A sociological study of immigration

Book Reviewed: Exodus: How Migration is Changing Our World, by Paul Collier

Immigration from poverty-stricken south to the affluent north usually suggests that people migrate for better opportunities and better lives. This is partly true, but what are the consequences? Does it have cultural, racial and ethnic infiltration into the Western civilization or is it a brain drain for developing countries? Are there any advantages or disadvantages to the countries affected? Oxford University professor Paul Collier says that the current immigration policies have serious problems. He explores this volatile issue from three perspectives: that of the migrants themselves, that of the people they leave behind, and that of the host societies where they relocate. He observes that the current immigration policies are not effective; this will accelerate mass exodus and the poorest countries would suffer. The loss of national identities for both host and countries of origin would be undesirable in the long run, says the author, even though his ancestors were German migrants living in England during WW1. The author's suggestions are provocative and his evaluation of the global economy has some flaws.