Paying to Immigrate
While looking for other information on the University of Chicago's website, I spotted this article about paying to immigrate to the United States. The researchers, including the University's Nobel Prize winning economist Gary Becker say that some people may find the idea 'repugnant' and they'd be right. They argue that people should pay $50,000 to immigrate to the United States. The little blurb on the website says
"putting a price tag on immigration could draw more skilled workers here and stem the tide of illegal immigrants-some of whom pay with their lives."
I'm not exactly sure how this is supposed to reduce illegal immigration since many of these people are coming to the United States to earn money, and probably don't have a spare $50,000 lying around. I mean, I won't have a spare $50,000 lying around for at least a decade after graduation, if that, and I'm already here! They claim that this plan would even the playing field but I completely disagree. It will give people from countries that are more wealthy the opportunity to come to the United States, while Developing Nations will basically be excluded. Our current system primarily links up families that have some members already living in the United States. It then has some 'diversity visas' and 'work visas' as well. The wonderful thing about our current immigration process is that it tries to allow a certain number of people from every country entrance to the United States. I guess our current immigration standards promote family, multiculturalism and diversity. To me, it seems Becker's plans promote elitism, or perhaps (being optimistic) economic stimulation. So maybe it depends on what your priorities are. But I can't imagine living in a country that says 'we only want you if you're rich' - to sound cliche, that sounds 'unAmerican' to me. While it might be economically savvy in some regards, it seems tacky and suggests a set of values which I for one do not live by. Additionally, I think you could argue it's also economically savvy to increase immigration from as many countries as possible - the more links you have personally between individuals in the United States and those in other countries, the more those other countries are going to care about what's going on in our country. If you want to change the ratio of family and work visas I could see that. But charging people to come here? The idea makes me feel pretty gross.
I don't know; I'm not an economist. But it saddens me that the University of Chicago has this in their 'news blurbs' section of their website, as if the idea of restricting immigration to the rich is something they think is worth considering.
"putting a price tag on immigration could draw more skilled workers here and stem the tide of illegal immigrants-some of whom pay with their lives."
I'm not exactly sure how this is supposed to reduce illegal immigration since many of these people are coming to the United States to earn money, and probably don't have a spare $50,000 lying around. I mean, I won't have a spare $50,000 lying around for at least a decade after graduation, if that, and I'm already here! They claim that this plan would even the playing field but I completely disagree. It will give people from countries that are more wealthy the opportunity to come to the United States, while Developing Nations will basically be excluded. Our current system primarily links up families that have some members already living in the United States. It then has some 'diversity visas' and 'work visas' as well. The wonderful thing about our current immigration process is that it tries to allow a certain number of people from every country entrance to the United States. I guess our current immigration standards promote family, multiculturalism and diversity. To me, it seems Becker's plans promote elitism, or perhaps (being optimistic) economic stimulation. So maybe it depends on what your priorities are. But I can't imagine living in a country that says 'we only want you if you're rich' - to sound cliche, that sounds 'unAmerican' to me. While it might be economically savvy in some regards, it seems tacky and suggests a set of values which I for one do not live by. Additionally, I think you could argue it's also economically savvy to increase immigration from as many countries as possible - the more links you have personally between individuals in the United States and those in other countries, the more those other countries are going to care about what's going on in our country. If you want to change the ratio of family and work visas I could see that. But charging people to come here? The idea makes me feel pretty gross.
I don't know; I'm not an economist. But it saddens me that the University of Chicago has this in their 'news blurbs' section of their website, as if the idea of restricting immigration to the rich is something they think is worth considering.