Immigration brings "zero" economic benefit to U.K. — just like U.S.

By Peter Brimelow

03/29/2008

The London Daily Telegraph reports this morning that a parliamentary inquiry is about to report that the record immigration levels inflicted on Britain under Tony Blair have brought "close to zero" economic benefits to the native-born. (Migration has brought "zero" economic benefit, by Phillip Johnston and Robert Winnet, March 29, 2008).

This, of course, is entirely consistent with the consensus among U.S. labor economists — immigration brings no net aggregate gain to the native-born — that I noted in Alien Nation almost exactly thirteen years ago. (P. 163-164 noted similar results from Canada and Australia).

Three years earlier, in the National Review cover story that grew into Alien Nation, I quoted George Borjas making the same point: ("The economic arguments for immigration simply aren’t decisive. You have to make a political case … ")

Why has this simple point still not penetrated public consciousness? Because that would required campaigning journalism — endless anecdotes embroidering same moral. Needless to say, I blame Bill Buckley.

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