Big Think is a great site full of interesting articles and ideas. This month they are featuring one radical (“dangerous”) idea a day. Today’s is allowing people to move freely.
The coalition government has taken leave of its senses.
Highly skilled foreign workers are small in number, but make a disproportionate contribution to the economy – and government coffers. Global businesses that invest in the UK economy, boost exports and create jobs for British people rely on them. They also provide irreplaceable skills, experience and contacts [...]
Since the disaster in 1986, British charities have helped thousands of young people from affected areas in the Ukraine and Belarus to have holidays with British families. Now those charities say their work is becoming impossible as the UK Border Agency rejects so many visas at the last minute.
Last month only seven of 17 children [...]
I debated whether freedom of movement is a good thing on BBC1’s Sunday Morning Live with George Hargreaves of the Christian Party and Jon Gaunt, a right-wing shock jock.
Part 2
Great piece by Edward Luce in the FT on Obama’s efforts to revive immigration reform.
On grounds of enlightened self-interest, Mr Obama should therefore be commended. The opposite could be said of an increasingly nativist Republican party. Having applauded their colleagues in Arizona, who in April enacted the most draconian anti-immigrant state law in a generation, [...]
Max Dunbar reviews Aftershock in 3:AM magazine
In his essential book Immigrants: Your Country Needs Them, the economist Philippe Legrain demolished the case against migration in both its economic and what he kindly terms its ‘cultural’ form. In that book he also made the argument for freedom of movement of labour to match the freedom [...]
I debated the issue with Douglas Murray on the Politics UK programme on the BBC World Service. The interviewer was Edward Stourton. Listen here.
This article first appeared on the Guardian’s Comment is Free.
To anyone concerned that immigration is out of control, a promise to capthe number of people entering Britain seems very appealing. That’s why the Conservatives made the pledge during the election campaign. Such is the anti-immigrant fervour among the Tory grassroots [...]
The Guardian, 28 June 2010. The government’s arbitrary limit will deprive the economy of skilled workers it needs but barely dent overall migrant numbers
Forbes, 28 June 2010. Opening America’s borders is morally right, economically beneficial–and would even make America safer.
The case for open borders, the cover article in the new Forbes magazine.
In his column in The Times today, David Aaronovitch uses Aftershock to buttress his arguments:
Legrain is looking at how to fashion policy after the crisis. And he reminds his readers that Britain exists in a world of constant change, one that demands that we keep up. For example, we speak all the time about “immigration” [...]
Great piece of photo journalism by Dulce Pinzón on ForeignPolicy.com
I debated this issue with Andrew Green of MigrationWatch on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast at 7am this morning. The interviewer is Nicky Campbell. Listen to it here
Fascinating piece in the New York Times
Nick Griffin of the British National Party:
It’s not about race. Britain is full up.
Andrew Green of Migration Watch:
It’s about numbers and space, not about race.
From the New York Times
I was interviewed bright and early on BBC Radio London’s Breakfast Show with Gaby Roslin and Paul Ross this morning about immigration and the election campaign. Listen to it here
I participated in a roundtable debate on this issue on Next Left’s website. Read the contributions here.
I debate with Andrew Green of MigrationWatch on BBC Radio 4’s PM programme, yesterday, 29 April 2010.
Bizarrely, Green lambasts the BBC for failing to give him airtime and then claims that his extremist anti-immigration group speaks for the majority of the British people.
Listen to the clip here.
