Ian Foo's List: Approved

• • Summary:
    This article documents the economic benefits and disadvantages of immigration to a country of destination. It details the short-term and long-term effects, including the effects of remittance money and the infusion of cheap labor into the economy. It also compares and contrasts both the positive and negative effects, and discusses both sides of the opinion that immigration brings a negative effect to countries.
• Sending countries may experience both gains and losses in the short term but may stand to gain over the longer term.

  • Opinion: may not necessarily be the case.
• "While every mouth brings a pair of hands, these hands sometimes make more than they eat and sometimes less,"

  • Opinion: This may not actually be the case.
• For sending countries, the short-term economic benefit of emigration is found in remittances. According to the World Bank, remittances worldwide were estimated at $414 billion in 2009, a decrease of six percent from 2008.

  • Fact: statistics provided to justify claim.
• n the case of Mexico, remittances have become the country's second most important source of foreign exchange, after oil.

  • Fact: Remittances are an important source of foreign exchange.
• In Tajikistan, remittances from its cheap unskilled labor force abroad in countries like Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan has helped the country rebound from the failures of a planned economy and government instability, contributing around 50percent of Tajikistan’s GDP in recent years.²³ 

  • Opinion: There may have been other factors.
• one World Bank study has concluded that a one per cent increase in the share of remittances in a country’s GDP leads to a 0.4 per cent decline in poverty.²⁴

  • Fact: results of a study conducted by a reliable organization.
• Meanwhile, for developed countries, the positive gains from immigration are a result of the infusion of cheap and eager labor into the economy.
• One CIS study states that Mexican immigrants have a generally negative economic effect on the United States.

  • Opinion: May actually have a net positive effect.
• At the same time, impoverished immigrant households use social services at twice the rate of native-born Americans (31 percent vs. 15 percent) the study says.

  • Fact: Statistics conducted through observation of trends.
• It also found that immigrants contributed about 10 percent more to public finances than they took out.

  • Fact: Statistics from survey conducted by reliable organization.
• For example, there are currently more African scientists and engineers working in the United States than there are in Africa, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a worldwide agency that assists migrants.

  • Fact: Statistic from relevant government.
• Nearby in India, 100,000 skilled technology workers are expected to leave in the next three years.

  • Opinion: This may not necessarily happen.
• India essentially will subsidize the rest of the world for $2 billion worth of technology education.

  • Opinion: This may not happen.
• • Criticism:
    The article does make an effort to discuss both sides of the issue, as well as the social and economic aspects of each side. It also cites many statistics and makes an effort to reference them. However, it does not make a definite stand on the issue.

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• • This article debates the pros and cons of immigration for america, with statistics and data to support their points. The pros are tax benefit for government to use, improve long-term financial condition of social security, fill the jobs american do not want to do. The cons are slightly reduced ages for less-educated citizens
• • Fact-makes logical sense

  • Disadvantage
• reduced the wages of native-born workers, with less-skilled and less-educated individuals experiencing the most significant declines.
• • Advantage
• For service-related and professional workers, immigration has had little impact on wages. If anything, increases in the number of newly arriving immigrants actually have slightly positive effects.
• • Fact-statistically proven

  • Disadvantage
• For manual laborers, increases in the share of newly arrived immigrants have no statistically significant negative impact on wages; but increases in the share of immigrants who adjust their immigration status after they have been in the United States—for example, from student or tourist visas (which do not permit employment) to green cards—have a small negative effect.
• • Disadvantage
• The annual wages of low-skilled native workers are about 2.4 percent below where they would be otherwise as a result of the presence of immigrant workers.
• • Disadvantage
• reduced the wages of native workers with relatively little education and few skills. But for the remainder of the U.S. workforce, the impact has not been significant.
• • Fact-statistically proven

  • Advantage
• immigrants and their descendants collectively provide more to the federal government in taxes than they receive in benefits
• • Fact-statistically proven

  • Advantage
• add to the supply of younger workers who contribute payroll taxes
• improve the long-term financial condition of Social Security, while lower levels will have the opposite effect. The higher fertility levels of immigrants also slows the rate at which the average age of the overall population will rise, keeping more people on the contribution side of the equation.
• • Fact-both statistically proven and makes logical sense

  • Advantage
• • Advantage
• low-income immigrants were less likely to receive TANF and food stamp benefits, but slightly more likely to participate in Medicaid.
• • Advantage
• vast majority of the more than 3 million legal immigrants who have come into the country since then are not eligible for Social Security, food stamps, or Medicaid unless and until they become naturalized citizens
• • Fact-statistically true

  • Advantage
• they take jobs in labor-scarce regions, and they fill the types of jobs that native workers often shun
• • Note

• CONCLUSION

   

  The high level of illegal immigration in and of itself constitutes a fundamental failure of public policy. Leaving aside the emotional political arguments that characterize the debate over immigration reform, repairing the system is a complex challenge with no easy answers. To the extent that the incomes of low-skilled native workers may be reduced because of immigration, a wide range of policy options are available to help them, including tax reductions, subsidies, wage supports, training, job placement, the earned income tax credit, and relocation programs. In addition, the federal government could do more to relieve the states and localities of the financial burdens associated with immigration.

   

  From an economic standpoint, the evidence seems clear that draconian measures such as massive deportations or major reductions in legal immigration levels would be counterproductive to the United States and its citizens. However, a great deal more can and should be done to help offset the costs to native workers, especially those with low skills, that the inclusion of foreign-born workers imposes on them.

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• • This article has a very opinionated stand against illegal immigration, with only cons and no pros. It also lacks statistics and sound reasoning to back up the argument's points although it does raise some factual ones, it tends to exaggerate
• • Fact-makes logical sense

  • Disadvantage
• low income families to compete for increasingly limited funds, resources and basic survival necessities
• • Fact-Makes logical sense

  • Disadvantage
• The result is that rents are inflated because a group of working adults can always outbid one working individual with a family, so the bottom line becomes inflated rents, increasing the cost of living and depressed wages, putting the working class citizen at a distinct disadvantage.
• • Opinion-exaggeration of facts

  • Disadvantage
• overloading the system to the point where the quality of education suffers and instead, schools become warehouses, overcrowded schools lead to more failure and the cycle continues
• • Opinion-exaggerate and no statistics to prove

  • Disadvantage
• flood of drugs entering the U.S. through the U.S. Mexican border
• • Opinion-no statistics to prove

  • Disadvantage
• possibility of terrorists
• • Opinion-exaggeration

  • Disadvantage
• identity theft
• • Fact-statistically proven

  • Disadvantage
• These are not jobs U.S. citizens do not want
• • Opinion-no statistics to prove

  • Disadvantage
• not only taking jobs, but also taking advantage of and demanding more services and rights.
• the minimum wage in the U.S. remains at a stagnant $5.15 per hour and the middle class continues to shrink, the fabric of our society continues to unravel
• • Fact-statistically proven

  • Disadvantage
• • Fact-makes logical sense

  • Disadvantage
• cuts our overall voting strength by fifty percent in some communities

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• • Summary:
    Immigration promotes economic growth, which can be seen from many rich countries which have high levels of immigration. While some people believe that immigrants take jobs that would have otherwise gone to locals, this is not entirely true as immigrants usually do jobs that locals do not want or are unable to do. They also create jobs, although this usually goes unnoticed.
• Popular mythology suggests that immigrants are 'taking'   something from their new countries - though in reality they often make   an essential contribution.
• the United State is populated almost   entirely by immigrants and their descendants. It has doubled its population   over the past century—and become richer and richer.

  • Fact. US is the largest economy and a large percentage of its population are immigrants
• high immigration countries are also among the world's wealthiest

  • Fact. Countries such as Australia and Singapore have many immigrants and are very rich.
• every 1% increase in a country's population through   immigration there was an increase in Gross Domestic Product of 1.25% to   1.5%.

  • Fact. These are statistics.
• does not necessarily mean that immigration caused   the increase in wealth.

  • Fact. Just because the increase in GDP occurred together with population increase due to migration, it does not mean that the immigration was the cause of it.
• A more reasonable conclusion is that   all these countries have used immigrants to become richer.

  • Opinion. Others might feel that the immigration was insignificant in helping the country become wealthier.
• some people protest that immigrants take   the jobs of native workers.

  • Fact. There is a significant amount of people who feel that they are losing out because immigrants are taking up the jobs.
• this is based on the   'lump of labour fallacy' — a belief that the number of jobs in any   country is fixed, so if more people come there will be fewer jobs to go   round. This is clearly false.

  • Fact. The number of jobs is not fixed and constantly changing. Jobs can be created when there are more people.
• Adding more people, either by natural population increase or by immigration,   does not necessarily reduce average national income, and may well increase   it.

  • Fact. Many countries have managed to increase average GDP while experiencing population increase.
• many immigrants do jobs that local workers   cannot — or will not — do but also because they create   work for others.

  • Fact. Countries usually take in immigrant to do jobs that locals are not doing. for example, in Singapore, most construction workers are foreigners as Singaporeans are unwilling to do so.
• while the jobs they   take are visible, the jobs they create for everyone else are largely invisible.

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• • Summary:
    Australia has a high level of immigration. This has caused cities to become over populated and has also resulted in social issues like a decrease in cultural confidence and trust between people. These issues are due to the cultural differences between immigrants and the natives.
• immigration policy that’s now wildly out of control.

  • Opinion. Others might feel that the immigration is acceptable.
• Fact is, this report is yet more proof that not only is our population growing too fast for our creaking cities

  • Fact. the news that Melbourne could overtake Sydney in terms of population does show that the population is growing too fast.
• but – more dangerously – too fast for us to turn immigrants into Australians.

  • Opinion. The author implies that the cultural problems are greater than the large population, which is his opinion and not shared by everyone.
• make our restaurants more interesting.

  • Implies that immigrants bring with them their different cultures to the destination country.
• It’s true that

  high immigration can (usually) make us richer.

  • Fact. Immigrants definitely have the ability to promote economic growth.
• brings in people who feel less connection and duty to this country. It’s like the difference between renters and owners. Who looks after the place better?
• by 2025 more than half of us will have been born overseas, or will, like me, have at least one parent born abroad.

  • Fact. It's statistics
• studies in many countries show that the more ethnically diverse a place, the less trust people have in each other.

  • Fact. It is supported by studies.
• The cultural confidence that immigrants of my parents’ generation met has almost melted away. Those arriving now come to a sorry-saying country where it’s long been fashionable to promote multiculturalism and attack national symbols and stories.

  • Fact. paragraphs below prove this point.

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• • Summary: The article introduces the magnitude of immigration in Europe amid fears that it may have a net negative effect on Europe. It goes on to cite professional research studies that migrants are important due to their contributing more than they take out. It concludes by saying that Europe will need immigrants in the future to support its economic strength.
• With the economic downturn fears are growing across European societies that immigrants are hindering, not helping

  • Opinion: This may not necessarily be true.
• According to Eurostat, EU’s statistics agency, the 27 members countries of the EU were host to 32 million foreign citizens in 2009,

  • Fact: Statistic supported by reliable organization.
• one third were from another EU27 country

  • Fact: Statistic supported by reliable organization. Furthermore, it highlights the prevalence of regional migration in Europe.
• for companies wanting a qualified, flexible labor force, migrants are important

  • Opinion: This may not necessarily be true, especially in countries without a reliable flow of migrants.
• even in worst-case scenarios, [we found] they (migrants) contributed far more to the system than what they took out

  • Fact: likely supported by study done.
• migrants are 60% less likely to claim benefits than natives

  • Fact: likely supported by data that researchers have collected

  • Opinion: How are you supposed to know?
• Migration in Europe can result in a win-win outcome

  • Opinion: potential prediction only
• low birth rates and aging population Europe

  • Fact: Europe is an EMDC, and thus sports low birth and death rates, leading to an aging population.
• Europe will continue to need migrants

  • Opinion: This is not necessarily true, and only the most preferable option.
• at least 500,000 more immigrants annually to ensure [our] economic strength

  • Opinion: statement based on personal opinion
• • Criticism: The article does a good job of citing the positive effects of immigration. However, it makes no effort to highlight the negative effects, or to justify its claim that immigration in Europe has greater benefits than disadvantages.

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• • Summary: This article summarizes the reasons for migration, and rmarks that migration is at an unprecedented and never-before-seen level. It demonstrates that poor living conditions, population growth, and oppression are the primary reasons for migration. It also cites the accessibility to other countries as a reason for migration.
• Surveys conducted by international organizations have concluded that currently over 175 million people are living far away from their native countries. 19,2 million people are considered to be ‘refugees’ or ‘displaced persons’.

  • Fact: supported by statistical information
• Today roughly two thirds of the world’s population live in economically poor countries.

  • Fact: supported by information gathered by international organizations based on economic GDP and population with low income.
• In 1960 the income of the richest fifth of the world’s population was on average 30 times higher than the poorest fifth. By the year 1990 it was already 60 times higher.

  • Fact: likely supported by statistical information gathered by international organizations.
• The growing gap between rich and poor is the most significant driving force for global migration.

  • Opinion: there may be other convictions for global migration. There is no data provided to support this claim.
• The enormous rate of population growth and the poor perspectives for economic development in some regions give rise to a tremendous migratory pressure.

  • Opinion. This may not necessarily be the case.
• Third World and former Soviet Union countries lack capital and know-how

  • Opinion: This is not true for all countries. (e.g. Russia)
• Persons whose freedom or lives are threatened in this sense have a right to protection by foreign countries on the basis of international conventions.

  • Opinion: Persecution may have ethical and moral justification. The right of asylum stems from ancient practices and is more of an intermediate step to ensure protection before proper judicial decision.
• In order to prevent unrest, hunger, disease and other problems, they are frequently accommodated in refugee camps.

  • Fact: factual statement.
• The growth of air travel facilitates journeys to far-away industrialized countries.

  • Fact: air travel is a major factor in facilitating international migration and should not be ignored.
• But this could soon change since successful emigrants transfer a considerable share of their income to their relatives at home.

  • Opinion: prediction based on ongoing trends
• • Criticism: The article merely states reasons for immigration and gives very few statistics. This lessens its reliability.

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• • This article evaluates the effects immigration will have on america by examining the past and how immigration affected america in the 19th and 20th century. This provides quite an accurate prediction of the pros and cons of immigration and is generally pro immigration as america is mainly composed of immigrant's decendents
• • Advantage
• What is most surprising is that almost all popular fears about immigration and even the judgments of “experts” about the negative impact of immigrants have been proven false by history. Not only have almost all immigrants (or their descendants) assimilated over time, but they have broadened American society in many positive ways.
• • Fact-Historical record

  • Advantage
• responsible for the majority of the contemporary American population (Gibson 1992: 165). Most Americans have acquired a sense of historical continuity from America’s founding, but this is primarily the result of socialization and education, not descent.
• • Fact-Historical record

  • Disadvantage
• hostility and popular fears that immigrants will harm American society or will not conform to the prevailing “American way of life.”

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• • Summary:
    The article outlines the benefits of immigration to both host and destination countries. It highlights economic gains, increased cultural diversity, and profit to host countries as some of the benefits of immigration. The phenomenon also has its disadvantages, but they are not adequately touched upon or elaborated on, and the article concludes that ultimately, the beneifts outweigh the disadvantages.
• In the past five years, there have been about 8 million immigrants that came to the US, a statistical high

  • Fact: Statement supported by statistical information.
• Critics have claimed that immigrants take on jobs, lower down wages, and drain too much tax money because of social services.

  • Opinion: This may or may not be true, but is an opinion unsupported by statistical information.
• Immigrants filling up these jobs lighten the load of producers and consumers, and results in gains in economic welfare.

  • Fact: Immigrants, by providing cheap and easy labor, reduce the costs needed to produce goods.
• It is a fact that immigrants are a source of low cost labor

  • Fact: immigration increases low cost labour and provides a pool of low skilled and low wage workers.
• The world seems to be growing smaller by the day, with different cultures within reach today than ever before.

  • Opinion: This may not necessarily be the case.
• The quality of life is significantly improved with immigration.

  • Opinion. This may not be the case. Other situations may result as a consequence of immigration.
• The ratio of retired people to workers is expected to dramatically increase in the coming decades that would result to significant changes in the Security System (i.e. benefits).

  • Opinion: Prediction made based on current trend. May not reflect future events.
• Immigrants usually arrive because of employment preference.

  • Opinion: This may not be the case.
• For example, if the supply of native neurologists is low, influx of more neurologist immigrants will significantly help the health care industry.

  • Fact: This is a statement that is based on past experiences, trends and observations.
• mmigration does have its disadvantages: greater poverty, increase in crimes, lower unskilled wage, education costs, and a few others.

  • Fact: Immigration does indeed result in such consequences. However, the article should list reasons and statistics.
• • Criticism: This article provides an interesting description of hte benefits of immigration. However, it does not provide any statistics. Its reliability is thus greatly decreased.

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• globalizes
• • Criticism: The further elaborations by zooming in into particular countries, gives one a much better understanding of the intensity of the effects. However, the article is pretty one sided, mainly focusing on the negative effects.
• • This article starts off by talking about the general trend of migration on the global scale. Then lists some reasons why people immigrate, and discusses its impacts, both positive and negative, on the country of destination. Thereafter, it zooms into particular countries and examines the impacts in greater detail.
• • negative
    - exploited (cheap labor)
    - developing countries suffer “brain drain" >> limited resources spent educating their students amount to very little if that talent is enticed to another country
    - attract criminal elements; drug/human trafficking, corruption
    - social/political issue, racism to exploit feelings/excuse for current woes of local population
    - appear to get more benefits than local poor people >> rise in tensions and hostilities
    - illegal immigration; ill-feelings towards law-abiding majority contributing to the economy
    - deaths when fleeing; sensational headlines. immigration appears largely illegal and “out of control.”

  • Positive
    - do jobs that people in the host country will not, or cannot do
    - work longer hours, for lower salaries
    - contribute to diversity; increase tolerance & understanding
    - increased talent pool
• do jobs that people in the host country will not, or cannot do
• o jobs that people in the host c
• lower salaries
• longer hours
• diversity
• understanding
• tolerance
• increased talent pool
• exploited
• brain drain
• criminal elements
• racism
• social/political
• excuse
• t

  ensions
• h

  ostilities
• benefits
• illegal immigration
• sensational headlines
• type of

  education
• certain level
• disproportionate representation
• ethnic population
• stereotypical image
• pursuit
• financial gains
• unfairly blaming
• • stereotypes. (selective)media coverage --> shine immigrants in a negative light
    increased tensions between them and people of destination country(negative social impact)
• ut a strain on public services
• • Opinions:survey opinions of public
• immigrants bring disease to the UK
• make Britain a thriving multicultural society
• that could otherwise have been used for local populations.
• sapping away resources
• • Opinions:someone's views as a quote
• Bad ideas flourish because they are in the interest of powerful groups

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• • Summary:
    Immigration can help prevent population decline and ageing. In countries facing these problems, immigration introduces more young people into the country, increasing the population and decreasing the average age improving the situation.
• More immigration would help, but not much.

  • Opinion: Prediction based on available data; does not reflect truth and is not backed by statements.
• To maintain a stable population, a country needs an   average fertility   rate of around 2.1 children per woman.

  • Fact. The replacement rate is a fertility rate of 2.1.
• in many countries the ratio   is already far below this.

  • Fact. many developed countries such as Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong have fertility rates far below 2.1.
• As well as eventually leading to population decline, this also produces   a steadily older   population, with serious implications for pensions.

  • Fact. Countries like Japan are experiencing an aging population and population decline.
• Could immigration offer a solution? Certainly it can  

  help sustain overall numbers

  • Fact. With immigration, people come into the country, increasing the number of people in the country and sustaining the population.
• immigration can help rejuvenate the population.   This is because immigrants themselves tend to be younger,   and being poorer than average they are also likely to have larger families.

  • Fact. Immigrants are usually younger as they migrate for education or to find jobs, things that younger people would do.
• immigrants often come from countries   where it is customary to have many children.

  • Opinion: Not necessarily. The author is generalizing based on the stereotypes of, perhaps, Mexicans and Eastern Europeans. Immigrants also come from well-developed countries who harbor no such cultures.
• Immigrants, when faced with the social and economic   pressures of living in a richer country, soon pick up local habits and   opt for smaller families.

  • Opinion: Though this may be the case for certain countries, insufficient data is provided to justify this claim.
• But Japan, which is greying rapidly, would have to take in 715,000 people   per year.

  • Opinion: estimate does not reflect actual truth.
• So while immigration can help slow population decline   and ageing, in most cases it will only be able to do this to a limited   exten

  • Opinion: Conclusion as a consequence of observed data.
• • Criticism:
    The article does not adequately provide sufficient statistics to support its claim. Though it makes an effort to cite a considerable number of factors, and elaborates on them, the presence of figures would be infinitely more reassuring. Overall, it does a good job of justifying its claim, which is that immigration can only slow population decline and aging to a limited extent, by supplying numerous claims and elaborating on them.

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• • Summary:
    This article provides an analysis of the benefits and disadvantages of the immigration, in the wake of increased worry regarding the hindrances that immigration provides. It first discusses the scale of immigration and its effects, including the lowering wages and imbalance of taxation. It ends off by discussing the migratory flow in Europe and the present and future status of Eastern European countries - primary sources of migrants - and concludes that long term immigration and population growth are necessary for economic success.
• Many of those opposed to further immigration fear it may bring in its wake more crime, and some believe that it will jeopardise common values.

  • Opinion: This may not necessarily be the case. Not all immigrants are criminals.
• Immigration has been increasing in the last decade, but its scale is still far smaller than the peak of international migration - in the late 19th century - when some 17% of Europe's working population moved to the New World, mainly to the United States, where 30% of the population was foreign-born by 1910.

  • Fact: These statistics are supported by reliable organizations.
• Immigration into the EU has averaged around 1.4 million each year, compared with some 2.3 million into the United States.

  • Fact: Statistics provided by the European Union, a reliable international organization.

• And about 5.3% of Europeans are foreign-born, compared with 10.3% in the United States, and nearly 25% in Australia. 

  • Fact: Reliable statistics provided by reliable organizations.
• unskilled migrants do lower the wages of native workers who are competing with them for jobs like catering, child-care and cleaning.

  • Opinion: Impossible to quantify this effect as no data available before advent of migration.
• In Europe, there are even bigger skill shortages, due to a falling birth rate, and many migrants have higher education levels than Hispanic migrants to the USA.

  • Fact: Europe is an economically developed country and thus experiences a low birth and death rate. 
• the current rise in unemployment has little to do with immigration, and more to do with the high costs of employing new workers, or firing old ones.

  • Opinion: Other factors may be involved.
• In the UK, Home Office research suggests that immigrants pay £2.5bn more in taxes than they take in benefits.

  • Fact: Reliable statistics provided by UK government.
• Some commentators have suggested that increased immigration could offset the growing pension burden on a smaller workforce.

  • Opinion: The effect of immigration may be insufficient to counteract the loss of workers due to falling birth rates.
• They say that fears of a major effect on jobs or wages are unfounded, although there may be "non-trivial" effects in certain border regions and in certain sectors where there is little labour mobility at present.

  • Opinion: There may actually be a major effect on jobs or wages. It is not wise to underestimate the potential of immigrants to occupy existing jobs and lower wages.
• In the long term, the addition of more people to the workforce should boost economic growth, just as the addition of more land or capital would.

  • Fact: Reasonable statement based on past experience. People are part of the supply for economic productivity, and thus increasing population should increase economic growth.
• • Criticism: The article uses statistics to support their stand but not enough statistics for other countries. Also, they did not cover the negative effects of immigration adequately and is relatively one-sided. However, the article does cover many areas which immigration affects.
    

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