In The News

Number of Hong Kong Emigrants Hit 22-Year Low Last Year

February 4, 2003
The shrinking of economies in Western countries, particularly in the United States, Canada, and Australia, has led to Hong Kong emigration figures tapering off in the past eight years. The better life once guaranteed by immigration has been slowly changing. If anything, China’s own entry into the globalization arena has seen its economy expand much faster, thereby attracting some of those...

Lula’s Message for Two Worlds

January 30, 2003
First he inspired hope at a crowded haven for anti-globalizers. Then he received an ecstatic greeting from a globalized assembly of free traders meeting at a playground for the rich. Brazil's new president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, moved last week between Porto Alegre and Davos with amazing ease. He was elected last year on a populist platform that railed against neo-liberal economics...

Anti-Migration Patrols Start in Mediterranean

January 29, 2003
As illegal immigration from North Africa and Eastern Europe increases, European countries coordinate efforts to patrol their Mediterranean coastline. Even though Spain and Italy are the major points of entry, illegal immigration affects all countries of the European Union. While some European officials have argued that the influx of illegal immigrants threatens European jobs, they have also...

Illegal Migration in the 21st Century

Bertil Lintner January 10, 2003
Globalization is often described in terms of increased 'flows' or 'movements' of money, ideas, or goods. But the movement of people across national borders remains highly regulated and a point of major contention between many countries. Governments of rich industrialized nations spend billions of dollars each year to control inflows of poorer people seeking greater economic...

Fresh Setback for Schröder on Migrant Law

Haig Simonian December 18, 2002
Labor migration is a sensitive political issue in many nations. In Germany, businesses facing immediate labor shortages and an aging workforce have lobbied the government to open immigration to non-European Union talent. But now a law liberalizing immigration, put in place by Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, has met with opposition from several local states, demonstrating that local interests,...

When Nike Speaks

December 10, 2002
The debate over sweatshops and corporate responsibility for factory working conditions has again made its way to American courts. When Nike issued misleading statements about its third-world labor policies, consumer groups took the company to court, charging Nike with false advertising. In May 2002, the California Supreme Court sided against Nike, allowing lawsuits against the company and...

Freeze on Thai Labour Going to Gaza Strip

December 4, 2002
Governments of some developing countries encourage and tangibly assist their citizens who are willing to serve as laborers overseas. In Thailand's case, though, the safety of Thai laborers abroad is also garnering the government's attention. After three Thai workers were involved in a shooting in the Jewish settlement of Dolah last week, the Thai government is taking action. The Labor...