality: Natives Do Benefit From Immigration Too

A look, from a European perspective at the actual economics -- versus the demagogic politics of immigration.

Rabah Ghezali: Natives Do Benefit From Immigration Too: "American and European publics have recently demonstrated a certain propensity to channel their anxieties into migration issues. These anxieties are more the result of deep socio-economic changes that occurred during the last few decades -- which make native citizens feel stranger in their own country -- than rational responses to the impact of immigration which, as seen, tend in fact to be good for them.

Despite the demands of increasingly numerous populist voices to stop immigration, migration can't be closed down because migrants are part of how modern economies are managed. Simply speaking, immigration is part of national economic policy and needs to be viewed as such by the citizens.

In most countries, the migration debate turns to be rather demagogic, mainly because political decision-makers assess this issue through voters' perceptions rather than through demographic and economic realities. Migration policy is a dilemma stemming from tension between economic and electoral considerations that our uninspired representatives seem unwilling to reconcile. Our leaders should certainly remember that when governing a nation, pragmatism and truthfulness are required, virtues which, when it comes to immigration, unfortunately give way to demagogy and even xenophobia."