I have conventionally libertarian views on immigration, but with a couple of caveats.
- The immigration system should be especially welcoming to people who are likely to increase the country’s per-capita economic output.
- On the flip side, the immigration system should be very unwelcoming for people who want to get government handouts.
- Refugee laws should be immediately reformed to minimize the likelihood of trapping people in long-run government dependency.
In short, I want people with high levels of societal capital (work ethic, spirit of self-reliance, western values, etc).
Which is why a story about Germany caught my attention. James Jackson reported for the U.K.-based Telegraph that a German district is cutting handouts for migrants who refuse to help their community.
Germany has cut the benefits of asylum seekers who refused to pick rubbish in the aftermath of heavy flooding in east Germany… Local authorities in the state of Saxony-Anhalt wrote to a group of 64 asylum seekers, demanding they help clear debris and erect dykes for a fee of 80 cents (68p) an hour....... Only 39 went to help…
Now the district council has ruled that the 15 who had no excuse not to take part will have their asylum benefits cut in half to €232 (£195) a month for three months. Mamad Mohamad, from the migrant network Lamsa, criticised the court’s decision, suggesting the work order was exploitative. …
Opposition politicians said those who refuse work should be sent back home.
At the risk of sounding Trumpian, I agree with the opposition politicians. Migrants who come to a country should not be getting any handouts in the first place.
And if they refuse to do something in exchange for handouts, their freebies should be taken away and they should be put on the first-available plane to their home nations.
P.S. There’s compelling evidence from Sweden that government handouts for migrants are a recipe for government dependency.
P.P.S. It’s probably a very safe idea to allow free immigration from nations with very generous welfare states.
P.P.P.S. If you want some immigration-themed humor, click here, here, and here.
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