People Power: Why We Need More Migrants

Description

Migration is one of the fundamental driving forces of change in the modern world. As regions such as the Middle East continue to experience instability, climate change is driving migration from Africa and Central Asia – these ‘push factors’ lead to increased migration throughout Europe. Yet despite being one of the fundamental issues of the modern age, the impact of migration on Western developed economies is dangerously misunderstood. Here, economics and migration expert Giles Merritt seeks to explode the ten most common myths about European migration. He shows how the west’s aging population needs migrants, and demonstrates in clear and accessible writing how governments must adapt to increase migration to solve the challenges of the modern world. The result is a clear-eyed assessment of the issues, and a way forward for the west which preserves our political democracies by rejecting the politics of the right. Cover page Halftitle page Title page Copyright page Dedication Contents Preface 1 Exploding Migration’s Ten Most Misleading Myths Myth 1: Europe has no need of migrants Myth 2: Migrants ‘take jobs’ from native Europeans Myth 3: Migrants raise the risk of jihadist terrorism Myth 4: Migrants come to ‘sponge’ off Europeans’ social welfare Myth 5: Migrants are a huge burden on Europe’s taxpayers Myth 6: Europe is so overcrowded there’s no room for migrants Myth 7: Migrants are ‘overwhelming whole cities’ Myth 8: Cheaper migrant labour depresses wage levels Myth 9: Europe can’t afford the cost of more migrants Myth 10: Robots will make migrant labour unnecessary Misunderstandings and muddled official thinking 2 Like Covid-19, Migration is a Global Earthquake Migration’s longer-term challenges The full impact of Europe’s demographic deficit is yet to come The elusive goal of ‘managing’ migration Sorting refugees from economic migrants The ebb and flow of a world in flux Making sense of youth unemployment On the threshold of radical change 3 More Migrants, Please! The Economic Case The economic evidence is unambiguous Shrinking workforces mean shrinking economies Manpower shortages are far from just a British ailment Without migrants, who will pay for pensions? Where does Europe go from here? 4 Making ‘True Europeans’ of the Migrant Millions How should ‘integration’ be defi ned? The scale of the integration challenge Concentration or dispersal? The relocation dilemma Integration is less about ‘where’, more about ‘how’ Is it the economy, stupid? No, it’s education How the private sector can help 5 From Covid-19 to Ageing: Migration’s ‘Push’ and ‘Pull’ Factors Fortress Europe? Good luck with that! Europe must make good use of its breathing space The incalculable costs of more migrants and more pensioners The unresolved issues no one wants to address 6 Only Help for Africa can Stem Migrant Surges African emigration is in only temporary abeyance Africa’s infrastructure nightmare Educating Africans for skilled jobs China’s ‘Scramble for Africa’ What should EU investors and aid donors be doing? Prioritizing Africa’s backward agriculture 7 Jihadis, Gangsters and Nobel Laureates The lower end of the socio-economic spectrum Sorting criminal migrants from jihadist terrorists How real is the jihadist threat? Looking ahead: The migrants of tomorrow 8 More Migrant Jobs, or Fewer, in Post-Covid-19 Labour Markets? The Robot Revolution versus migrant workers’ cheaper labour Robotization’s upside will be new jobs Can immigration resolve Europe’s labour shortages? Improved productivity is one answer to Europe’s ageing The winners and losers in the Digital Age On education, spend more to win more Making sense of the ‘gig economy’ Are trades unions ‘pro-migrant’? 9 Europe’s Common Migration Policy is a Mirage Europe’s fragmented national migration policies How Dublin became a dirty word Breaching the walls of ‘Fortress Europe’ The faltering drive to encourage legal migration Looking ahead for new ideas The EU’s latest ‘last ditch’ migration defence plan 10 Design for a Realistic 2020–50 Immigration Strategy 2020–2025 Immediate Measures 2025–2035 Intermediate Measures 2035–2050 Strategies for mid-century Notes Further Reading Index