In The News

Council on Foreign Relations: US Temporary Foreign Worker Programs

Claire Felter June 20, 2017
Each year, the United States allows temporary workers to enter the country to work for seasonal agriculture, tourism and other industries and skilled labor, too: “more than one million visas were granted in 2014, up from some four hundred thousand in 1994,” reports Claire Felter for the Council on Foreign Relations. Opponents to such programs worry about visa tracking, illegal immigration,...

BBC: Why Citizenship Is Now a Commodity

Katie Beck June 5, 2017
For more than two decades, governments have dangled citizenship in exchange for investments. “As more countries tighten their borders and paths to immigration, a new industry is working to bypass those restrictions – for a hefty fee,” reports BBC News. “The specifics of different investment citizenship programmes vary by country. They allow foreigners to invest in real-estate projects and...

BBC: Chancellor Merkel Warns UK on Scope of Brexit Talks With EU

April 27, 2017
The European Union is setting priorities and preparing for an orderly Brexit with the expectation of settling exit terms before planning on future ties. Terms for settlement include British payments due for the EU budget and rights of EU citizens in the UK and British citizens in the EU. The British dispute an estimate from EU officials that the United Kingdom owes €60 billion. EU leaders will...

Reuters: Twitter Refuses US Order to Reveal User Behind @ALT_uscis

David Ingram April 7, 2017
Some Trump appointees are notable for their plans to overhaul the missions and policies of the agencies they lead, particularly environmental protection, education and health care. Some federal employees are reacting to new dictates with alternative social-media accounts to mock and critique administration policies. Twitter announced it filed a lawsuit blocking a summons demanding the names...

Financial Times: Brexiters Must Lose if Brexit Is to Succeed

Martin Wolf March 30, 2017
The British government officially notified the EU of its intention to leave – an admission that a prominent and pragmatic member could not influence the larger governing structure or find agreement with other European members. The decision is a tragedy for both sides “Even if the exit negotiations go well,” explains Martin Wolf for the Financial Times. “Economically, [the UK] will lose favourable...

Spiegel Online: Eight Myths of Migration

Hein de Haas March 23, 2017
Migration continues to top political agendas, but a failure to understand the phenomenon will cause new problems. Fear of an “uncontrollable influx…. has fueled the rise of extreme nationalist parties,” explains Hein de Haas for Spiegel Online. The professor of sociology refutes myths of migration. Migration is circulatory; closed borders do not automatically lead to less migration and actually...

The Spectator: Theresa May Fights a War on Two Fronts - Any Mistakes Could Be Fatal

James Forsyth March 16, 2017
British voters approved leaving the European Union, by a margin of 52 to 48 percent. More than 55 percent of voters in Northern Ireland and 62 percent in Scotland voted to remain. British Prime Minister Theresa May will trigger Article 50 and the two-year process for EU exit soon. Actual costs and institutions to handle trade, travel, immigration and regulatory details are yet unknown. May must...