Here are two important articles published today on the dangers of immigrants and migrant workers in Israel and Europe:
Letting Go of Gaza, by Shlomo Avineri
As long as Gaza was under Israeli jurisdiction, there was some logic - perhaps even some responsibility - to allow Gaza residents to work in Israel. But Gaza is no longer under Israeli control. It is another country in every way. Of course Israel has an interest in Gaza's economic development and reducing human suffering for its residents, yet there are also job shortages in Jordan and Egypt and we have an interest in ensuring that unemployment there does not lead to extremism. But we all agree this is not our responsibility. Gaza, too, is no longer our responsibility.
After France, by Walter Laqueur (Wall Street Journal-not available without subscription):
Integration of Muslims in Europe has failed so far and multiculturalism is discredited. Even if a greater effort had been made and more money invested, the majority of new immigrants from Islamic countries have no wish to accept Western values and the European way of life. If there has been ghettoization, it happened because they wanted to be among themselves, not because anyone imposed it on them.
Immigration and migrant worker problems in all countries are exacerbated by inept economics, particularly regarding tariff barriers. Let's take the example of the American-Mexican border and agriculture. Farm lobbyists argue that tariffs "protect American farmers" and at the same time hire Mexican workers in American fields. The costs of their workers' social services (particularly education) and the damage they inflict in terms of crime are then born as externalities by the American public. Tariff walls only help certain businessmen at everyone else's expense. I say let the products in as a critical first step to keeping the people out. This is an existential emergency throughout Europe, for exmple, where an increasingly hostile Muslim immigrant population has already taken over growing suburban areas as their populations mushroom. The
French Intifada was a wake-up call to the similar danger throughout the continent.
While blocking all illegal immigration is currently a fantasy, why is there little priority given to screening out dangerous immigrants? Here is a policy, for example, that would slash the crime rate in Mexico overnight. Announce that any Mexican convicted of a felony will be banned from the US for life. Of course this would require a negotiated agreement for American access to a database of Mexican convictions and also a major upgrade in US enforcement. It is a start, however, on the concept of screening prospective immigrants by moral decency. This would protect the host societies and provide an enormous incentive for civility among prospective immigrants.
Here are two must-read articles on the problem of immigrant crime by Heather Mac Donald:
The Illegal-Alien Crime Wave
The Immigrant Gang Plague
