Immigration's benefits
The deeply divisive issues of race and immigration have been forced onto Ireland’s political agenda, and there will be no escaping the debate that will unfold in the run-up to the next general election. It is, in truth, a debate that has been waiting to happen. Immigration has been a remarkable feature of Ireland’s recent economic performance, with tens of thousands of workers from eastern Europe arriving in the country to seek work in Europe’s most dynamic economy.
There are now at least 166,000 migrant workers living in the state, and possibly more than 200,000, with thousands more arriving each month to take jobs that would otherwise not be filled. Ireland’s economy is as close to full employment as it can get, and without the steady influx of migrants growth would stall. The visible effects of immigration can be seen around the country, as Polish shops spring up in even the smallest of towns, foreign registered cars fill the roads and foreign accents start to dominate service industries. Social tension, so far, has been rare. Ireland’s immigrants tend to be hard-working, ambitious and come from cultural and social backgrounds that should ease assimilation.
No comments:
Post a Comment