Immigration on the Other Side of the Pond: Part II

Bill Hing posted this morning about the Tory push for immigration restrictions in the UK.  As is often the case, we have much to learn from the old country about immigration.  Anil Kalhan has a fascinating post on Dorf on Law on the recent decision by the Garda Síochána, the Irish national police, to ban a Sikh trainee from wearing his turban while on duty . Ireland, which for a long time had been a country of tremendous emigration, has experienced remarkable changes in its migration patterns in recent years, especially as economic growth has created a significant demand for migrant labor. In 1996, Ireland became a country of net immigration for the first time, the last European Union member state to do so. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the road has not been without its bumps — as in other countries, including the United States, increased immigration has led to both anxiety and confusion among some native-born Irish citizens over the pace and extent of change.  Kalhan’s analysis thus is relevant to the national debate over immigration in the United States.

KJ