Immigration Worldwide: Themes and Issues

This chapter collates and integrates common recurring themes and issues that emerge from the country studies, specifically (1) changing political boundaries, (2) immigrant integration, (3) immigrant status, and (4) economic implications. Countries in this volume are categorized into three groups: those with large immigrant populations, those with increasing immigrant populations, and those with low or declining populations, in addition to regional movements of people in the African and European Unions. Chapter reviews indicate that countries with high immigrant flows may be suffering from compassion fatigue, making both immigration and immigrant policies more stringent. In countries where immigration is low or declining, policies are pro-immigration, actively seeking both skilled and unskilled labor, services are available, and there is an acceptance of foreigners, even the unauthorized. The chapters present a variety of ways in which countries address questions related to immigration; most that are useful, but few that are entirely so. The question remains, What is a "just" and practical immigration policy?