UK Politics & Policy News Headlines – FT.com
“Migrants have ‘no impact’ on jobs”
Continuing my irregular series of posts on the costs of restricting immigration and the benefits of open immigration. The linked story from the Financial Times itelf refers to a report from the National Institue for Economic and Social Research (in the UK), suggesting that migration from eastern Europe into the United Kingdom has not increased the numbers claiming unemployment beneift. The press release does not suggest any net benefits, but surely we must prefer freedom of individuals to live and work where they choose, unless a very clear loss of economic welfare, or some other disadvantage, can be demonstrated. The reresearch undermines arguments from various directions claiming negative economoc results of immigration. In particular it suggests to me that those libertarian/classical liberal thinkers who claim that open immigration is impossible in a welfare state are mistaken. The UK does offer unemployment benefits, unlimited in time, for legal residents. This will not apply to people who’ve just arrived from abroad, even other EU counties, but over time everyone gets eligibility.
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