In The News

Mark Lowen January 2, 2014
The single market of the European Union is designed to allow most goods, services, money and people to cross borders of member nations. Mechanisms allow gradual introductions, even delays, for transition. Some in the United Kingdom express concern about Bulgarian and Romanian citizens relocating to the United Kingdom after controls in place since 2007 expired, reports Mark Lowen for BBC News. “...
November 11, 2013
The old adage applies: Be careful what you wish for. Saudis complained about the high percentage of foreigners in their country, and demanded more jobs for the hundreds of thousands of young Saudis entering the labor market each year. So the government started cracking down on migrants without documentation, diligently enforcing labor laws. Construction, landscape, retail and other willing...
Alan Bjerga August 2, 2013
Wheat, like many crops, has a tight window for harvest, forcing farmers to move quickly before rain, wind or unseasonable temperatures strike. Foreigners account for one third of the labor force that harvests US wheat. Many small, skilled work crews come from South Africa during their off season to share combines and assist small US farms. Because wheat harvests are so mechanized, the small crews...
Michael S. Teitelbaum, Jay Winter July 9, 2013
The phenomenon of women delaying childbirth and limiting family size to two children or less is gaining traction worldwide. Low fertility rates can deliver prosperity for individuals, but disrupt patterns of economic growth. Some countries compensate for low fertility rates with immigration, which brings its own set of worries. Changing population patterns influence the world in complex ways for...
Isabella Cota July 5, 2013
Radio – the voices and stories of individuals – wields influence over hearts, minds and community determination. One Central American NGO has found radio to be an excellent tool for spreading anti-trafficking messages throughout the region, reaching those who cannot afford computers and the internet – alerting listeners to the cruel and secretive crime. Thousands of people across Central America...
June 13, 2013
As the debt crisis lingers in Europe, many countries cease to be magnets for mobile hands and brains. Confronting high unemployment rates at home, Europeans are shedding a fear of relocation, and new talent is heading toward developing countries with fast-growing economies like Mexico and Brazil. According to the World Bank, remittances from Brazil to Portugal are now greater than those from...
Anna Fifield April 24, 2013
Proposed US immigration reform may include tough rules to weed out IT sourcing companies that are believed to abuse the H-1B visa system for skilled scientists and researchers. Program abuses include undercutting wages and hiring workers with skills that duplicate those already available among US workers. Top recipients of H-1B visas include Indian firms, with a bulk of their employees based in...