Immigration

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Immigration refers to the movement of people between countries. While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels, modern immigration implies long-term, legal, permanent residence. Short-term visitors and tourists are considered non-immigrants (see expatriate). Immigration across national borders in a way that violates the immigration laws of the destination country is termed illegal immigration. Under this definition, an illegal immigrant is a foreigner who either illegally crossed an international political border, be it by land, water, or air, or a foreigner who legally entered a country but nevertheless overstays his/her visa in order to live and/or work therein. Seasonal labour migration, while generally non-permanent in nature (typically for periods of less than a year), is often treated as a form of immigration.

The modern concept of immigration is related to the development of nation-states and nationality law. Citizenship in a nation-state confers an inalienable right of residence in that state, but residency of non-citizens is subject to conditions set by immigration law. The emergence of nation-states made immigration a political issue: by definition it is the homeland of a nation defined by shared ethnicity and/or culture.

The global volume of immigration is high in absolute terms, but low in relative terms. The International Integration and Refugee Association estimated 190 million international migrants in 2005, about 3 percent of global population. The other 97 percent still live in the country in which they were born.^{[citation needed]} The Middle East, some parts of Europe, small areas of South East Asia, and a few spots in the West Indies have the highest numbers of immigration population recorded by the UN Census 2005.

Contents 1 Global statistics 2 Immigration by continent 2.1 Immigration to the United States 3 Causes 4 Differing perspectives 4.1 Supporting arguments 4.1.1 General arguments 4.1.2 Economic arguments 4.2 Opposing arguments 4.2.1 Health arguments 4.2.2 Economic arguments 4.2.3 Nationalistic arguments 4.2.4 Environmentalist arguments 5 As political issue 6 Ethics 7 See also 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External links

Global statistics

See also: List of countries by immigrant population

The European Union allows free travel between member states with the appropriate papers. Most immigrants are from former eastern bloc states to the developed western European states, especially to Italy, Spain, Germany and Britain. Noticeably, some countries seemed to be favoured by these new EU member nationals than others. For example, there are large numbers of Poles who have moved to the UK, Ireland and Netherlands, while Romanians have chosen Italy and Spain.^{[citation needed]} While France and Germany put in place controls to curb Eastern European migration, the UK (along with Ireland) did not impose restrictions.

Following Poland\'s entry into the EU in May 2004 it is estimated that by the start of 2007 375,000 Poles have registered to work in the UK, although the total Polish population in the UK is believed to be 750,000. Many Poles work in seasonal occupations and a large number are likely to move back and forth including between Ireland and other EU Western nations.750,000 and rising: how Polish workers have built a home in Britain.

According to Eurostat,Eurostat News Release on Immigration in EU Some EU member states are currently receiving large-scale immigration: for instance Spain, where the economy has created more than half of all the new jobs in the EU over the past five years.Guardian Article on Spanish Immigration The EU, in 2005, had an overall net gain from international migration of +1.8 million people. This accounts for almost 85% of Europe\'s total population growth in 2005.Europe: Population and Migration in 2005 In 2004, total 140,033 people immigrated to France. Of them, 90,250 were from Africa and 13,710 from Europe.Inflow of third-country nationals by country of nationality In 2005, immigration fell slightly to 135,890.Immigration and the 2007 French Presidential Elections In recent years, immigration has accounted for more than half of Norway\'s population growth. In 2006, Statistics Norway\'s (SSB) counted a record 45,800 immigrants arriving in Norway — 30% higher than 2005.Immigration to Norway increasing At the beginning of 2007, there were 415,300 persons in Norway with an immigrant background (i.e. immigrants, or born of immigrant parents), comprising 8.3 per cent of the total population.Immigrant population

Canada has the highest per capita net immigration rate in the world,Benjamin Dolin and Margaret Young, Law and Government Division (2004-10-31). Canada\'s Immigration Program. Library of Parliament. Retrieved on 2006-11-29. driven by economic policy and family reunification. In 2001, 250,640 people immigrated to Canada. Newcomers settle mostly in the major urban areas of Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. By the 1990s and 2000s, a majority of Canada\'s immigrants came from Asia.Inflow of foreign-born population by country of birth, by year Canadian society is often depicted as being a very progressive, diverse, and multicultural. Accusing a person of racism in Canada is usually considered a serious slur.Fontaine, Phil (Friday, April 24, 1998), Modern Racism in Canada by Phil Fontaine, Queen\'s University, <http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/asp/gateway.asp?hr=/en/lp/lo/lswe/we/special_projects/RacismFreeInitiative/speeches/Fontaine.shtml&hs=> All political parties are now cautious about criticising of the high level of immigration, because, as noted by the Globe and Mail, "in the early 1990s, the old Reform Party was branded \'racist\' for suggesting that immigration levels be lowered from 250,000 to 150,000."Is the current model of immigration the best one for Canada?, Globe and Mail, 12 December 2005, URL accessed 16 August 2006

Japan accepted just 16 refugees in 1999, while the United States took in 85,010 for resettlement, according to the UNHCR. New Zealand, which is smaller than Japan, accepted 1,140 refugees in 1999. Just 305 persons were recognized as refugees by Japan from 1981, when Japan ratified the U.N. Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, to 2002.Japan\'s refugee policyQuestioning Japan\'s \'Closed Country\' Policy on Refugees Japanese Minister Taro Aso has called Japan a "one race" nation.Aso says Japan is nation of \'one race\'

In 2004 the number of people who became British citizens rose to a record 140,795 - a rise of 12% on the previous year. This number had risen dramatically since 2000. The overwhelming majority of new citizens come from Africa (32%) and Asia (40%), the largest three groups being people from Pakistan, India and Somalia.BBC Thousands in UK citizenship queue In 2005, an estimated 565,000 migrants arrived to live in the UK for at least a year, most of the migrants were people from Asia, the Indian sub-continent and Africa,1,500 immigrants arrive in Britain daily, report says while 380,000 people emigrated from the UK for a year or more, with Australia, Spain and France most popular destinations.Indians largest group among new immigrants to UK

British emigration towards Southern Europe is of special relevance. Citizens from the European Union make up a growing proportion of immigrants in Spain. They mainly come from countries like the UK and Germany, but the British case is of special interest due to its magnitude. The British authorities estimate that the British population in Spain at 700,000. Bye Bye Blighty article: British Immigrants Swamping Spanish Villages? Spain is the most favoured destination for Britons leaving the UK. BBC article: Btits Abroad Country by Country Since 2000, Spain has absorbed more than three million immigrants, growing its population by almost 10%. Immigrant population now tops over 4.5 million. According to residence permit data for 2005, about 500,000 were Moroccan, another 500,000 were Ecuadorian,Immigration Shift: Many Latin Americans Choosing Spain Over U.S. more than 200,000 were Romanian, and 260,000 were Colombian.Spain: Immigrants Welcome Instituto Nacional de Estadística: Avance del Padrón Municipal a 1 de enero de 2006. Datos provisionales In 2005 alone, a regularisation programme increased the legal immigrant population by 700,000 people.Spain grants amnesty to 700,000 migrants

Portugal, long a country of emigration,Portugal - Emigration has now become a country of net immigration, and not just from the former colonies; by the end of 2003, legal immigrants represented about 4% of the population, and the largest communities were from Cape Verde, Brazil, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, UK, Spain and Ukraine.Charis Dunn-Chan ,Portugal sees integration progress, BBC

The overall level of immigration to Australia has grown substantially during the last decade. Net overseas migration increased from 30,000 in 1993Australian Bureau of Statistics, International migration to 118,000 in 2003-04.Australian Bureau of Statistics, 3101.0 Australian Demographic Statistics The largest components of immigration are the skilled migration and family re-union programs. In recent years the mandatory detention of unauthorised arrivals by boat has generated great levels of controversy. During the 2004-05, total 123,424 people immigrated to Australia. Of them, 17,736 were from Africa, 54,804 from Asia, 21,131 from Oceania, 18,220 from United Kingdom, 1,506 from South America, and 2,369 from Eastern Europe.Inflow of foreign-born population by country of birth, by year 131,000 people migrated to Australia in 2005-06Settler numbers on the rise and migration target for 2006-07 was 144,000.Australian Immigration Fact Sheet 20. Migration Program Planning Levels

New Zealand has relatively open immigration policies. 23% of the population was born overseas, mainly in Asia, Oceania, and UK, one of the highest rates in the world. In 2004-2005, a target of 45,000 immigrants was set by the New Zealand immigration Service and represented 1.5% of the total population. According to the 2001 census projections, by 2050 57% of all New Zealand children will have Maori or Pacific ancestry, while 68% will be non-European.

Immigration by continent

v • d • e Immigration to Africa
Sovereign states	Algeria · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cameroon · Cape Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Republic of the Congo · Côte d\'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) · Djibouti · Egypt · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Gabon · The Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Morocco · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Nigeria · Rwanda · Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Africa · Sudan · Swaziland · Tanzania · Togo · Tunisia · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe
Dependencies, autonomies and other territories	Canary Islands (Spain) · Ceuta (Spain) · Madeira (Portugal) · Mayotte (France) · Melilla (Spain) · Puntland · Réunion (France) · St. Helena (UK) · Socotra (Yemen) · Somaliland · South Sudan · Western Sahara · Zanzibar (Tanzania)

v • d • e Immigration to South America
Sovereign states	-->Argentina · Bolivia · Brazil · Chile · Colombia · Ecuador · Guyana · Panama* · Paraguay · Peru · Suriname · Trinidad and Tobago* · Uruguay · Venezuela
Dependencies	-->Aruba* (Netherlands) · Falkland Islands (UK) · French Guiana (France) · Netherlands Antilles* (Netherlands) · South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (UK)
* Territories also in or commonly reckoned elsewhere in the Americas (North America).

v • d • e Immigration to North America
Sovereign states	Antigua and Barbuda · Bahamas · Barbados · Belize · Canada · Costa Rica · Cuba · Dominica · Dominican Republic · El Salvador · Grenada · Guatemala · Haiti · Honduras · Jamaica · Mexico · Nicaragua · Panama* · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Trinidad and Tobago* · United States
Dependencies and other territories	-->Anguilla · Aruba* · Bermuda · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Greenland · Guadeloupe · Martinique · Montserrat · Navassa Island · Netherlands Antilles* · Puerto Rico · Saint Barthélemy · Saint Martin · Saint Pierre and Miquelon · Turks and Caicos Islands · U. S. Virgin Islands
* Territories also in or commonly reckoned elsewhere in the Americas (South America).

v • d • e Immigration to Asia
Sovereign states and other territories	Afghanistan · Armenia · Azerbaijan1 · Bahrain · Bangladesh · Bhutan · Brunei · Burma · Cambodia · China (People\'s Republic of China  · Republic of China (Taiwan)) · Cyprus · East Timor1 · Egypt1 · Georgia1 · India · Indonesia1 · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan1 · Korea (North Korea · South Korea) · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Malaysia · Maldives · Mongolia · Nepal · Northern Cyprus2 · Oman · Pakistan · Palestinian territories3 · Philippines · Qatar · Russia1 · Saudi Arabia · Singapore · Sri Lanka · Syria · Tajikistan · Thailand · Turkey1 · Turkmenistan · United Arab Emirates · Uzbekistan · Vietnam · Yemen1
1countries spanning more than one continent 2 Northern Cyprus is not officially recognized by the United Nations, recognized only by Turkey 3 The Palestinian Territories is not a fully independent entity.

v • d • e Immigration to Oceania
Australasia	Australia · Norfolk Island · Christmas Island · Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Melanesia	East Timor1 · Fiji · Indonesia1 · New Caledonia · Papua New Guinea · Solomon Islands · Vanuatu
Micronesia	Guam · Kiribati · Marshall Islands · Northern Mariana Islands · Federated States of Micronesia · Nauru · Palau
Polynesia	American Samoa · Cook Islands · French Polynesia · New Zealand · Niue · Pitcairn · Samoa · Tokelau · Tonga · Tuvalu · Wallis and Futuna
1 countries spanning more than one continent

v • d • e Immigration to Europe
Sovereign states	Albania · Andorra · Armenia1 · Austria · Azerbaijan2 · Belarus · Belgium · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus1 · Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Georgia2 · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Italy · Kazakhstan3 · Latvia · Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Macedonia · Malta · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · Netherlands · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Russia3 · San Marino · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · Turkey3 · Ukraine · United Kingdom (England · Scotland · Northern Ireland · Wales)
Dependencies, autonomies, other territories	Abkhazia2, x · Adjara1 · Akrotiri and Dhekelia · Åland · Azores · Crimea · Faroe Islands · Gagauzia · Gibraltar · Greenland4 · Guernsey · Jan Mayen · Jersey · Kosovox · Isle of Man · Madeira5 · Nagorno-Karabakh1, x · Nakhchivan1 · Northern Cyprus1 x · South Ossetia2, x · Svalbard · Republika Srpska · Transnistriax
Included because of cultural, political and historical association with Europe: 1 Entirely in Southwest Asia. 2 Partially or entirely in Asia, depending on the definition of the border. 3 Mostly in Asia. 4 Entirely in the North American Plate. 5 Entirely on the African Plate. x Unrecognised country.

Immigration to the United States

See Immigration to the United States.

The U.S. has often been called the "melting pot". The name is delivered from United States\' rich tradition of immigrants coming to the US looking for something better and having their cultures melded and incorporated into the fabric of the country. Most of them did not possess wealth or power in their home countries. Most were not highly educated. Other than these few commonalities of what they didn\'t possess, their backgrounds were vastly different. The thread, however, that bound these immigrants together was their vision of improving their current situation. Emma Lazarus, in a poem entitled "The New Colossus," which is inscribed on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty tells of the invitation extended to those wanting to make the US their home. "… Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…" (Encyclopedia Americana, 1998, Vol. 25, 637)

While recent immigration patterns have changed; the reasons have not. Individuals and families still come to the United States with a vision of improving their lives. The backgrounds of today\'s immigrants expanded beyond the European Borders. Today they come from all over the world. At a 1984 oath-taking ceremony in Los Angeles, there were nearly a thousand individuals from the Philippines, 890 from Mexico, 704 from Vietnam, 110 from Lebanon, 126 from the United Kingdom, and 62 from Israel. Although not as large a number, there were also individuals from Lithuania, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania. (Luedtke, 1992, 3)

After 2000, legal immigrants to the United States numbered approximately 1,000,000 per year. In 2006, 1.27 million immigrants were granted legal residence. Mexico has been the leading source of new U.S. residents for over two decades; and since 1998, China, India and the Philippines have been in the top four sending countries every year.United States: Top Ten Sending Countries, By Country of Birth, 1986 to 2006 (table available by menu selection). Migration Policy Institute (2007). Retrieved on 2007-07-05.

By one account, the number of legal immigrants entering the U.S. annually was estimated at 500,000 to 600,000 in 1989.^{[citation needed]} This subsequently increased and is now well over 1 million annually, not including illegal migration or temporary work visas.^{[citation needed]} Net illegal immigration also soared from about 130,000 per year in the 1970s to as high as 1,500,000 per year in 2006.^{[citation needed]}Bureau figures show the U.S. population grew by 2.8 million between July 1, 2004, and July 1, 2005.U.S. Census Bureau: Nation\'s Population One-Third Minority The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 45% of children under age 5 are from a racial or ethnic minority.U.S. Population Is Now One-Third Minority - Population Reference Bureau

Since World War II, more refugees have found homes in the U.S. than any other nation and more than two million refugees have arrived in the U.S. since 1980.^{[citation needed]} Of the top ten countries accepting resettled refugees in 2006, the United States accepted more than twice as much as the next nine countries combined, although some smaller countries accept more refugees per capita.^{[citation needed]}

Twenty cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Chicago, Miami, Denver, Seattle and Portland, have adopted "sanctuary" ordinances banning police from asking people about their immigration status.^{[citation needed]} If current birth and immigration rates were to remain unchanged for another 60 to 70 years, US population would double to some 600 million people.Inflow of foreign-born population by country of birth, by year The actual number of admitted refugees rose in subsequent years with ceiling for 2006 at 70,000. A May 25, 2007 article notes that in the past seven months only 69 people from Iraq have been granted refugee status in the United States. "Iraq refugees find no refuge in America." By Ann McFeatters. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. May 25, 2007.

Causes

Theories of immigration traditionally distinguish between push factors and pull factors.See the NIDI/Eurostat push and pull study for details and examples: [1] Push factors refer primarily to the motive for emigration from the country of origin. In the case of economic migration (usually labour migration), differentials in wage rates are prominent. Poor individuals from less developed countries can have far higher standards of living in developed countries than in their originating countries. Escape from poverty (personal or for relatives staying behind) is a traditional push factor, the availability of jobs is the related pull factor. Natural disasters and overpopulation can amplify poverty-driven migration flows. This kind of migration may be illegal immigration in the destination country (emigration is also illegal in some countries, such as North Korea).

Emigration and immigration are sometimes mandatory in a contract of employment: religious missionaries, and employees of transnational corporations, international non-governmental organisations and the diplomatic service can expect to work \'overseas\'. They are often referred to as \'expatriates\', and their conditions of employment are typically equal to or better than those applying in the host country (for similar work).

For some migrants, education is the primary pull factor (although most international students are not classified as immigrants, but may choose to do so if they refuse to return). Retirement migration from rich countries to lower-cost countries with better climate, is a new type of international migration. Examples include immigration of retired British citizens to Spain or Italy and of retired Canadian citizens to the U.S. (mainly to the state of Florida).^[clarify] Some, although relatively few, immigrants justify their drive to be in a different country for cultural or health related reasons and very seldom, again in relative quantitative terms compared to the actual number of international migrants world-wide, choose to migrate as a form of self-expression towards the establishment or to satisfy their need to directly perceive other cultural environments because economics is almost always the primary motivator for c