In The News

Anti-Immigrant Terror in South Africa

Megan Lindow May 21, 2008
South Africa has many shantytowns for the crowds of immigrants from neighboring nations, many hungry, impoverished and desperate for basic opportunity, legal or illegal. But resentment against immigrants is building in South Africa and mobs descend on the poorly protected and impoverished communities with a series of attacks, warning the foreigners to leave the country. “South Africans have been...

Why White Zimbabwean Farmers Plan to Stay in Nigeria

Sarah Simpson May 13, 2008
Zimbabwe was in a state of confusion before the March 29 elections. By most accounts, the opposition party won, but the ruling party of President Robert Mugabe continues to contest the results and harass the winners. Under Mugabe’s mismanagement, the one-time rich agricultural nation has inflation of 165,000 percent, 80 percent unemployment, with malnourishment afflicting nearly half the...

Immigration Issues End a Pennsylvania Grower’s Season

Paul Vitello May 9, 2008
Crackdowns on illegal immigrants have discouraged migrants from seeking farm work throughout the US. Few Americans are willing to take on the seasonal employment that requires long hours in the hot sun. As a result, farmers avoid planting crops, like tomatoes or strawberries that require hand picking. A political climate that resents illegal immigrants contributes to higher food prices and some...

People of Faith Seek New Dialogue on Immigration

Jim Wallis May 9, 2008
Illegal immigration is a hot-button topic in the US presidential election: Voters in some states key for the US presidential election demand immigration reform; farmers need workers willing to plant or harvest crops on a seasonal basis; communities worry about paying for public services to undocumented workers; and ethnic and religious groups demand compassion. Meanwhile, politicians drag their...

In EU, Hope Dims for Iraqi Refugees

Mariah Blake April 24, 2008
The US-led 2003 invasion of Iraq and the subsequent insurgency have produced an estimated 4.7 million refugees. One Swedish town alone, Södertälje near Stockholm, has accepted about 6,000 asylum seekers in the last five years – more than the entire United States. In all, Sweden – which had no role in the war – has accepted 49,000 people who met the conditions required by the European Union’s...

IT Workers on the Move With Globalization

Anthony P. D’Costa April 9, 2008
Talented professionals, including information-technology workers, chose to migrate for jobs and high wages. Such workers have often moved from developing countries in Asia and Eastern Europe to the wealthy developed nations, where graying populations and a lack of youth interest in mathematics and other technical subjects, created a need for skilled workers. But a new shift is also on, reports...

Businesses Say New York’s Clout Is Emigrating, With Visa Policies to Blame

Patrick McGeehan March 31, 2008
Among a company’s most valuable assets is its talent, particularly for financial and technology firms. A report by a business-interest group, Partnership for New York City, argues that America’s visa policies, including caps on the number of highly qualified workers and tough restrictions on extended stays, endanger New York City’s ability to attract and retain top talent. Immigration opponents...