By Allan Wall
04/27/2008
For years, I've been saying that emigration hurts Mexico. Besides all the dangers it poses to the illegals themselves, and exacerbation of family disintegration, it removes incentives for economic reform. Well, a recent editorial in the Arizona Republic said about the same thing: The editorial, Mexico Awakening, published April 23rd, 2008, says thatRemittances — nearly $24 billion in 2007, according to the Mexico’s Central Bank — help individual families but have a corrosive effect on Mexico. Without them, political pressure would build at home to create jobs. Without the relief valve illegal migration offers for Mexico’s unemployed, there would be enormous demand to deal with the corruption and lack of opportunity in Mexico.The article also asserts that "Mexico is showing a welcome recognition of the downside of illegal immigration."
As evidence it reports the words of President Calderon, who said in February that "I’m not a president who likes to see Mexicans leave the country, because every immigrant who leaves Mexico represents a loss."
Yes, but just about every Mexican politician pays lip service to creating more jobs in Mexico. So this comment is not exactly revolutionary. The Arizona Republic also reports how Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission recently issued two comic books, one for Mexican potential emigrants and another for Central Americans. The comic books portray
"graphic depictions of migrants brutalized by bandits, Mexican authorities and smugglers."The article says that the comic books and Calderon’s comment
"suggest Mexico is ready to recognize that remittances can’t compensate for the loss of its people and that it shares responsibility for ending illegal immigration. "Maybe. But, as I have pointed out in a previous article, Mexico could end illegal immigration to the U.S. by just enforcing its own law regarding emigration. And this it still refuses to do. If the U.S. would really shut the border, that, I think, would wake up Mexico!
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