When does ideology become harmful to immigration policy?
Links:
United Kingdom European Communities membership referendum, 1975
75% of UK Laws are now made in the EU
EU planning to operate its own spy drones and airforce
Democratic Deficit in the European Union
Gold rushes around the world
One of the guys at a local libertarian group mentioned your videos. This is the first one I watched. I'm in favor of a more open borders approach, but limited in the short term e.g. tariff based (to offset infrastructures costs), open border agreements between compatible regions (Australia & UK), a limited government assistance/limited citizenship.
ReplyDeleteBut I think the issues you mentioned around long term investment in an area are also the factors why open borders won't completely swamp an area. E.g. there are probably some people from Greece and Italy that have moved to Germany, UK, etc to look for work, but it's not like every single person has flooded north.
Compatibility is the key. Some cultures simply are just that, incompatible, and they will use trade as an excuse to subvert an entire region. It's happened many times in history, and if you don't learn from history you're doomed to repeat it.
DeleteWhen cultures are similar in terms of standard of living, there will be less issues with free movement. But once there's a significant disparity poorer people will move to wealthier areas, and supply and demand will harm that area due to overpopulation, i.e. lack of housing in particular. This will create overcrowding, and other issues associated with this problem. The only option is to build into the green belt, and that isn't necessarily a good option either. It depends if people like having countryside around them. This is a complicated issue, and one that can't simply be reduced to economics, as many libertarians suggest.