Eight Myths About Migration From The Right And The Left, Debunked By A Sociologist

The topic of migration is one of the most contagious today. And both sides – those that advocate for closed borders, and those that want more openness – use, according to the author, a number of myths.

To me, the most interesting observation is that the tough border policies don't lead to less migration – on the contrary, they incentivise the temporary migrant workers to settle in their host country, as they are afraid that they would not be able to return there after a trip home.

Another common myth here is that the immigrants can steal the jobs and burden the welfare system. It is equally wrong to either fully agree, or fully disagree with this point. On the one hand, immigration benefits the economy – but in a very small way. On the other, the poorest people will profit less than any other social group, and are most likely to face competition for jobs.

Migration also cannot solve the problems of an aging society. Its numbers are too low to balance the demographics of the host countries. Therefore, in the future, as more countries grow older, their problems might change from "how to stop migration" to "how to attract it".

Finally, the idea that migration has increased in the 21st century is also not entirely true. While the absolute numbers have indeed grown, the share of migrants in Westen societies has not increased since the 60s.