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Governments Give Migrants A Disastrous Mix Of Social Welfare & Bureaucracy
Submitted by Justin Murray via The Mises Institute,
On August 27, 2015, seventy-one refugees were discovered suffocated in an abandoned, locked transport truck in Austria just across the border with Hungary. These individuals, reported as refugees fleeing from the civil war in Syria, made a trek of over 1,000 miles. This is just a long string in the growing refugee and migration crisis hitting Europe over the past few years, with 2,500 estimated deaths from capsizing ships in the Mediterranean alone, of the nearly half million people crossing into Europe over the course of 2014–2015.
The problem is not unique to Europe. Many of these same migrants find their way to Brazil then die through the various jungle crossings attempting to reach the United States. This was true for five migrants from Ghana, an African nation, found dead in the jungles along the Panama-Colombia border This is a terrible loss of life and while most agree that “something” must be done, we have to question first what the underlying cause of this migration is and what that “something” should be.
Underlying Cause of the Migration
Much has already been written by the degree of instability caused by foreign war policy and the distorting effects of foreign aid that usually props up corrupt military dictatorships. The more interesting observation of the latest migration crisis is not that it is happening, but where the migrants are headed.
In the past, refugees usually trekked the minimal distance necessary to escape fighting with a few politically popular groups receiving airfare to further distant nations, like the Somali refugees relocated to Minneapolis, Minnesota. The rest find their way to the closest safety zone away from the fighting. However, this latest wave of refugees and migrants are passing through numerous safe nations, purchasing airfare across oceans and braving a travel path that is far more dangerous than remaining at home. For example, the aforementioned seventy-one Syrians found dead in Austria chose to bypass and ignore nearly a dozen other safe countries and make their way into Austria and, presumably, further on. It is odd that a Nepalese refugee will purchase airfare to Sao Palo, Brazil then travel by roads through the Amazon jungle and cross the US-Mexico border if it was just war or natural disaster that they were fleeing.
Public Benefits Create the Incentives
A major driver creating the incentives to make this dangerous, life threatening journey can be summed up with a single photo:
Above is a photo of a reference card created by human smugglers obtained by Frontex, the European Union’s border control agency. Smugglers throughout the Middle East, Turkey, and North Africa produce such cards and hand them to potential clients. In effect, refugees have ceased seeking the nearest safest refuge and are now shopping the best nations to flee to. This has created the issue that people are no longer fleeing from conflict or poverty, but fleeing toward the most lucrative benefit package. The above cards do warp the legal systems by implying that showing up is sufficient cause for asylum and the benefits are permanent and for life. However, the presence of such benefit packages does exist and is a major incentive for migrants. This explains why people fleeing Libya are crossing the Mediterranean in rickety, overcrowded boats and people are passing through four or five perfectly secure nations to reach the EU. Part of this large humanitarian crisis is generated by dangling the incentives that anyone who arrives will be given a host of benefits that are, relatively speaking to the recipient, opulent.
The United States provides similar resettlement benefits and even includes the possibility of full family unification. With the United States, further issues exasperate with the treatment of Unaccompanied Minors, who are advertised as given an almost full ride by showing up. This accounts for the surge of fifteen-to-eighteen-year-old males crossing the US border under dangerous conditions.
Lots of Government Paperwork
Another driver of this behavior is how states handle migration and border control. Legitimately crossing into the nations of the EU and North America is a bureaucratic nightmare. Migrants following the rules have to obtain identity documents that are not readily available in their home nations. For example, with the United States, the petition time tends to be lengthy, requires travel to inconvenient USCIS locations in the home nation and is limited to people who have existing families or job offers because of qualified skills. If one looks at the Green Card FAQ there is little recourse for a low-skilled worker seeking a better life apart from a narrow and difficult asylum process. The entry process into the EU is similarly difficult.
I can speak from personal experience traveling to Switzerland for my MBA that even as a US Citizen seeking a one year visa in the Schengen area is a complex, difficult task. It is hard to even comprehend what someone from Syria or Ghana has to go through to obtain legitimate entry. Even the $1,010 application fee, which provides no guarantee of acceptance, while not unreasonable by Western wealth standards, represents multiple years of earnings for some migrants. Even with legitimate refugees, the process is difficult and, with existing quotas, it would take nearly a decade to process just those displaced by the Syrian conflict.
By making legitimate entry points all but inaccessible to most desirable migrants, the migrants are funneled through non-standard routes such as the dangerous Panama-Colombia crossing or under razor-wire fences at the Hungarian border or associate with criminal cartels that will just as readily enslave, rob, or murder the migrants as assist them across borders. These routes are selected over safe alternatives because the safe alternatives have been made unavailable by government policy.
The Perfect Storm
Either of the above policies creates problems, but together, we get the perfect storm. By dangling a rich benefits package in front of potential refugees and migrants, governments are creating incentives for individuals to make the journey. But by making those said benefits impossible without running a dangerous gauntlet, we end up driving more people through quite literal meat grinders. This combination is almost cruel in a sense — great benefits, but near impossible to get to them.
The Solution
The key solution to this problem is two-pronged.
First, guaranteed public welfare subsidies for refugees needs to be curtailed or outright eliminated. By removing the incentives, people enticed to migrate for public benefits will disappear, greatly reducing the apparent reward for undertaking the trip. The cost of the dangerous trip remains, but the reward has just vanished. Those who are truly desperate will no longer have the incentives to travel beyond the nearest safe location.
Second, the Byzantine, lengthy and costly system of legal migration needs to be scrapped. This is not entering the debate on open borders, but whether one supports open borders or not, it is difficult to argue that the current system of migration is costly and difficult for all but the best educated and most well connected. Those who seek to migrate and contribute to the host society are by and large cut off from legal avenues, leaving only the very dangerous routes available.
While influential voices like the Pope are correct that this is a travesty, the policies promoted by him and other government officials will only make this worse. Offering assistance to migrants by rescuing them when they become troubled or allowing migrants to remain without changing the underlying bureaucratic issue will only create greater incentives for more and more people to take the same dangerous routes. Risk compensation has to be considered — the greater the safety mechanisms in place, the more risky the behavior will become. Unfortunately, the current solutions presented by officials will likely result in boats even more overloaded with people and even greater numbers traversing dangerous jungle passes.
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Gimme my Farrreeeee! shit and we'll have a true democracy! ;-)
The Fed knows that the growth of the core population (annual, yoy flow) has been the primary reason for economic "growth"...and apparently congress and POTUS have known this as well, thus the entirely "lax" policies. As core population growth peaked and growth continually declining, rate cuts were the answer to incent credit to add leverage to a declining population growth...and now with core population growth really set to decline??? The Fed and politicians know the only means to more "growth" is lots more immigration. Check the charts...The Fed has simply been fighting demographics for 6 decades now.
http://econimica.blogspot.com/2015/09/why-fed-rate-hikes-are-truly.html
However, this lax policiy pushes wages down for all, pushes asset owners prices higher (multi family and single family RE), rewards business' who get the deficit spending showered on immigrants.
Exactly.
You can't run a Ponzi without plenty of fresh, new recruits...
Right. Once again ignoring the fact that infinite growth is not possible on a finite sphere.
Try raising an Oscar in a small aquarium. You'll find that the fish grows, and grows, and GROWS, until buying a big enough aquarium for him finally bankrupts you and it dies.
Send them to Israel, the kikes are always demanding everyone else experience the gifts of diversity! They need some new bloodlines into their inbred ones!
The solution is two pronged: 50 caliber weapons platforms every 1000 yards along the border and a lucrative bonus program for exceeding weekly quotas.........
Sounds good. Until its us having to get out of old USA. Have to re-think now about my plan to just get the hell out of town and head somewhere else. Seems to be crowded out there.
I thought that was a pretty good article until I got to this:
"Secondly, the byzantine, lengthy and costly system of legal migration needs to be scrapped. This is not entering the debate on open borders, but whether one supports open borders or not, it is difficult to argue that the current system of migration is costly and difficult for all but the best educated and most well connected. Those who seek to migrate and contribute to the host society are by and large cut off from legal avenues, leaving only the very dangerous routes available."
No. Legal immigration from the outside is SUPPOSED to be that way- that is immigration of convenience, personal choice- call it what you will. Assimilating millions when they're fleeing a warzone is a COMPLETELY DIFFERNENT plan of attack. And it's not like there isn't a fucking game plan. IT'S BEEN DONE SUCCESSFULLY BEFORE MANY TIMES. It involves simple concepts like learning the language, understanding how the society operates, it's rules, and ITS CULTURE.
Done properly, societies can assimilate (and be strengthened by) even a large influx of refugees/migrants.
Done POORLY (handing them welfare benefits and a free pass to wander around the joint like it's just a trip to Disneyland) and you get societal collapse. If they show up and you let them retain their own culture, their own society, within your own, the country FAILS in the long term.
If the bargain is one wherein you give them safe refuge and opportunity in trade for them becoming PART OF YOUR SOCIETY, not a cancer upon it, it is a long term win.
Down-vote away, if you feel the need. But realize this is not easy shit to get your head around- no easy choices. But this is NOT the first time societies have had to figure this out. Some did it well, some very poorly.
"the Byzantine, lengthy and costly system of legal migration needs to be scrapped."
The END of the White race is apparently OK with Mr Murray.
If you value SMALL GOVERNMENT or the Bill of Rights then you will be OUTVOTED by Asians, Africans, and Latinos who FAVOR gun bans, end of free speech and they LOVE BIG Government. As do the bunch which is BEHIND all of this 3rd World immigration into America and the rest of the White world.
Norbert Schlei
Ted Kennedy is not responsible for the Immigration Act of 1965
Jews and Jewish organizations lead the gun control campaign
Pulling Our Heart Strings to Bring Us Down: How the Enemy Within Uses Our Empathy Against Us
As Rush is for LEGAL immigration and so is Trump and all of them.
Immigrant Population Hits Record 42.1 Million
USA Lets In 280,000 Muslim Migrants -- Annually...Arabic most common language among all refugees
Glenn LOVES non-White immigrants he was down on the border in Texas giving food, clothing, toys and other goodies his white followers gave for the INVADERS from Central America last summer.
Glenn
Beck vows to smuggle Syrian Christians into United States
Students in Boston Public Schools come from 142 countries, speak 84 languages
Syrian refugees heading to Baltimore
FOIA request confirms presence of immigration chapter in Obamatrade
Every night before he goes to bed, Oboma writes, "Every white head shall bow." And then he spends his dreams trying to determine how to make that happen.
Currently, we are barely above 50% white in the US, although the census bureau likes to move non0whites into the "white" category to feed you the Big Lie. Arabs are now white; mexicans are white; all latinos are "white" *sure sure* and you are told that oh, it's just a few people "looking for a better life." Those people bring drug-resistant tuberculosis, leprosy (which they don't want treated due to the stigma in their own communities), and a hostility toward you unlike any ever seen before in this country.
Think not? Any little contact with the foreigners is their chance to harangue you. They learn real quick that you'll scamper away, after all...if you don't it will be the cry of "Racism!"
Exactly why are whites supposed to give up this country?
There never was a 'white race' - a human race, yes. On average, in terms of DNA sequence all humans are 99.5% similar to any other humans.
This is a terrible loss of life --F you Lloyd Blankfein.
Either you take them into your own home or STFU.
The "immigration business" is enriching corporations and destroying nations.
The EU is responsible for this disaster cause it supported America's wars in the ME; does nothing to stop the flow of migrants by taking out the people smugglers; and yes by awarding great benefits to people who come illegally to the continent (there are cases of people who come legally and they get nothing). For sure there are refugees but most of the people I have seen so far while travelling through Southeast Europe are single young man, people who could rebuild their countries. The buck doesn't stop at the benefits. Soon they will demand mosques, seperate swimming, no pork meat or images of pigs, and -god forbit- sharia law, etc. The EU either run by incapable idiots or there is some population strategy at work here. Cause it is not going to stop, not by itself.
Experts are estimating that unless Europe says NO more and it needs too - up to a 100,000,000 will be either packing their bags or planning - to move in on Europe - within 12 months.
From Asia, Africa, Middle East and Indian sub continent.
This can all be laid at the door of the EUSSR aka Fourth Reich.
I hope Angela Merkel rots in Hell.
Its completely on her head as the No1 advocate in particular.
Europe is being over run - terrorists are pouring in to join the millions already waiting for the horn.
It is an utter disaster.
And the west is being bankrupted and its social infrastructure completely overwhelmed.
Global Cloward-Piven Strategy.
There is a wave of immigrants because government pay them to come.
There is a wave of 'Illeagals' or 'Refugees' because they are paid to be illeagal or refugees vice migrant workers.
If you don't want them, stop paying them to come.