This week's news roundup covers the worrying situation of African migrants adrift at sea between the coasts of Libya and Malta and the failure of EU member states to act quickly and adequately to this human tragedy. We have also gathered the newest reports on the growing Iraqi refugee crisis and what European countries can […]
German news magazine, Der Spiegel, has an in-depth look at the illegal immigrants that are the backbone of much of Europe's farming sector, ensuring that even Norway has the tomatoes, zucchini and strawberries throughout the winter. Most of the workers on the plantations are illegal immigrants, those that have risked life and limb travelling to […]
In a report by the CBC.ca, a discussion of the wage gap between Canadian Immigrants since the 1960s and American Immigrants since the same period shows that there is a significant difference between the two groups of immigrants. The report states that in Canada there seems to be less of a wage gap, as 4 […]
In her column on May 25th, Eleanor Clift of Newsweek discusses the benefits President Bush is gaining in the debate on new immigration policy. Her overview of the complex political views of Democrats who will most likely support Bush's initiative under the guidance of Ted Kennedy is an interesting dynamic since most Democrats have tried […]
With current immigration reforms in the United States focusing on skilled immigrants and highly educated candidates in the new Senate Bill on Immigration, a comparison between another North American immigration system that deals with skilled labour and educated immigration candidates may shed some light on possible issues with future US immigration policy. In the neighbouring […]
Spain has always held a unique position regarding immigration in Europe due to its proximity to Africa via the Straits of Gibraltar, its colonial possessions in North Africa, and the existence of the Canary Islands off the African coast. These Spanish Islands off the coast of Africa have made them a magnet for refugees from […]
In a continuation of last week's weekly update on the deal reached in the US Senate on Immigration Reform, approval and criticism of the bill has been voiced by both sides of the political right and political left. While perspectives on the right of the debate will likely claim the bill to be somewhat […]
The first test to the fragile Senate compromise on immigration reform came in a vote on Tuesday. Scrapping the guest worker provision would have rocked the boat too far and could have brought the fragile compromise to a collapse. Tuesday's vote, however, doesn't rule out the possibility to curtail the guest worker program to 200,000 […]
At the end of last week, senators announced their bipartisan compromise on immigration reform that combines border enforcement, a guest worker program, a path to legalization for illegal immigrants, tougher employer sanctions, and an education/skills-based point system for future immigrants. Rich Basas will comment on their proposal in the coming days. <>Already, the policy proposal […]
This week's news roundup takes a first look at France's new ministry of immigration and national identity, Switzerland's refusals to accept more Iraqi refugees and newest EU plans to curtail the number of illegal migrants employed throughout Europe: Nicolas Sarkozy is a man of his words. On May 18 he appointed Brice Hortefeux to lead […]
The Migration Policy Group, a Brussels-based NGO and independent advisor to the European Union, has published the second edition of its ‘Handbook on Integration for Policy Makers and Practitioners.’ The handbook is the result of in-depth workshops with the National Contact Points on integration, which are a key element in the European Union's Hague Program. […]
Conservative UK daily, the Telegraph, is reporting that official government immigration statistics are flawed and that UK councils are complaining: “The leaders of Slough, Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, and Hammersmith and Fulham say a new method of calculating immigration, introduced last month, does not “remotely” represent the true picture. The new figures suggest London is […]
The UK's Daily Mail is picking up on a comment made earlier this week by London's Mayor, Ken Livingstone, regarding the treatment of foreign business travelers by UK immigration staff, in its enlightening article “Welcome to America … from Mickey the immigration officer” . London's Mayor had accused immigration staff at Heathrow Airport of being racist […]
<> The clock is ticking as Senators are meeting behind closed doors to put a cap on the much-awaited immigration reform package. An article in the Boston Globe outlines the remaining points of contention. We will have a full commentary on the likely compromise early this week. Think tanks are debating the ‘right’ solution to the […]
Unsurprisingly, Nicolas Sarkozy has been elected French President. An article in the weekend New York Times reexamines the president-elect's immigration policy, highlighting that despite his tough talking campaign, he does show a genuine interest in tackling some of the most pressing problems at hand. French papers are reporting that Sarkozy has reiterated his proposal to […]