In The News

Black And White

Nayan Chanda November 10, 2009
China’s rising presence in Africa has received increasing notice in the press and increasing concern from the West. Such contact is not a new phenomenon as trade between the Middle Kingdom and the continent first occurred as far back as six centuries ago. Today, raw materials trade continues but it is not all one way – China invests directly in the region through mines, construction, and...

Swiss Referendum Stirs a Debate About Islam

Deborah Ball, Anita Greil November 10, 2009
Switzerland has long been defined by its neutrality, a quality that has allowed its diverse population (of which one-fifth are immigrants) to avoid serious strife along ethnic or religious lines. Now, however, the rightist Swiss People's Party has initiated a referendum on the banning of minaret construction on mosques, raising questions about the status of Muslims in Switzerland. The issue...

Dollars Without Borders

Dilip Ratha October 20, 2009
For many countries, a significant source of national income comes from remittances sent by family members working abroad. Remittances play a crucial role in the economic health of poor countries, providing funds for social services and capital for new businesses and investments. While the global economic crisis and high levels of unemployment are forcing many migrant workers to remain in the host...

Public and Government Views on Migration Diverge

Joseph Chamie October 16, 2009
There is a surprising gap between government and public views on migration. Most governments tend to be favorably disposed to immigration, while the public remains fearful of admitting foreigners. Such a divergence in opinion is likely to cause significant turmoil in the future, according to Joseph Chamie, research director at the Center for Migration Studies. Less than 20 percent of governments...

Angolan Riches Lure New Wave of Workers

Susan Ferreira September 29, 2009
The global economic crisis has hit small countries like Portugal particularly hard. With few natural resources and a service-driven economy, Portuguese laborers have long relied on seasonal construction jobs elsewhere in Europe, which have grown harder to find as other countries tighten their belts during the downturn. But Angola, Portugal’s former colony, is just emerging from four decades of...

Thai Workers Fly to Sweden Where the Wild Berries Are

Bertil Lintner September 23, 2009
Wet summer weather in Northern Sweden has affected not only the yield of wild berries growing there, but also the economic well-being of the berry pickers, which, in this case, happen to be temporary workers from Thailand. Journalist Bertil Lintner writes that in 2007, Sweden began to give Thais temporary work visas to pick berries, encouraging close to a five-fold increase in workers by 2009. It...

Numerous Foreign Trainees Forced to Work under Harsh Conditions in Japan

September 1, 2009
Far away from home and eager to work, migrant workers can be easy targets for exploitation. In Japan, the story is no different. Foreign vocational trainees in Japan, especially from China, have been forced to work overtime at little or no pay and are often paid illegally low wages. Even worse, foreign employment agencies charged exorbitant fees to send trainees to Japan, leaving many indebted...