DP Issue Thread: Immigration

[RightinNYC]

This is the first of what might turn out to be a recurring series if people like it. The idea behind it is that we will create specific threads for interesting issues that people are often un- or under-informed about, with the aim of providing only the facts about a topic. The thread will operate as something of a wiki - people can post links and relevant summaries of reliable, factual information about the topic. This is not the place to debate the merits of the issue, but rather a place where we can collaborate to make each other more knowledgeable about a topic. Off topic, overly biased, or inflammatory posts will be removed to keep it useful.

More background about this idea and a place to post your feedback can be found here: (New Thread Type Idea - Soliciting Feedback)

Without further ado, the first topic: Immigration

[RightinNYC]

Immigration is, broadly defined, the movement of peoples from one nation to another. The number of people who are defined as "immigrants" has been on the rise each year as the world becomes more globalized, and in the year 2005 alone, over 190,000,000 people were considered "immigrants."

While immigrants travel to and from every country in the world, two of the main destinations for immigrants are the EU and the US. In the EU, 2005 alone saw a net gain of 1.8 million immigrants, which "account[ed] for almost 85% of Europe’s total population growth in 2005." For example, since 2000, Spain has added a full 10% of its population in immigrants.

Here in the US, the debate is generally focused on two different types of immigration - "legal" and "illegal."

Over the past 10 years, the US has averaged approximately 1 million legal immigrants per year, mostly from Mexico, China, India, and the Philippines. In addition, the US accepts approximately 70,000 refugees each year, a number that dwarfs that of any other country.

On the flip side, the US has a significant population categorized as "illegal immigrants," which are individuals who have entered the country through some method other than the prescribed channels. As of March 2006, this group was estimated to total 11.5-12 million, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. Approximately 850,000 more arrive each year.

That's about all I have time for now, but all are welcome to add onto this.

Some topics I'm hoping that will eventually get covered:

-Reasons for illegal immigration
-Historical context
-Enforcement polices
-Traditional stances of different political/ethnic groups
-Claims about impact on economy, health care system, schools, crime
-Different proposals of presidential candidates