Effects of Economic Downturn on migrant workers

An article from the front page of the Sacramento Bee on Thursday, January 15, reported that the recent economic downturn is NOT resulting in an increase in the number of migrant workers returning to their home countries. To read the article, please follow the link:

http://www.sacbee.com/341/story/1543628.html

While this article did not provide any hard numbers with respect to changes in immigrant inflow and outflow, I did find an interview with one recently laid off construction worker particularly telling. He said that while not having a job in the U.S. has provided him with fewer reasons to remain in the U.S., he would still rather stay here than return to Mexico because he knows how difficult it will be to try to reenter the U.S. if and when the economy recovers. The article also touched upon a topic we were discussing during last week's class. That is, the overriding obligation many migrants feel towards supporting their families back home. According to the Migration Policy Institute, the amount of money being sent back home to families in central and south America from the U.S. has not faced a significant decline because of the recession. Legal and illegal immigrants are choosing to sacrifice their quality of life and spend less here in the U.S. (where goods may be significantly more expensive than in their home country) rather than allow their families back home to suffer. This makes me question a comment I made last week with regards to the practicality of a migrant worker program in border states. I contended that if workers from Mexico were allowed to enter the U.S. every day to work and the allowed to leave freely, there might be fewer migrants who choose to stay in the U.S. on a permanent basis. While this argument may still be true, the sense of responsibility and promise of a better life in the U.S. seems to be a very compelling reason why many choose to stay in the U.S. for a longer period of time than they might otherwise (especially if work is not guaranteed on a day to day basis).

Finally, the parallels that the author brought up between migration in Europe and North America seemed quite intriguing. I read somewhere else (http://www.alternet.org/immigration/118048/a_better_way_to_end_unauthorized_immigration/) that the EU's approach to full economic integration and more open borders has drastically reduced the number of immigrants who choose to permanently stay in foreign countries for economic reasons and has built greater economic parity among at least Western European countries. This brings back a point brought up in our discussion on Wednesday as to whether it's the U.S.' responsibility to help Mexico and Central American countries bolster their own economies. While I personally believe that the market will work to correct itself (aka free trade is good), the issue of "illegal" immigration might become less of an issue should the U.S. approach the issue of economic integration more from a perspective of lending a helping hand and less so from an "exploitative" perspective (let's face it, we're in love with cheaper foreign goods).