POLICY BRIEFS

The Reality of Immigration

While national politicians continue to speak about immigration in negative terms, the academic evidence is overwhelmingly positive. Migrants tend to be highly-skilled on average, contribute substantially to the economy, and do not compete with natives for social housing. Moreover, there is no evidence that crime rates have been on the rise as a result of new immigration waves. Neli Demireva writes that there is a real danger the immigration debate will turn sour and have spill-over effects in unexpected places.

The academic evidence regarding immigration is overwhelmingly positive; by Neil Demireva 

Why whites in diverse places are more tolerant of immigration

New research by Eric Kaufmann finds that local diversity does lead to more tolerant white attitudes and this is not the result of ‘white flight’. The results suggest that, as more locales become diverse, there will be more interethnic contact and more positive white attitudes to outgroups.

Positive contact or “white flight”?: why whites in diverse places are more tolerant of immigration; by Eric Kaufmann

Migrants Bring Economic Benefits for Advanced Economies

Migration, no matter how controversial politically, makes sense economically. A new IMF study shows that, over the longer term, both high- and low-skilled workers who migrate bring benefits to their new home countries by increasing income per person and living standards.  Moreover, the gains are broadly shared by the population. It may therefore be well-worth shouldering the short-term costs to help integrate these new workers.

Migrants Bring Economic Benefits for Advanced Economies; by Florence Jaumotte, Ksenia Koloskova, and Sweta Saxena

Refugees and Economic Migrants: Facts, policies and challenges

This eBook offers a brief summary of what economists have learnt about migration in several crucial areas of policymaking, and identifies most of the important questions that still remain to be answered.

Refugees and Economic Migrants: Facts, policies and challenges, by Francesco Fasani

People on the move: Global migration’s impact and opportunity

Major study from the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), People on the move: Global migration’s impact and opportunity, maps the patterns of migration and calculates its impact on the world economy. To complement this global perspective, a companion report takes a deeper look at how these issues are playing out in real time across Europe today.

A road map for integrating Europe’s refugees; by Frank Mattern, Eckart Windhagen, Solveigh Hieronimus, George Tsopelas, Jonathan Woetzel, and Anu Madgavkar

Immigration and the macroeconomy: Some new empirical evidence

The macroeconomic effects of immigration are a hot topic, particularly during elections. Using immigration records from Norway, this column argues that an increase in immigration lowers unemployment (even for native workers) and has no negative effects on public finances. However, it identifies a negative effect on productivity that may be a worry for long-term growth.

Immigration and the macroeconomy: Some new empirical evidence, by Francesco Furlanetto & Ørjan Robstad

‘Death on an appalling scale’ – David Miliband on the threat of COVID-19 to refugees

Headed by David Miliband, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) works on the ground to improve public health and stop the pandemic from taking root. Prevention is the aim, whether that’s the introduction of handwashing stations, triage centres or isolation units. Without immediate international action to support healthworkers on the frontlines the consequence will be, as Miliband says, “death on an absolutely appalling scale”.

‘Death on an appalling scale’ – David Miliband on the threat of COVID-19 to refugees

By Anna Bruce-Lockhart (World Economic Forum)

How Africa’s Age Structure Will Affect the Impact of COVID-19

Cases of COVID-19 in Africa represent a tiny fraction of those in other countries, but countries in the region are still taking strong action to slow the spread of the virus: closing borders, imposing curfews, closing schools, and more. These actions – along with those that other countries take to slow the spread, such as factory closings in China – have economic consequences in addition to health consequences. Estimates for African growth in 2020 have fallen dramatically, with impacts from tourism to manufacturing. Africa is the continent with the highest number of poor people in the world, which means the consequences of an economic downturn come with greater risks. Are the actions that high-income countries are taking to stop the pandemic the same ones that Africa’s low- and middle-income countries should take?

How Africa’s Age Structure Will Affect the Impact of COVID-19

By David K. Evans (ISPI) and Eric Werker (ISPI)

Covid-19 Is Paralyzing One of West Africa’s Main Resources: Migrants

While about 10,000 people in Africa were registered as positive to the coronavirus as of April 7 – a marginal figure if compared to data coming from Europe, Asia or North America – the pandemic outbreak has already had huge, multilayered and sometimes hard-to-detect impacts on the continent.

Consequences for migrants, refugees, stateless people and all citizens on the move have been and will continue to be particularly dire. The Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), Africa’s 15-country, largest free movement area, stands as an example of how migrants in all conditions are vulnerable both to risks for public health and to the measures adopted to tackle them.

COVID-19 Is Paralyzing One of West Africa’s Main Resources: Migrants

By Giacomo Zandonini (ISPI)