Today, December 18, is International Migrants Day. Established in 2000 by the UN, International Migrants Day recognizes the ever-increasing number of migrants around the world, and encourages the sharing of evidence-based policy designs to ensure their protection.
In 2015, the influx of migrants fleeing war to Europe has dominated media coverage and has triggered widespread concern over whether European economies will be able to absorb the added strain. However, the perception that migrants are an extra burden on economies is largely shortsighted; Western economies could greatly benefit from an injection of people willing to work, if their asylum applications are processed and they are trained in the host country language quickly. Language skills, training, and improved asylum processes are all policies that research has proved to be effective for the integration and economic success of migrants.
IZA World of Labor has many evidence-based articles and policy recommendations for issues related to migration. To mark International Migrants Day, we have curated a selection of these articles, Amelie Constant shares her three reasons immigrants are valuable for the host country, and Friedrich Schneider explains why corruption promotes emigration from developing nations and what policymakers can do to prevent it.
Visit the International Migrants Day page to find out more.
Join the #InternationalMigrantsDay discussions on Twitter.
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