Nota 30: Pros and Cons of Migration

1) There has been a shifting balance in quality and composition of the labor force throughout the world for the better.

2) Relatively liberal immigration policies in many countries have helped reduce labor shortages in certain sectors in many regions of the world.

3) On the downside, the mass exodus of labor from the underdeveloped world to the developed world has had a devastating effect on the quality of the labor force in the underdeveloped countries. This brain drain has occurred as the economic opportunities are greater in the developed countries for workers from the underdeveloped world.

4) Immigration has changed the face of host nations, bringing together people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.

5) Immigration has led to the expansion of urban areas and an expansion of the public sector, particularly in gateway cities (ports of entry for immigrants).

6) In the developed countries of the world (particularly the United States), the influx of immigrants has created strains on social services in some communities. Despite these strains, immigrants as a whole have provided net economic, social, and political benefits to the communities in which they live.

7) Today, immigration has become a more important component of regional and national population change. This is particularly true for the United States, as the population growth of the South and West regions have largely been the result of migration out the Northeast and North Central regions.