In The News

Overseas and Under Siege

August 18, 2009
Since 2006, Chinese immigrants have suffered a backlash of violence at the hands of locals in the Solomon Islands, Lesotho, and Algeria, among others. The reasons behind the widespread anti-Chinese sentiment range from cultural clashes to accusations of meddling in local politics. But a more fundamental reason could be rooted in economics, xenophobia notwithstanding. China’s sponsorship of...

Fortress Europe: Solving Immigration by Outsourced Bouncers

Shada Islam August 18, 2009
The European Union’s tough new stance on immigration and asylum policies has ramifications for the region’s labor shortages, coming demographic crises, and adherence to the rule of law. Brussels-based journalist Shada Islam writes that perhaps the most controversial aspect of this new stance is Italy’s choice to intercept refugees in the Mediterranean and the subsequently push them back with...

Japan Pays Foreign Workers to Go Home

August 10, 2009
The hard times of the global economic crisis has forced foreign workers in Japan into a quandary. “To leave or not to leave?” This is perhaps the question that most foreign workers will be asking themselves as the government tempts them with thousands of dollars in exchange for agreements to permanently leave the country. If they return under this program, they will be ineligible to reapply for a...

Doctors in Cuba Start Over in the US

Mirta Ojito August 7, 2009
Within the last six years about six thousand medical professionals have left Cuba. The numbers escalated in 2006, aided by the Department of Homeland Security’s program to welcome to the US, Cuban medical personnel studying or working in a third country under the auspices of the Cuban government. Over two thousand Cubans have escaped to the US under this parole program. While the outflow of its...

Recession Stems Oft-Fatal Boat Migration to EU

August 6, 2009
Fewer Africans seek greener pastures in Europe because of the global recession. The dearth of lucrative economic opportunities with their northern neighbors means less numbers of Africans are willing to risk their lives in often fatal journeys across the ocean. Experts emphasize that immigration is directly connected to the lure of economies elsewhere because people are driven by the hope for...

US Immigration Policy Likely to Boost Population

Joseph Chamie July 30, 2009
Demographic trends, often ignored by policymakers, are clearly linked with the US’ immigration policy. If Congress and the Obama administration plan to implement an effective immigration policy, they need to understand how over time it will affect the country’s population figure. As demographer Joseph Chamie notes, policy makers should start by asking how large should the US’ population be....

‘Outsourcing’ Asylum Seekers The Italian Way

July 27, 2009
Italian authorities have cracked down on illegal immigration by patrolling the waters between Italy and Libya. If immigrants were allowed to reach Italian soil, they would be entitled to apply for asylum, a lengthy process that usually results in most applicants ultimately remaining in Italy, either legally or illegally. Hence, Italy has accelerated efforts to catch the migrants mid-journey,...