Immigration is a major issue in Europe just as it has been in the United States. In the U.S., there has been a fear that illegal immigrants would become criminals and/or live off of welfare programs, costing taxpayers’ money. Similar fears underlie European resistance to helping refugees from Syria and other Middle Eastern countries torn by war. There is also a a fear that, unlike previous waves of immigrants, those entering the United States or Europe today make little effort to assimilate, sticking with their own languages, cultures, and intolerances.
In the United States, these fears appear to be largely unfounded. Illegal immigrants are not eligible for many kinds of welfare, yet they pay well over $10 billion per year in federal income and social security taxes yet they will never be allowed to collect social security. Other than the fact that illegal immigration is a crime, immigrants commit far fewer crimes per capita than native-born Americans. Finally, Latino immigrants to the U.S. have been assimilating at least as fast if not faster than previous immigrants.
To the extent that illegal immigrants do end up using taxpayer-supported programs such as healthcare and some kinds of some kinds of welfare, this indicates there are problems with those programs, not with immigration itself. When Lyndon Johnson created many welfare programs in the 1960s, they were aimed at getting people out of poverty. When Richard Nixon became president, he dismantled those programs and replaced them with straight welfare. In other words, instead of helping people out of poverty, Nixon’s programs paid people to remain poor. That’s a problem that has only been partially corrected since then.
European complaints about immigrants are even fiercer than those in the U.S. Immigrants refuse to assimilate, they say, tending instead to concentrate in certain neighborhoods that become dangerous for native-born residents to enter. Each immigrant costs taxpayers thousands of euros per year as they remain unemployed for long periods of time.
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A Europe that cannot find enough jobs to fully employ its own people has no jobs for relatively unskilled immigrants who probably don’t know the local language. So of course those immigrants end up needing state support.
Northwestern European countries have also made housing extremely expensive. Those countries all built high-rise housing projects in the 1950s and 1960s that most residents hated and thus those projects become the natural place to locate immigrants.
So it is no wonder that immigrants concentrate in certain neighborhoods: those are the only places they can afford to live. It is no wonder that immigrants appear to not assimilate into the local culture: they are made to feel unwelcome in every way possible, including being denied access to jobs and decent housing.
Fixing these problems will require a lot of work. But instead of complaining about immigrants, Europeans (and Americans) should take problems with immigrants as a sign that something is deeply wrong with their welfare state and start to fix it. Otherwise, problems with housing, unemployment, and national productivity will never go away.
Sounds nice, but you walked all the way around the elephant in the room.
Religion.
Did the Polish Catholic immigrants assimilate and become Puritan Protestants?
Have the Chinese immigrants in California assimilated and become Catholics???
Are the Nigerian Christian immigrants assimilating and becoming Secular Post Moderns??
And finally, the elephant in the room: Is Islam compatible with Western Democracy values and Free Market Capitalism?
“Immigration is a major issue in Europe just as it has been in the United States. In the U.S., there has been a fear that illegal immigrants would become criminals and/or live off of welfare programs, costing taxpayers’ money. Similar fears underlie European resistance to helping refugees from Syria and other Middle Eastern countries torn by war. ”
A major paradox.
“yet they will never be allowed to collect social security. ”
They can in the EU. Paradox solved?
“These problems are symptoms of even deeper structural issues. Wealthy European countries such as Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, and the Netherlands all have minimum wages of about $12 an hour, or about two-thirds higher than the U.S. federal minimum wage of $7.25. ”
I would say that the structural issues belong to the US. We are treated to the circus-like spectacle of John McCain being unable to remember how many houses he owns, yet other US citizens are expected to make do on $7.25 an hour. How does this lead to ‘One Nation Under God’?
“So it is no wonder that immigrants concentrate in certain neighborhoods: those are the only places they can afford to live. ”
In the UK, many Muslim families were brought in to work in certain industries, particularly textiles, and so lived there. Now, they live close to their neighbours and the mosques.
With the exception of certain well-known individuals, Muslims and other immigrants are well integrated. The ‘No-go zones’ thing was a Fox News fantasy. However, we don’t feel that we MUST take immigrants, because they aggressively dump themselves down on our borders. We feel that these immigrants are welcome to return to where they come from, and then apply for immigration status like everyone else.
”
Muslims and other immigrants are well integrated.
” ~ FrancisKing
Funny enough, that’s what the Western and Northern Europeans say after every other race riot. Yet the rioting continues.
The simple fact, apparently lost on the left, is that government regulations and laws greatly effect prices, but they can’t set them and typically drive them up. Many times to the point where the higher product prices force loss of market share to the detriment of the company and it’s employees.
Wages are no different. As leftist support the surge of legal and illegal emigration of uneducated, low/no skilled workers by refusing to inforce our emigration laws and even creating sanctuary cities the plethora of low end, unskilled workers drives their wages down.
It’s the same with housing. It’s government land restrictions, fees and regulations that have created the housing crises and nothing else. The housing collapse back in 2008, that government blames on the private sector, was really set up by governments rules and regulations they used to get folks who couldn’t afford it into home ownership. It ended in disaster, just like their price fixing of the minimum wage will. We will all pay for their silly medaling with wages just like we always pay for their medaling and in the end it will have done no good what so ever. So, when will the folks figure out that freedom is what helps them the most, not government?
In the United States, these fears appear to be largely unfounded. Illegal immigrants are not eligible for many kinds of welfare, yet they pay well over $10 billion per year in federal income and social security taxes yet they will never be allowed to collect social security.
This number sounds, frankly, made up. The link to an SPLC web page with no documentation of this claim and the overall size of the number make it less believable. The only way undocumented immigrants could pay income or payroll taxes would be if they obtained a fraudulent Social Security number which they then used to get a job. Without it, neither tax could be reported since both the employee and their employer would be breaking the law. The only other possibility is that SPLC is (incorrectly) counting the taxes paid by immigrants who have overstayed their visa and remained in the country. While they would be illegal, it would not make sense to refer to them as “undocumented” as they obtained documentation upon entering the country.
“In the United States, these fears appear to be largely unfounded. Illegal immigrants are not eligible for many kinds of welfare, yet they pay well over $10 billion per year in federal income and social security taxes yet they will never be allowed to collect social security.
This number sounds, frankly, made up.”
The AP probably should have dropped the “illegal” in front of immigrants. Immigrants, who do not qualify for federal welfare programs until they have been a citizen for five years, do pay FICA taxes. In fact, immigrants contribute a net positive of 0.03% of GDP when factoring in Social Security taxes.
I would say that the structural issues belong to the US. We are treated to the circus-like spectacle of John McCain being unable to remember how many houses he owns, yet other US citizens are expected to make do on $7.25 an hour. How does this lead to ‘One Nation Under God’?
I don’t know what point you think you’re making about structural issues, but nobody in this country gets by on $7.25 an hour.
First of all, $7.25/hour is the federal minimum wage. Most states can and do set higher wage floors. And very few workers are at this wage level. Second, federal and most state income tax structures are fairly progressive, meaning that workers at low income levels often have negative effective income tax liabilities. Third, low-income workers’ wage incomes are supplemented by a host of cash and in-kind transfer programs for everything from food, home heating, health insurance and care, housing, transportation and child care to primary and secondary schooling. This also does not include various forms of private charitable assistance, which are substantial in the US.
I don’t know what, if anything, this has to do with John McCain and his houses or the slogan that was added to the Pledge of Allegiance.
MJ: “I don’t know what, if anything, this has to do with John McCain and his houses or the slogan that was added to the Pledge of Allegiance.”
Nothing. It’s a distraction.
“First of all, $7.25/hour is the federal minimum wage…And very few workers are at this wage level.”
Only 2% of the workforce makes the federal minimum wage, and over half of those are teens or college aged.
OFP: “And finally, the elephant in the room: Is Islam compatible with Western Democracy values and Free Market Capitalism?”
Depends on the flavor. I would argue that all Abrahamic religions, fundamentally are at odds with Western Democracy and Free Market Capitalism. Each Abrahamic religion has a reform or “lite” flavor that seems to be compatible but the hard-core, old-school Christians, Muslims and Jews are clearly at odds with a secular society that values personal liberty and free markets.
We can trash progressive entitlement agendas all we want, usually with good cause. If we are keeping score, nobody in America wants to restrict liberty more than religious conservatives.
1. Certainly there is a vast difference in effects between a small number immigrants and a large number of immigrants into any society.
2. “Substandard housing” is a loaded term. That “sub standard” housing was the norm for our American grandparents and a rich person’s home for many immigrants in their home countries. “Minimum wage” in the USA is a wealthy wage in many immigrants home countries. That socialist Nirvana Cuba has an average wage of $20 per month or $0.12 per hour, and are happy without A/C.
3. What is the future of an immigrant community that doesn’t integrate? Chinatowns and Little Italy are now just shadows of what they once were because the immigrants integrated. Maintaining subsidized immigrant ghettos doesn’t help anybody.
4. The big losers to immigration is the lower class who are competing for jobs and housing but have much higher expectations. The black ghettos persevere from generation to generation, while the Chinatowns and Little Italys have moved to various suburbs.
”
The only way undocumented immigrants could pay income or payroll taxes would be if they obtained a fraudulent Social Security number which they then used to get a job.
”
~MJ
Which is a well known “problem”. Keep it in mind next time you walk into a Chipotle or McDonalds and think “geeze, I’ll bet no one but the manger here is American”.
”
If we are keeping score, nobody in America wants to restrict liberty more than religious conservatives.
” ~Bennet
Bunk. Show us the scorecard.
The only way undocumented immigrants could pay income or payroll taxes would be if they obtained a fraudulent Social Security number which they then used to get a job.
”
~MJ
Which is a well known “problem”. Keep it in mind next time you walk into a Chipotle or McDonalds and think “geeze, I’ll bet no one but the manger here is American”.
Not entirely accurate. Again, read my comment about documented versus undocumented workers.
SSA estimates that in 2010, 1.8 million immigrants used SSNs that didn’t belong to them. That’s only one percent of the entire workforce, so it’s not like this is a raging problem.
The IRS uses ITINs so that undocumented immigrants can file/pay taxes. SSNs are faked or sometimes people use SSNs of dead people. Sometimes they are real SSNs. The IRS uses ITINs and software to keep any real SSN holders from being penalized. Using a fake SSN is illegal, but government imposing this “Mark of the Beast” on everyone so they can buy and sell is evil, so I have no problem with people breaking evil laws.
This all misses the big picture: most immigrants are here legally and pay FICA taxes; many documented immigrants are here for only a few years and return to their countries and never collect SSI. The few workers that are here illegally and who are working often file taxes, even though they don’t qualify for earned income credits and often when they are paid in cash because they don’t want to be seen as freeloaders and because they believe it is the right thing to do.
Of course, in a society predicated on private property rights, the government wouldn’t have the power to tell an employer whom he may or may not hire to work on his or her private property and earn his or her privately owned money.
This would also be a non-issue if most immigrants to the US weren’t brown.
And your argument would hold water until the 16th Century for Christianity. Probably a century earlier for Judaism.
SSA estimates that in 2010, 1.8 million immigrants used SSNs that didn’t belong to them. That’s only one percent of the entire workforce, so it’s not like this is a raging problem.
1.8 million instances of fraud sounds like a pretty big deal to me. Especially in relation to the size of the immigrant, and more specifically illegal immigrant, population.
The few workers that are here illegally and who are working often file taxes, even though they don’t qualify for earned income credits and often when they are paid in cash because they don’t want to be seen as freeloaders and because they believe it is the right thing to do.
Those who are illegally are not likely to be filing tax returns, as this would greatly increase the probability of them being identified and potentially deported.
This would also be a non-issue if most immigrants to the US weren’t brown.
I don’t agree with this at all. Asians are generally “brown”, yet most of them immigrate to the US through legal means and do fairly well once they get here.
Yeah, that’s the lesser problem of illegal immigration, especially if you have a high school education or better and you’re over 25-years-old and you’re not black. But you’re kind of screwed if you do fit any of those demographics. Blacks under 26 w/o a high school education have an equal chance of being unemployed vs. employed. Illegal immigrants have taken their jobs, no doubt about it. I’m not arguing the morality of it i.e., which group is more deserving of those jobs. I’m just stating a fact. Imagine being one of those unemployed black kids. You may well be looking at a future without ever getting gainful employment. In such a society, what do you have to lose?
Those who are illegally are not likely to be filing tax returns, as this would greatly increase the probability of them being identified and potentially deported.
No, it wouldn’t. Please stop making stuff up.
Blacks under 26 w/o a high school education…
Not to make light of the situation, but is there anyplace in the US where a high school education is not free? As the employment opportunities for people without that education are poor (as pointed out), that is certainly one less reason to drop out of school, I’d think. High school is for 15-18 year olds, the upper bounds of which makes you eligible to vote, so these are not exactly children that we’re talking about.
Rhetorical question: At what point should people be expected to become responsible for the decisions they make?
Not argument from me, NS. But the problem with massive black youth unemployment remains. Citizen hispanics and whites w/o high school education have a problem too although at half the rate of blacks according to the chart linked above.
Walter Williams points to minimum wage laws as the driver in high black unemployment. If that’s the case then youth unemployment will get worse in the states and localities that are increasing the the minimum wage. This Democratic governor’s minimum wage “logic”:
He should have added “and will make sure that many teenagers will never get a job.”
I think the combination of welfare benefits, minimum wage laws, and illegal immigration is causing a huge number of young people to drop out of the above-ground economy. And when they operate in the shadow economy they’re much more likely to get thrown in prison. It’s a vicious cycle.
“But the problem with massive black youth unemployment remains.”
No question, and the proposed solution (at least from the progressive side) appears to be free college for everybody. Begging the question: How do you get people who choose to drop out of high school to attend college and stick around long enough to get a degree?
In many cases you can’t. A certain percentage of the population hate formal schooling and get out of school as soon as they possibly can. These are the people who used to cut our grass and clean our hotel rooms and wash dishes in restaurants. Now those jobs are almost exclusively the domain of immigrants from Mexico and Central America. Something’s gotta’ give. The US can’t afford to keep such a huge percentage of our population in prison. And without entry level jobs, that’s exactly where a big chunk of low-income people of all races ends up.