Evidence to Policy

Migration in the US and Europe - Building walls on both sides of the Atlantic

There is one thing every European knows about the US: it is a country of immigrants. They have settled from East to West, built, industrialised and developed the modern American nation. As a European visiting the US, every new encounter starts with an account of their ancestor’s country of origin. Explaining that I am of French descent, grew up in Switzerland and live in the UK, seems absolutely normal to most Americans – they too have different origins and have usually lived in different places throughout their lives.

However, today the narrative has shifted. On both sides of the Atlantic, immigrants are increasingly viewed as a challenge to society. Economic and cultural integration have been the major issues raised during my Marshall Memorial Fellowship.

Is America still a nation of immigrants? And how different are Europe and America when it comes to migration. Four main parallels and one key difference can be drawn between the US and Europe.

Familiarity breeds friendship

Studies on both sides of the Atlantic have shown that in areas with higher immigration rates, the native population is generally more open to migration than in areas with less immigration. In Switzerland, cities with large immigrant populations, such as Basel, Geneva and Zurich are significantly more likely to vote in favour of open borders and free movement of people. In Germany, several studies have identified a strong causal relation between migration and the wellbeing of the native population (both in terms of health and in terms of happiness). In the UK, areas of the country with more immigrants, such as London, voted against Brexit, while more rural areas (which on average attract less migrants) voted to leave the EU. Similar trends can be identified in the US.

A stable nativist voting base

Both in the United States and in European countries there is a significant part of the population that holds ‘authoritarian-populist’ attitudes. This mix of nativist, hard-right and reactionary worldviews are held by a stable share of the population. They generally vote for conservative parties, care about economic issues, security, defence and like strong leaders. What is striking though, is how these views have flared up since the economic crisis. This outlook on the world is held by an estimated 63% of the French population, 48% of the British population and authoritarian worldviews are also on the rise in the US.

Old versus new migrants

During the Marshall Memorial Fellowship, myself and other fellows encountered several Americans of foreign descent who were critical of new migration waves, especially of illegal immigration into the US. They expressed discontent over the fact that other migrants were not ‘following the rules’, while they had come legally and worked incredibly hard to succeed. While I was unable to find surveys or other studies on this topic, I think anti-immigration feelings among former waves of immigration are not to be underestimated. Similar trends have also been identified in France and other European countries.

We need you but we don’t want you

Labour market shortages and the need for unskilled labour on both sides of the Atlantic generate a strong demand for immigrants. In the United States, agriculture and the service sector employ large amounts of migrants. Similarly, European economies also rely on a steady influx of migrants into labour intensive sectors such as agriculture and care services. Empirical evidence for the UK (which is similar to many other Western economies) shows that on average, immigration from both within and outside the EU does not reduce employment opportunities nor lower the wages of UK-born workers. Migrants also tend to be younger, make less use of public services, have higher labour market participation rates and on average pay more taxes than the native population. Yet, anti-immigration feelings are high across many European countries. Nearly 70% of British people are in favour of reducing migration. Americans and Europeans who are more likely to encounter increased competition on the labour market, i.e. lower skilled workers, and older generations that see their ‘traditional way of life’ change, tend to have more negative attitudes towards immigration.

More positive views in the US

Surprising, given the current political debate in the US, is the fact that Americans view immigrants more positively than 20 years ago. A Pew Research survey of December 2016 shows that 63% of adults in the US think that immigrants strengthen the country through their hard work and talents. These positive attitudes are particularly strong among younger generations.  

Invest in people, not walls

In summary, attitudes and trends in immigration are largely comparable between Europe and the US. It is a hot topic on both sides of the Atlantic, often super-charged by media outlets and weaponised by political parties. However, attitudes towards immigration vary hugely, between old and young, conservatives and liberals, and between highly educated and less educated. Also, people who are more often in contact with immigrants are more open towards migration.

A significant share of Americans and Europeans fear the effects of migration, largely because migrants become a proxy for globalisation and inequality. They embody fears of a changing world and become the scapegoat for the negative effects of raising inequality on both sides of the Atlantic.

Leadership is needed both in America and Europe to change the narrative on migration, create pathways to legal immigration of lower skilled workers and most importantly to address inequality. In short: invest in people, not walls.

 

 

Julie Cantalou

Public Policy|Southampton

@JulieCantalou