For decades, immigrants across the globe have come to the United States with the goal of building a better life. The promise of new opportunities — and even the ability to start their own companies — is a large driving factor for many immigrants coming to the U.S., and has made a difference in the country’s economic health. Yet, in recent years, perceptions of what it means to be an immigrant in the United States have changed, which could lead to detrimental effects on the economy.
A recent study by U.S. News & World Report ranked the “Best Countries for Immigrants,” where more than 21,000 respondents from all over the world assessed 80 countries based on characteristics including being “economically stable,” having a “good job market” and “income equality,” and “is a place I would live” overall. U.S. News also took factors like integration for immigrants — including language training and job certification transfers — remittances migrants sent home and the overall number of migrants in their overall population.
Sweden took first place in the rankings, followed by Canada, Switzerland, Australia and Germany finishing out the top five. The U.S. ranked at No. 7, following Norway.
It’s understandable that amplified rhetoric against immigration throughout the 2016 U.S. presidential election likely helped contribute to respondents’ current perceptions of the country in terms of being a place they would live. Adding to this, U.S. immigration policy continues to change under the Trump administration, with talk of cutting annual immigration by half, express deportations for convicted foreign nationals and, of course, the border wall.
To help improve views of the U.S. for potential immigrants — and their quality of life should they plan to immigrate — organizations across the country are working on ways to aid immigrants and help attempt to change policy. One such organization, the Niskanen Center, is developing a series policy briefs focusing on immigration reform for key issues, including visa overstays, H-1B visa reform, entrepreneurial visa reform and more.
Researchers noted that the process of developing “Best Countries for Immigrants” list showed that many view immigration as the most important issue facing our world — and rightfully so. Reductions in the flow of immigrants generally do not improve the economy. Quite the opposite, immigrant populations make up a large portion of the U.S. workforce, and make up 18 percent of U.S. business ownership as of 2016.
The U.S. is at its greatest when it gives immigrants a seat at the table. But to keep our potential immigrant population from choosing a different home base, the next few years will require hard work to push for immigration reform that allows these opportunities for economic growth to be met.
0 Comments