Blogging from Prague #2

Continuing reflections, as I teach a comparative immigration policy course in the Czech Republic.

In making immigration policy comparisons from one country to the next, it’s not difficult to see similarities with issues that have emerged in the United States. In Germany, where Turks are 16.5% of the immigrant population, perhaps a million undocumented immigrants reside. The undocumented population is used as a source of cheap labor, employed everywhere from cleaning and child care to the construction and food industries.

Interestingly, prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, West Germany was an immigrant receiving country while East Germany was an immigrant sending region. There were migrant workers to the east side, and the largest group of contract workers came from Vietnam.

Unlike the United States, today, the unemployment rates and the rate of poverty among the population of foreign descent greatly exceeds the corresponding numbers of the native population. Children and youth of non-natives are especially affected by the risk of poverty.

While there is concern over ghettoization and the existence of parallel societies for immigrants in Germany, there is recognition that a concentration of immigrants can be regarded positively; this can help immigrants with their orientation and offers collective self-help in a foreign environment. Germany does seem to spend time and money in the integration process for immigrants.

Spain receives more immigrants each year than any other member of the EU. Its emergence as a new immigration center owes much to the changes occurring in the structure of the Spanish economy, including a rapid service sector expansion. Immigration to Spain has taken place against a background of significant demographic change, including a declining birth rate, an aging population, and shrinkage of the average family size.

Like the United States, the immigrant population is predominantly comprised of young people in Spain. In general, they come from two regions: Africa and Latin America. Recently, Eastern Euopean—principally Romanians, Bulgarians, Polish, and Ukrainians, are attracted to Spain.

Spain also has a history of legalization programs for the undocumented population. Regularization programs were enacted in 1985, 1991-92, 1996, 2001, and 2005. The trend was reversed following the economic downturn. But even today, there is an incentive for undocumented immigrants to register with the local authority; by doing so, they gain access to services such as education, health care, and unemployment benefits.

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