Migration in the news this week (December 11, 2014)
Border control policies are being scrutinized around the world, as policymakers try to minimize the negative effects of increased migrant flows from countries afflicted by war.
EU turns to Africa to remedy migration crisis
The European Union (EU) has opened discussions with African leaders to develop new ways to tighten border controls.
Due to Italy’s efforts this year to prevent asylum seekers traveling through Syria to reach the EU, migrant and refugee detection in the Mediterranean region has increased six-fold from 2013.
The broader plan now is to focus more on development projects and crack down on criminal networks by working with the countries from which migrants and asylum seekers originate.
Pia Orrenius writes that border control measures should be regularly evaluated to minimize costs and increase overall integration levels. She notes that the underlying forces driving migration should always be taken into account.
Malta must prepare for migration boost
The United Nations (UN) has warned that more migrants and asylum seekers are due to arrive in Malta in the coming months, following Italy’s Mare Nostrum operation.
Migration is expected to peak from May to July next year.
The UN’s Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants François Crépeau commended the initiatives in place to improve the reception and integration of migrants into Malta, but noted that the large pending influx will require stronger efforts to avoid "panic and chaos."
He also warned that mandatory detention of migrants and asylum seekers should only be used as a last resort, to avoid "fear and distrust" of migrants among the Maltese population, and minimize costs.
UK skills shortage boosts migrant wages
A skills shortage in the UK construction industry has led to an increase in migrant workers from Portugal, who are being paid twice the normal wage.
Research by Manpower showed that construction firms are paying migrant bricklayers around £1,000 per week, when the standard pay is £500 per week.
Prospects in the UK construction industry are currently at their strongest level since 2007, but a third of large construction firms are not bidding for projects due to a lack of skilled workers.
Our author Abdurrahman B. Aydemir has written about skill-based migrant selection, discussing the benefits it can have in filling skills shortages and boosting economic growth in the long-term. This type of migrant selection can also lead to greater levels of migrant integration.
Thursday 18th December marks International Migrants Day, which aims to promote discussion on the human rights and freedoms of migrants around the world.
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Related articles:
Enforcement and illegal migration, by Pia Orrenius
Skill-based immigration, economic integration, and economic performance, by Abdurrahman B. Aydemir