Prospects for Immigration Reform
DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano on November 13, 2009 announced that the Obama administration supported a three-legged comprehensive immigration

DHS: Real ID, Border, Interior
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has a $43 billion budget for FY10. DHS's Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) received $5.4

Health, Unemployment, Census
Health Insurance. The US spends $2.6 trillion a year on health care; private sector employers paid an average $3.50 an hour for their employees'

H-1B, S&E
The H-1B program provides US employers with easy access to foreign workers who have at least a BS degree or equivalent experience and who will be

Canada: Migrant Workers
On December 1, 2008, there were 251,235 temporary foreign workers in Canada, almost double the number in 2003; 192,519 foreigners with temporary work

Mexico: Migrants, Remittances
An August-September 2009 poll of 1,000 Mexicans in Mexico conducted for the Center for Immigration Studies found most respondents agreeing that

Obama, E-Verify, Future Flows
Meeting with the Mexican and Canadian presidents in Guadalajara, Mexico on August 10, 2009, President Obama said that comprehensive immigration

DHS: Border, Interior, Services
The number of unauthorized foreigners in the US fell from 12.5 million in summer 2007 to 10.8 million in early 2009, according to an analysis of

Unemployment, H-1B
The federal minimum wage rose from $6.55 to $7.25 an hour on July 24, 2009. About 2.2 million workers were paid the federal minimum wage in 2008;

Health Care: Unauthorized
The US spends over $2 trillion a year on health care, but 46 million US residents lack coverage during a typical year. High and rising costs and

Mexico: Migrants, Remittances, 3x1
Almost 12 million Mexican-born residents live in the US, including some seven million who are unauthorized. Mexico has 110 million residents in

Canada: Migrants, Visas, Asylum
Canada issued 192,519 visas to temporary foreign workers in 2008, up from 113,000 in 2004. Newly arrived migrants included 25,063 farm workers, up

Latin America
CARICOM. CARICOM is a 15-member organization of Caribbean states that promotes free trade and migration. There are significant wage gaps between

Obama: Immigration Reform?
President Obama met with 30 Congressional leaders June 25, 2009 to begin "an honest discussion about the issues" involved in comprehensive

DHS: Border, Interior, Services
Border. DHS in May 2009 announced that it would resume construction of a "virtual fence" on the Mexico-US border. The keystone of the deterrence

Unemployment, H-1B, Education
The US unemployment rate rose to 9.5 percent in June 2009. Almost 15 million workers were jobless as the economy entered its 20th month in recession.

Unauthorized, Census
The Pew Hispanic Center reported that the number of unauthorized foreigners rose from 3.5 million in 1990 to 11.9 million in 2008, including 8.3

Mexico: Migration, Economy
There were 12.7 million Mexican-born US residents in 2008; a third of the almost 39 million US immigrants were Mexicans. Over half of the Mexicans

Canada: Border, TFWPs
Canada has high levels of immigration and public opinion that is satisfied that immigrants contribute economically to Canada. However, a January

Latin America
CARICOM. The 15-member Caribbean Community's Single Market and Economy treaty, which went into effect January 1, 2006, aims to promote free trade and

Obama, Congress, Stimulus
President Obama, during a March 18, 2009 appearance in Southern California, repeated earlier endorsements of comprehensive immigration reform. Obama

DHS: Border, ICE, USCIS
Governor Janet Napolitano (D-AZ) was confirmed as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in January 2009. Napolitano said that "it has

Labor: Recession, H-1B
The US unemployment rate climbed to 8.5 percent in March 2009, as job losses in the recession that began in December 2007 topped five million. The

Foreign Born: People, Workers, Unauthorized
People. The American Community Survey (www.census.gov/acs/www) estimated there were 38.1 million foreign-born US residents in 2007; 12.6 percent of the US population.

Mexico: Remittances, NAFTA, Drugs
Remittances to Mexico fell to $25 billion in 2008 from $26 billion in 2007, according to the Bank of Mexico, and the drop accelerated in 2009. Remittances were $9 billion in 2001, and increased with a rising number of migrants in the US and more remittances flowing through formal banking channels.

Canada: Alberta, Migrants
Canada's population reached 33.5 million at the end of 2008. Canada plans to admit 240,000 to 265,000 immigrants in 2009, but may reduce the target if the economy worsens.

Latin America: Population
Over half of the 575 million residents of Latin America are in the region's two population giants, Brazil, with 195 million people, and Mexico, with 108 million.

Obama, Napolitano, States
Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) was elected president on November 4, 2008. Immigration is not likely to be among the first issues to be tackled by the

DHS: No-Match, E-Verify, Sanctions
Outgoing Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff in December 2008 asserted that DHS had begun to "reverse the tide of illegal

Labor, H-1B, Census
The US unemployment rate rose to 7.2 percent in December 2008, the highest rate since 1994, as payroll employment shrank by almost 20,000 jobs per

Canada: Immigration, Migrants
Canada admitted 236,758 permanent resident immigrants and 115,470 temporary foreign workers in 2007. The Philippines was the number-one source of

Mexico: Migrants, NAFTA, Drugs
Many Mexican migrants left the US in Fall 2008, including many who lost their US jobs. Some suggested that the return to Mexico would become

Latin America
Latin America, with 575 million people and a $3.5 trillion economy, should be the focus of renewed US attention, according to a November 2008

Candidates, E-Verify, Visas
Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Barack Obama (D-IL) have supported "comprehensive immigration reform," which means coupling more enforcement with a

ICE: Agriprocessors, No-Match
In FY07, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency arrested 4,940 migrants in workplace raids and made 863 criminal arrests. In FY08, ICE

Unauthorized, Population, States and Cities
Unauthorized. The US Department of Homeland Security in September 2008 estimated there were 11.8 million unauthorized foreigners in the US in January

H Programs, PERM, Labor
H-1B. DHS on April 4, 2008 issued an "emergency rule" to lengthen Optional Practical Training (OPT) for foreign graduates of US universities from 12

Canada: Migrants, Experience, Roma
Western Canada is booming as construction linked to the 2010 winter Olympics in Vancouver and the extraction of oil from the tar sands of Alberta

Mexico: Migration, Remittances, Economy
Mexico's National Population Council (Conapo) in August 2008 reported that 11.8 million Mexican-born persons lived in the US and that their number

Dominican Republic, Brazil
Dominican Republic. The constitution of the Dominican Republic offers jus soli citizenship— those born on Dominican Republic soil can become

Congress, Voter IDs, Pope
Immigration divides both the Democrats and the Republicans. Most Congressional Democrats back comprehensive immigration reform with a path to

DHS: Interior Enforcement
In the spring of 2008, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency stepped up workplace raids and arrests of fugitive aliens -- foreigners who

States and Cities, Population
On May 1, 2008, there were pro-immigration reform rallies around the United States. The number of demonstrators was much smaller than in previous

Hispanic Workers, Obama, Projections
Hispanic Workers. The New York Times reported that Hispanic immigrants have been especially hard-hit by the US economic slowdown. Between the

Canada: Immigration, Students
A backlog of 925,000 foreigners is waiting to immigrate to Canada, and climbing at a rate that suggests a backlog of 1.5 million by 2012. Bill

Mexico: Migrants, Remittances, NAFTA
Remittances. Remittances to Mexico have been climbing since the mid-1990s. However, they declined at the beginning of 2008, reflecting layoffs in

Latin America
The number of foreigners living in Chile tripled from less than 100,000 to almost 300,000 between 1999 and 2008. Most of the newcomers are

Candidates, Congress, Polls
The presumptive major party presidential candidates, John McCain, Hillary Clinton, and Barak Obama, have proposed or endorsed comprehensive

DHS: Border, Interior, Services
The number of immigrants "admitted" to the United States fell from almost 1.3 million in FY06 to just over a million in FY07. Most of these

Real ID, States and Cities
Real ID. Before the September 11, 2001 hijackings, 18 of the 19 terrorists had obtained, legitimately or by fraud, IDs such as driver's licenses

Labor, H-1B
The US unemployment rate jumped to five percent in December 2007, when almost 20 percent of the unemployed were jobless at least 27 weeks, and rose

Canada: Immigration, Migrants
Immigration. Canada admitted 251,649 permanent residents in 2006, including over half selected via a point system that grants points for knowledge of

Mexico: Migrants, Remittances, NAFTA
Mexican President Felipe Calderon complained in January 2008 about the way that especially Republican presidential candidates competed to be "the

Congress: DREAM, Candidates
With the failure of comprehensive immigration reform in the Senate in June 2007, several incremental reforms dealing with particular groups of

DHS: No-Match, Border, Interior, Services
Michael Chertoff, Department of Homeland Security Secretary, in December 2007 urged states to comply with the Real ID Act and issue driver's

Unauthorized, States, Education
The Center for Immigration Studies estimated that there were 37.9 million foreign-born US residents in March 2007, including 11.3 million or 30

H-1B, Labor, Trade
The 23 million foreign-born workers were 15.3 percent of the 150 million-strong US labor force in 2006 (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/forbrn.nr0.htm).

Canada: Migrants, Quebec
Canada's Foreign Workers Program admitted 172,000 migrants in 2006, double the number admitted in 1996. Employers can get expedited processing of

Mexico: Remittances, Returns
Remittances to Mexico rose from $6.6 billion to $24 billion between 2000 and 2006, but stabilized in 2007. Much of the reported increase between

Latin America
Cuba. Some 11,487 Cubans arrived in the US via Mexico in FY07, double the number who arrived via this so-called "dusty foot" path in FY05. In FY07,

DHS: No-Match Enforcement
On August 10, 2007, the Department of Homeland Security announced 26 measures to discourage illegal immigration, including enlisting the Social

DHS: Border, Interior, Services
Border. SBInet, a system of cameras, radar and unmanned aerial vehicles aimed at monitoring the Mexico-US border, has not met expectations, according

Congress: Incremental Reform, Trafficking
Comprehensive immigration reform stalled in the Senate in June 2007, when opponents of legalization or amnesty were able to block consideration of a

H-1B, Labor, Trade
DHS reported that 821,006 temporary foreign workers were admitted in FY06, up from 726,535 in FY05; these data double-count individuals admitted

Population, States and Cities, Integration
The Department of Homeland Security estimated that there were 11.6 million unauthorized foreigners in the US in January 2006, including 6.6 million

Canada: Immigrants, Sanctions, Refugees
Immigrants have a harder time finding jobs in Quebec than in other provinces. The unemployment rate for the foreign-born was 9.2 percent in 2006 in

Mexico: Remittances, NAFTA, Taxes
Mexican President Felipe Calder¢n used the occasion of his September 1, 2007 Informe (State of the Union address) to criticize DHS's announcement of

Cuba, Costa Rica, Ecuador
The Wall Street Journal on July 23, 2007 reported that the Coast Guard is using tougher tactics to stop boats smuggling Cubans to the US. President

Senate: Immigration Reform Stalls
The Senate debated the 761-page Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 (S1348) in May and early June. The bill stalled on June 7, 2007 when a

DHS, Passports, Asylum
The Pew Hispanic Center released a report in May 2007 that suggested the influx of Mexican-born migrants may be slowing. Demographer Jeff Passel

States: Ordinances, Population
State Laws, City Ordinances. Over 1,100 immigration-related bills were submitted in state legislatures in 2007, double the 2006 total. These state

H-1B, Labor, Trade
US employers may employ H-1B foreign professionals with minimal government oversight. The admission process begins with an employer filing a Labor

Canada: Immigrants, Guest Workers
Canada accepts about 250,000 immigrants a year. Immigration accounts for about two-thirds of Canada's population growth, compared to 45 percent in

Mexico: Remittances, Jobs, Economy
Mexican President Felipe Calderon, said the US Senate made a "grave error" on June 28, 2007 by rejecting immigration reform. He said: "The U.S.

Latin America: Remittances, TPS, Gangs
Remittances. The Inter-American Development Bank estimated that remittances to Latin America were $62.3 billion in 2006, up from $50 billion in 2005.

Congress: Reform Bills
Senate. The Senate Judiciary Committee took up immigration reform on February 28, 2007. Bush administration officials endorsed an expanded guest

DHS: Border, Interior
Border. The New York Times reported on February 21, 2007 that migrants were being deterred from entering the US along the Arizona-Mexico border.

States, Real ID
The Internal Revenue Service issued 1.5 million Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers in 2006, up from 1.2 million in 2005. ITINs, nine-digit

H-1B, Education, Trade
Economist Paul Samuelson was quoted in Business Week Online on February 27, 2007 explaining that the major economic impacts of immigration are

Mexico: Migrants, Emigration, Economy
President Bush visited Mexico in mid-March 2007. At their meeting, Mexican President Felipe Calder¢n denounced the border fence approved by Congress

Canada: Trade, Integration, Caregivers
Trade between Canada, Mexico and the US totaled $880 billion in 2006. The presidents of the three NAFTA countries are to meet later in 2007 to

Latin America
The Inter-American Development Bank reported that remittances to Latin America topped $62 billion in 2006, including $23 billion to Mexico, $7

Elections, Voters, Arizona
Democrats won control of both houses of Congress in November 2006 elections, raising expectations for immigration reform. With most Democrats and

DHS: CBP, ICE, USCIS, States
CBP. On November 2, 2006, DHS announced a plan to screen all people who enter and leave the United States, creating a terrorism risk profile of each

Labor, H-1B, Trade
The US unemployment rate hit a five-year low of 4.4 percent in October 2006, as the service sector added jobs; the rate was 4.5 percent in November

Population, Students, Health
The US population surpassed 300 million in October 2006. In 1880, the US had 50 million residents. In 1915, the US had 100 million and in 1967, 200

Mexico: Jobs, Politics, NAFTA
Mexican President Felipe Calderon of the National Action Party (PAN) took office on December 1, 2006, promising to be Mexico's "jobs president."

Canada: Immigration, Migrants
Canada received 262,236 immigrants in 2005, including 44,000 Chinese and 33,000 Indians; the target for 2006 is 225,000 to 255,000, and for 2007

Latin America: Remittances, Asylum, Trade
The Inter-American Development Bank in October 2006 predicted that remittances from the United States to Latin America will surpass $45 billion in

Congress: Senate, House, CBO
There were many House and a few Senate hearings on immigration reform in summer 2006, with most of the witnesses endorsing the House (HR 4437) over

DHS: CBP, ICE, USCIS
CBP. On July 27, 2006, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced plans to fingerprint the 12 million legal immigrants with green cards each time

Population, Hispanics, Labor Force
In October 2006, the US population reached 300 million; the US had a population of 200 million in 1967 and 100 million in 1915. Demographers expect

Mexico: HTAs, Fertility, Labor
About 12 million Mexicans, 10 percent of the 120 million living persons born in Mexico, are now in the US, half illegally. Some researchers suggest

Canada: Border, Migrants
The 5,500 mile Canada-US border (3,145 miles with lower 49 states and a third with Alaska) is often described as the longest undefended border in the

Latin America
More Central American children are attempting to migrate to the US on their own: 6,460 were apprehended at the Mexico-US border in 2005, and Mexico

Senate Approves CIRA
The Senate approved the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act (S2611) on a 62-36 vote on May 25, 2006. CIRA deals with border enforcement in Title 1,

DHS: ICE, CBP, USCIS
ICE. The GAO testified on June 21, 2005 that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has made worksite enforcement a "low priority," reducing the

Demonstrations, Polls, States
May 1, 2006 was billed as "A Day Without Immigrants" or the Great American Boycott of 2006. Perhaps a million immigrants and their supporters

Immigrants and Wages, H-1B, Nurses
About 15 percent of the 150 million strong US labor force are immigrants, including five percent who are unauthorized. About 20 percent of US

Census, Students, Poverty
The US population is on track to surpass 300 million in October 2006. In 1967, when the US population reached 200 million, there were fewer than 10

Mexico, Canada
Mexican Migrants. Mexican President Vicente Fox, visiting Sacramento on May 25, 2006, called the CIRA approved by the US Senate a ''monumental step

Latin America
A smuggler, Narciso Ram¡rez (also known as Don Chicho), was elected mayor of the municipality of San Francisco Menendez near the Salvadoran border

Senate: No Agreement, Polls
The Senate debated immigration reform in March-April 2006, but had not approved a bill when the sessions recessed on April 7. There appeared to be

12 Million Unauthorized, Jobs
The Pew Hispanic Center released a report in March 2006 estimating the number of unauthorized foreigners at 11.1 million in 2005, and 11.5 and 12

USCIS, ICE, CBP
In his January 31, 2006 State of the Union speech, President Bush said: "Keeping America competitive requires an immigration system that upholds our

Population, Students
The US population, 298 million in January 2006, is expected to reach 300 million in October 2006. At current rates of growth, the US population will

H-1B, Day Labor, Wal-Mart
Some 65,000 H-1B visas a year are available to foreigners with at least a BA coming to the US to fill a job that requires at least a BA, and an

Mexico: Fence, Politics, Economics
"El muro," the proposal to build an additional 700 miles of fencing on the Mexico-US border, was a major subject of talk among Latin American

Canada: Unauthorized, Asylum
Immigration Minister Monte Solberg in March 2006 said that Canada does not plan to give the 200,000 unauthorized foreigners, including up to 15,000

Latin America
Most Latin American countries had import substitution policies during the 1960s that brought respectable growth, but this economic model failed in

ICE: Worksite Enforcement
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff in December 2005 announced that the Internet-based Basic Pilot employment verification program

Bush and Congress: Action?
President Bush, in signing the $32 billion DHS's FY06 appropriation, said that unauthorized foreigners in the US must be caught and removed, but also

Mexican Workers, H-1B, Wal-Mart
US employment rose by two million in 2005 to 143 million, making job growth in 2005 about the same as 2004. The unemployment rate averaged 5.1

California, Students
The Center for the Continuing Study of the California Economy released a report in December 2005 that concluded immigration imposes net fiscal costs

Mexico: Migrants, HTAs, Politics
President Vincente Fox toured the Mexico-US border in December 2005 to welcome home returning Mexicans; an estimated 10 percent of the 11 million

Latin America: Migrants, Trade, Retirees
Remittances to Latin America topped $52 billion in 2005, up from $45 billion in 2004. 25 million persons from Latin America and the Caribbean are

Congress: Bills, Emergencies
Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ) introduced the Comprehensive Enforcement and Immigration Reform Act of 2005 in July 2005. It would

DHS: CBP, ICE, USCIS
The Department of Homeland Security is creating a policy office headed by undersecretary Stewart A. Baker to develop a comprehensive strategy for

Census: Population, Poverty, Immigrants
Between April 2000 and July 2004, the US population rose from 281 million to 294 million, including 198 million whites, 41 million Hispanics, 39

Day Labor, H-1B, Students
The US economy lost 35,000 jobs in September 2005 and the unemployment rate rose to 5.1 percent, reflecting in part the impacts of Hurricane Katrina.

Unions: AFL-CIO
Four unions representing a third of the AFL-CIO's 13 million members, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (1.4 million members), United Food

Mexico: Polls, Fox, Economy
Mexico-US migration pressure remains strong. The Pew Hispanic Center released surveys in August 2005 reporting that 40 percent of Mexican adults say

Canada: Polls, Borders
According to an August 2005 opinion poll, two-thirds of Canadians want immigrants to integrate rather than maintain their ethnic identity and

Cafta, Ecuador, Caribbean
Cafta. The House approved the Central American Free Trade Agreement on a 217-215 vote in June 2005, following the Senate's 54-45 approval, after

DHS: Enforcement, Asylum
The 10.3 million unauthorized foreigners in the US reported in the March 2004 Current Population Survey were almost four percent of the 293 million

Congress: Real ID, Guest Workers
The Real ID Act of 2005, which would establish national standards for drivers licenses, was signed into law in May 2005. Under Real ID, states must

States, Census, Health
California/Los Angeles. California added 539,000 residents in 2004, bringing its population to 36.8 million. Immigration is slowing, and so is

Labor, H-Visas, Mobility
In April 2005, the US added 274,000 jobs, keeping the unemployment rate at 5.2 percent as the economy created almost 10,000 net new jobs a day. In

Mexico: Legalization, Brazilians, Economy
Mexican President Fox continues to campaign to improve the rights of Mexicans in the US, but his efforts sometimes boomerang. In May 2005, while

Canada: Brain Waste
Brain Waste. Canada uses a point system to select immigrants likely to contribute economically to Canada, ensuring that most newcomers are young,

Latin America: Remittances, Cafta
Latin American nations received $46 billion of the $100 billion in remittances to developing countries in 2004, including $16.6 billion to Mexico;

Unauthorized, Immigration Agencies
Demographer Jeff Passel estimated that there were 10.3 million unauthorized foreigners in the US in March 2004, up from 8.4 million in 2000,

Bush: Unauthorized, Guest Workers
President Bush in January 2005 urged Congress to enact immigration reforms: "whether or not you agree with the solution or not, we have a problem in

Congress, States
When the 109th Congress convened, the Republican chairs of the committees dealing with immigration announced their opposition to "amnesty."

Mexico: Migrants, Mexicans in US, Economy
The Mexican government published a 31-page "Guide for the Mexican Migrant" in January 2005 that advises Mexicans how to enter the United States

Jobs, Social Security
The US economy added 2.2 million jobs in 2004, the most since 1999, and average hourly earnings were almost $16. The unemployment rate remained at

H-Work Visas, Students
In order for US employers to get immigrant visas or green cards for workers, they must prove that qualified US workers are not available, a process

Canada: Ministers, Integration
Immigration minister Judy Sgro resigned in January 2005 after Indian immigrant Harjit Singh alleged that she promised him asylum in Canada in

Latin America
The Inter-American Development Bank estimated that remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean were $45.8 billion in 2004, exceeding foreign

Border, Sanctions, TPS
Border. The Border Patrol reported 1,159,802 apprehensions on the Mexico-US border in FY04, up from 931,557 in FY03 and 955,310 in FY02. Each person

Bush, Congress, States
After his re-election in November 2004, President Bush promised to pursue an aggressive "ownership society" agenda of Social Security privatization,

Mexico: Legalization, Labor
President Vicente Fox congratulated Bush on his re-election and invited him to work for "an integral migratory agreement that will permit migration

H-1B, Outsourcing
The L-1 Visa and H-1B Visa Reform Act of 2004 raised the annual limit on H-1B visas beginning in March 2005 by exempting up to 20,000 foreigners with

Foreign Students, J-1s
US dominance of international higher education may be eroding, as universities in English-speaking countries such as Britain, Australia, Canada, and

Labor, Temps, $17 an Hour
US employment increased by 1.6 million between November 2003 and November 2004, but the discrepancy in the findings of the household and payroll

Canada: Immigration, Nafta
Canada admitted 221,000 permanent immigrants in 2004; the 2005 target is 220,000 to 245,000. Many of the newcomers have a difficult time getting

Latin America
President Bush in mid-July 2004 condemned human trafficking at the first US Department of Justice conference on trafficking in forced labor, saying

USCIS, ICE, CBP
Expedited Removal. The Department of Homeland Security in August 2004 announced that the 11,100 Border Patrol agents will be able to remove

Congress: 9-11 Report, Platforms
The bipartisan commission that investigated the September 11, 2001 attacks reported that all of the hijackers broke U.S. immigration laws, and some

Labor, H-1B, Census, Health
US payroll employment peaked at 132.5 million in March 2001, and was 131 million in summer 2004. About eight million Americans or 5.4 percent were

Canada: 225,000 Immigrants
Canada plans to admit 225,000 immigrants in 2005, including 60 percent skilled workers and their families and 40 percent family unification and

Mexico: Social Security, Migration, Economy
President Vicente Fox provided an upbeat picture of economic improvement in the annual state-of-the-nation address (informe) on September 1, 2004.

Latin America: Remittances, Crime, Economy
Remittances. The Inter-American Development Bank projected that some $30 billion may be remitted to Latin America in 2004, up sharply from $23

Border, Interior, Visas
Border. Apprehensions of Mexicans just inside the US border totaled 1.1 million in FY03, and are on track to top 1.2 million in FY04; there were

Congress: AgJOBS, Dream, Solve
The Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act (AgJOBS) was not attached to must-pass bills in the Senate in July 2004. Supporters

Integration, Sierra Club, States
In 2002, the US had 32.5 million foreign-born residents, including 52 percent from Latin America (30 percent from Mexico), 26 percent from Asia, and

Mexico: Migration, Remittances
About 10 percent of the 115 million persons born in Mexico have migrated to the US, and Mexicans continue to settle in the US at the rate of about

Canada: Professionals, Politics
Almost two-thirds of the professionals arriving in Canada under the point system are engineers, but many cannot get licenses to work as engineers.

Labor, H-1B
US employment growth accelerated in spring 2004, and the unemployment rate was stable at 5.6 percent in April, May and June 2004; employment rose at

Latin America
Latin American countries are expected to receive $30 billion in remittances in 2004, mostly in transactions that range from $200 to $400. A survey

Bush and Guest Workers
President Bush's proposal to allow US employers to legalize their unauthorized workers, and to easily obtain additional foreign workers, generated

Border, Services
The US government continues to step up controls on the Arizona-Mexico border, the scene of increased migrant smuggling and violence. The Border

Census, Welfare, California, New York City
The US Census Bureau released new projections that foresee the number of US residents rising from 282 million in 2000 to 420 million in 2050. In

Labor: Outsourcing H-1B, L-1
The US had an eight-month recession between March and November 2001, but there has been little employment growth despite resumed economic growth.

Labor: H-1B, H-2B, L-1
There is an annual limit of 65,000 H-1B visas (those issued to foreigners on behalf of universities and nonprofit organizations are exempt), and it

Mexico: Returns, Politics, Death Row
In February 2004, Mexico and the US agreed that Mexicans apprehended in the US just inside the border could volunteer to be returned to their

Latin America
The Inter-American Development Bank reported that remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean totaled $38 billion in 2003, up from $32 billion in

Bush: Legalization, AgJOBS
President Bush on January 7, 2004 unveiled a program that would permit the six to eight million unauthorized foreigners in the US with jobs to become

DHS-ICE: Sanctions, Registration
On October 23, 2003, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested 250 illegal migrants who worked as janitors for outside contractors at 60

DHS: Border, Visas
The DHS has three bureaus responsible for immigration: Customs and Border Protection (http://www.cbp.gov), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Nafta at 10
The North American Free Trade Agreement was 10 years old on January 1, 2004. In the early 1990s, Nafta was controversial in the US, with presidential candidate Ross Perot asserting there would be a "giant sucking sound" of jobs leaving the US for Mexico.

Mexico: Migrants, Politics, Remittances
Mexican leaders continued to press the US for a migration agreement that would legalize some unauthorized Mexicans, open new guest worker channels

H-1B, Labor, Education
The US unemployment rate was six percent in October 2003, 5.9 percent in November 2003, and 5.7 percent in December 2003, as the labor force shrank

Canada: Immigration, Unauthorized
Canada admitted 229,091 immigrants in 2002, down from 250,484 in 2001; the leading countries of origin were China, India, Pakistan and the

Foreign-Born, Licenses
The US had 291 million residents on July 1, 2003, and is projected to have 300 million by 2007. Nevada was the fastest-growing state in 2002-03,

Latin America: Trade, Remittances
President Bush traveled to Mexico in January 2004 to meet with leaders of 34 Western Hemisphere countries, and many commentators noted that many

Latin America
El Salvador. The US DHS in July 2003 announced that 290,000 Salvadorans in the US granted TPS after two earthquakes in January and February 2001

Canada: Immigration
Canada had 229,058 immigrants in 2002, down from 250,484 in 2001 and 227,346 in 2000. China is the number one source of immigrants to Canada.

Poverty, Welfare, Labor
The number of poor Americans rose in 2002 to 34.6 million or 12.1 percent of US residents; the poverty rate among blacks was 24.1 percent. The

Mexico: Legalization, Elections, IDs
Mexican officials continue to call for the legalization of the unauthorized presence of Mexicans without visas in the US. Interior Minister

H-1B, L-1 Visas
There were 197,537 H-1B admissions in FY02, but not all of these admissions counted against the 195,000 annual ceiling on people coming in with

Polls, States
A July 13-27, 2003 New York Times/CBS News poll found foreign-born Hispanics optimistic about their future: 70 percent say they identify more

Congress: AgJOBS, Guest Workers
The Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act of 2003 (S 1645 and HR 3142), co-sponsored by US Senators Edward Kennedy, (D-MA) and

BCIS, BCBP, BICE
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) combined 22 federal agencies and 170,000 employees in an agency with a $36 billion a year budget, the

DHS: 9/11 Aftermath, Visas
The Department of Homeland Security's Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (BCBP), headed by commissioner Robert C. Bonner, brings together the Customs Service

Sanctions, Border, Refugees
There are five to six million unauthorized foreigners among the 15 to 16 million foreign-born workers in the US labor force.

Congress: Legalization, Naturalization
The House Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Claims is being chaired by John Hostettler (R-Indiana); the Senate Immigration Subcommittee by Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia).

Census, Licenses, Education
The Census report of the 2000 population, 281.4 million, was 1.3 million too high, not three million too low, as reported previously.

Mexico: Migrants, Babies, Labor
Mexico has legislative elections on July 6, 2003, and President Vicente Fox's National Action Party (PAN) is expected to lose seats in the 500-seat Chamber of Deputes

Labor, H-1B, L-1, H-2B, Unions
The US unemployment rate was six percent in April 2003; California's rate was 6.7 percent.

Latin America
Under the so-called "wet-foot, dry-foot" policy, Cubans who reach US land are allowed to stay as immigrants, while those intercepted at sea are returned to Cuba.

Labor, H-1B, Education
The US unemployment rate was six percent in December 2002, 5.7 percent in January 2003, and 5.8 percent in February.

Mexico: Migration, Border, Economy
Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda resigned in January 2003 and was replaced by Economy Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez.

Refugees, Education, Health
The US target for resettling refugees- persons outside their country who face persecution at home -was 70,000 a year for most of the 1990s

INS: Seven Million Unauthorized
The INS estimated there were seven million unauthorized foreigners in the US in January 2000, twice the 3.5 million estimate for 1990.

Sanctions: Tyson Acquitted, Airports
After a seven-week trial, Tyson Foods and several managers of poultry processing plants were acquitted in March 2003 of charges that they conspired

DHS-INS: Registration, Border
The Immigration and Naturalization Service went out of business on March 1, 2003. Its functions were moved to the Department of Homeland Security

Latin America: Remittances, Haitians
In 2002, remittances to Latin America rose by 18 percent to $32 billion from 2001 levels, according to the Inter-American Development Bank

Canada: 18 Percent Immigrants
Canada released 2001 Census data that showed that 5.4 million residents, 18.4 percent of 29.6 million, were born outside Canada

Canada: Immigration, Asylum and US
Canada admitted 250,346 immigrants in 2001, 53 percent from Asia and the Pacific, including 16 percent from China

INS: Registration, Border, Polls
The INS, formerly in the Department of Justice, was moved (along with 21 other federal agencies) to the new 170,000-employee Department of Homeland Security (http://www.dhs.gov).

Labor: Certification, H-1B
The US unemployment rate was six percent in November 2002-- 8.5 million workers were jobless and 134 million were employed.

Mexico: Ag, Remittances, Social Security
The Mexican government has turned a novel written by Enrique Romero Moreno, a former protection officer at the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles

Mexico: Nafta and Migration
The North American Free Trade Agreement has been in effect eight years, but "Nafta at 10" conferences are being held to reflect the Fall 2002 date

Haiti, Mercosur, Chile
Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, is led by President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who was returned to power with US military support

INS to DHS, Interior, Students
The INS and 21 other agencies will become part of a new Department of Homeland Security in the largest government reorganization since the Defense

Mexico: Bush, IDs, Remittances
President George W. Bush, in Mexico for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in October 2002, said: "The long-term answer for the

Labor: Unemployment, Unions
The US unemployment rate rose to 5.7 percent in October 2002, continuing the so-called "jobless recovery;" the number of private sector jobs fell

Sweatshops, Health
Bread and Roses, the cultural arm of Local 1199 of the Service Employees International Union in New York City, gave cameras to immigrant workers

Politics, Schools, Georgia
Americans went to the polls on November 5, 2002, and elected a Republican Congress. Voters in Massachusetts (Question 2) ended bilingual

Canada: Immigration, Border
Canada's immigration targets for 2003 were increased by only 5,000 despite some employers' calls for increased immigration to ease a shortage of

Latin America
About 20 million people born in Latin America and the Caribbean live outside their country of birth, usually in the US or Canada, according to a

INS: Removals, Border, Visas
Outgoing INS Commissioner James Ziglar, in an October 2002 speech, said that the United States "needs to find a way" to satisfy growing labor

Congress, Integration
245(i). Congress abandoned efforts to approve 245(i), which allows foreigners in the US illegally when their immigration visas become available to

Labor: H-2B, H-1B
The US unemployment rate was 5.6 percent in September 2002; California's rate was 6.3 percent, but job growth has slowed- California had fewer

Canada: Skilled Immigrants, Economy
Denis Coderre, the federal Immigration Minister, proposed that skilled immigrants could win points and improve their chances of entering Canada if

Mexico: Bush-Fox, Economy
A great deal has changed in the past year in Mexican-US relations. On September 5, 2001, President Bush said: "the United States has no more

Latin America
In six Latin American countries-- Haiti, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Jamaica, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic--remittances were 10 percent or more

9-11: One Year Later
Public opinion polls taken around the time of the anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attack showed continued patriotism and support for the

INS: Border, Refugees, Visas
The INS reported 1,064,318 immigrants in FY01 (October 2000 to September 2001), up from 849,807 in FY00. Some 61 percent of the 2001 immigrants,

BASIC&SEC={C90385BE-27F1-4E75-98F1-450DD3608069})
A Zogby poll found that 77 percent of respondents believe the US government is not doing enough to control the border, and 56 percent said amnesty

Labor: Unemployment, H-1Bs
The US unemployment rate fell to 5.7 percent in August 2002, as employment rose by 39,000 to 134 million. Average hourly earnings were $14.82,

Income, Education, Politics
The 2000 Census reported that 13 million immigrants arrived in the 1990s, and 73 million US residents moved across state lines between 1990 and

Canada: Population and Immigration
Canada's population was 31.4 million in July 2002, but fertility is only 1.5, and the populations of many rural areas are declining. Most

Mexico: Fox, Economy
President Vicente Fox, who has been in office since December 2000, used his September 1, 2002 Informe speech to call for more cooperation between

Latin America
An estimated $18 billion in remittances was sent to Latin America and the Caribbean in 2001 from migrants in the US, with another $5 billion

Security: Hearings, Detention, Visas
In September 2001, the nation's 220 immigration judges were ordered to hear 600 "special interest" cases in closed courtrooms: "no visitors, no

INS: Border, Exit-Entry
James Ziglar, the 25th INS Commissioner, announced his resignation in August 2002; he agreed to remain at the INS until the agency is absorbed

Labor: Hispanics, H-1B
The US unemployment rate was stable at 5.9 percent in July 2002, but job growth was very slow; employment rose by only 6,000, compared to 66,000

Canada: Immigration, Integration
Canada had 250,346 immigrants in 2001, up from 227,327 in 2000. In 2001, 61 percent of Canada's immigrants were economic immigrants (including

Mexico: Fox, Migrants, Remittances
Fox. Texas executed a Mexican citizen convicted of killing a US policeman in August 2002. Mexican President Fox had asked that he not be

Bilingual Education, Welfare
Bilingual Education. The number of K-12 pupils with limited English proficiency doubled in the 1990s to five million, but the number of qualified

Latin America
El Salvador. El Salvador is one of the countries most dependent on remittances, which were 14 percent of gross domestic product in 2001. Paraiso

Homeland Security, Legalization, Visas
Congress in July 2002 worked on its third major piece of legislation in response to September 11 terrorism, the creation of a cabinet-level

INS: Border, Naturalization
The INS in FY02 has 34,442 employees and a $5.5 billion budget. Between October 2001 and May 31, 2002, the Border Patrol apprehended

Labor: Social Security, Projections
The US unemployment rate was 5.9 percent in June 2002. California's rate was 6.4 percent; California payrolls increased by only 3,600 jobs in the

H-1Bs, Foreign Students
H-1B. Unemployment among US IT workers is rising and hourly wages for programmers have fallen since the dot.com slump began in mid-2000. The

Mexico: Clubs, H-Visas, Hernandez
Hometown Clubs. Mexico will hold national elections in 2006, and the race to succeed Vicente Fox has already begun. New to Mexican politics

Canada: Population, Asylum
Pope John Paul II visited Canada in July 2002, and there were many stories of young foreigners wanting to see the Pope denied visas to enter Canada.

Latin America: TPS, Haiti, Crime
TPS. After Hurricane Mitch in 1998 carved a path of destruction through Honduras and Nicaragua, some 105,000 Central American received

Homeland Security, INS
President Bush in June 2002 proposed that the INS be included in a new cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security that would also contain the

Welfare, Labor, H-1B
The Million Voices for Legalization campaign was launched by labor unions, religious groups and community organizations on May 15, 2002 to send one

Census, California, New York
Census 2000 income and poverty data for smaller areas were released in June 2002, and they found that inequality increased- the gains of the 1990s

Canada: New IDs, Terrorism
Beginning June 28, 2002, landed immigrants in Canada will be issued new wallet-sized Maple Leaf cards, replacing the easily forged IMM1000 paper

Mexico: Migration, Labor
Mexican President Vicente Fox in June 2002 said: "The negotiations over immigration are moving forward and we hope they will progress much more

Latin America
The US Census in 2000 found 139,000 Colombians in Florida, including 70,000 in Miami-Dade County, 30,000 in Broward and about 14,000 in Central

INS: EBSVERA, Visas, Border
The Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act (EBSVERA) of 2001 was signed into law in May 2002. The EBSVERA adds 3,000 immigration

Labor: Social Security, H-1B
The unemployment rate rose from 5.7 to six percent in April 2002, its highest level since 1994; average weekly earnings were $500. Employment

Politics, California-Census
President Bush is winning the favor of Hispanics. In 2000, Gore received 62 percent of the Hispanic vote in 2000, and Bush received 35 percent: the

Canada: Immigration Up, Border
A March-April 2002 poll found that Canadian satisfaction with the current level of immigration returned to pre-September 11 levels, after dipping

Mexico: Policy, Labor
Policy. Mexican President Fox has so far failed to achieve his major foreign policy initiative, progress toward a borderless North America.

Latin America
The distribution of income in Latin America is sharply unequal. The richest 10 percent of residents receive about 40 percent of the income, and the

INS: Organization, Sanctions
The US House of Representatives on April 25, 2002 voted 405-9 to break the INS into two separate bureaus, one for enforcement and one for services,

Muslims, 245(i), Airports
The US government is seeking to prevent future terrorist acts by interviewing US residents from Middle Eastern countries. Anti-terrorism enforcement

Housing, California
About 67 percent of native-born US heads of households owned their homes in 2000, while 47 percent of immigrant-headed households were homeowners.

Labor, Welfare, Census
The US unemployment rate rose to 5.7 percent in March 2002, and the average hourly earnings of the 131 million employed workers were $14.67.

Canada: Immigration, Asylum
In 2001, 250,386 immigrants settled in Canada, according to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration; by 2011, immigrants are projected to account

Mexico: Legalization, Labor
Mexico has stepped up its campaign to win legal status for some of the four million unauthorized Mexicans in the US. Juan Hernandez, director of the

Latin America
Dominican Republic-Haiti. The Dominican Republic said it reduced the number of visas granted to Haitians from 7,000 to 3,000 a month. The

Bush-Fox, Border, 245(i)
US President George W. Bush met Mexican President Vicente Fox on March 22, 2002 and announced a "smart borders" plan similar to the agreement the US

INS: Reorganize, Police, Sanctions
In an embarrassment for the INS, Huffman Aviation in Venice, Florida was notified in March 2002, six months after the September 11 hijackings, that

Labor: NLRB, H-1B, Sanctions
NLRB. The US Supreme Court in March 2002 ruled that unauthorized workers who are wrongly fired for union organizing are not entitled to back

Canada: Polls, Data
Polls. A February 2002 survey of 1,511 Canadians found that 54 percent of Canadians believe immigration should be reduced, while 26 percent

Mexico: Development Aid, Voting
Mexico hosted the UN International Conference on Financing for Development in March 2002, which concluded with 171 nations signing the "Monterrey

Welfare, Education
A higher percentage of immigrants than US-born residents receive cash welfare in the US, but the difference narrowed in the 1990s, largely because

Latin America
Haitians. The Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center sued the INS on behalf of 240 detained Haitians, arguing that the INS discriminated on the

Enhanced Border Security
President Bush in January 2002 proposed an $11 billion border security budget, up from the current $9 billion. Under the Bush proposal, the INS

INS: Border, Benefits, Sanctions
President Bush requested $6.3 billion for the INS in FY03, a $1.6 billion or 24 percent increase in the INS budget. The Bush proposal includes $380

Labor: H-1B, Investors
The US unemployment rate fell to 5.6 percent in January 2002, down from 5.8 percent in December; California's rate rose to 6.2 percent from 6.1

Mexico: US, Migrants, Politics
Presidents Bush and Fox are scheduled to meet on March 22, 2002 to discuss a new immigration agreement. One expert said that, before September 11,

Foreign-Born, Poverty, Education
Foreign-born. The March 2000 Current Population Survey found that 56 million US residents, 20 percent of all US residents, were born abroad or

Canada: Guest Workers
Guest Workers. In 2000, some 7,300 Mexicans were among the 16,900 foreign farm workers admitted to Canada; the non-Mexicans were from Jamaica,

Latin America
Haiti. Haitians continue to emigrate, with many traveling in boats to the Bahamans and then to Florida. In January 2002, Bahamian authorities

Anti-Terrorism
Federal payments of up to $1.6 million are available to the families of those who died in the September 11 attacks, with a minimum payment of

INS: Border, Sanctions
Border. Apprehensions of unauthorized foreigners along the Mexico-US border fell in January 2002, normally the peak month for apprehensions as

Census, INS: Data
The Census Bureau estimated there were 8.7 million illegal foreigners in the US in 2000, more than twice as many as the 3.8 million in 1990. More

Mexico: Legalization, Returns, Economy
Mexico and the US resumed their migration dialogue in January 2002, as Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda met with U.S. Secretary of State

Labor: UI, NLRB, Welfare
The US unemployment rate rose to 5.8 percent in December 2001, the highest level in six years. As the unemployment rate rose, the social safety net

California, Texas
The University of California Board of Regents in January 2002 agreed that 200 to 400 unauthorized foreigners who spent at least three years in

Canada : Deportation, Points
Elinor Caplan was moved from Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to Minister of Customs and Revenue in a Cabinet reshuffle, and replaced by Denis

Latin America
Dominican Republic. Dominican migrants in the US have ordinarily been blue-collar workers, but a new wave of Dominican migrants with college

Terrorism, IDs, Saudis
The INS announced in December 2001 that the names of 314,000 foreigners ordered out of the US would be added to the National Crime Information

INS: Tyson, Airports, Detention
Tyson Foods Inc., one of the world's largest poultry processors, was indicted December 19, 2001, charged with 36 counts of recruiting illegal workers

Labor, H-1Bs, Unions
The US unemployment rate rose to 5.7 percent in November 2001; the Hispanic rate rose to 7.6 percent. Employment shrank by 1.2 million between March

California: Mexican IDs, Welfare
San Francisco became the first US city to officially recognize ID cards issued by Mexican consulates, matricula consular, for applicants seeking city

Mexico: More Migration, Remittances
Mexico's National Population Council released a report in December 2001 that concluded: "Migration between Mexico and the United States is a

Canada: Immigration, Security
In November 2001, Canada approved the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Protection Act of 2001, which makes it easier to detain and deport illegal

Latin America
A 31-foot sailboat carrying 185 Haitians reached Florida after 10 days at sea in early December 2001. The boat left Cap Haitien, Haiti, about 625

Preventing Terrorism
In mid-November 2001, President Bush announced that foreigners charged with terrorism would be tried by special military tribunals, the first in the

INS: Organization, Border, Students
Organization. US Attorney General John Ashcroft in November 2001 announced a "wartime reorganization" of the Justice Department. It included a

Census, Labor, H-1B
Data from the American Community Survey (ACS) were released in November 2001, a year before the release of more detailed data collected from one in

Canada: Border
Citizenship and Immigration Minister Elinor Caplan announced that Canada would accept 210,000 to 235,000 immigrants in 2002 - up from the 200,000 to

California: Education, Housing
In the late 1990s, many states have made it easier for unauthorized foreigners to be treated like other state residents in accessing education,

Mexico: Migration, PRI, Economy
Mexico-US talks on migration resumed on November 20, 2001, with Mexico highlighting the difference between Mexicans in the US to work and terrorists

Latin America
Dominican Republic. American Airlines Flight 587, memorialized in a Dominican song, crashed November 12, 2001 after taking off from New York's

Preventing Terrorism
The combination of an economic downturn and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack has altered the US immigration debate. Before the attacks, the

Census: Eight Million Unauthorized
The Census Bureau estimated that there were seven to eight million foreigners living without authorization in the US in 2000, up from 3.5 million in

Labor: Unemployment
The US unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.9 percent in September 2001. However, the survey was taken during the week of September 11, 2001, and

Canada: New Legislation
Immigration Minister Elinor Caplan said that the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington would not change Canada's immigration and refugee

Mexico: Remittances, Economy
President Vicente Fox said that Mexico would help the United States in its fight against terrorism by providing intelligence information, maintaining

Latin America
Caribbean. The Caribbean Hotel Association, whose members account for 110,000 rooms in 35 nations, reported that only half as many tourists as

Terrorism: September 11, 2001
On September 11, 2001, four commercial planes were hijacked in the US. Using the planes as bombs, the hijackers flew two into the World Trade Center

Fox Visits Bush
Presidents Bush and Fox met in Washington DC on September 5, 2001, and then traveled together to Toledo, Ohio to promote free trade. Immigration was

Congress, INS
After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Congress shifted from debating a new legalization program for unauthorized Mexicans to stepped-up

Labor, H-Visas, Students
Unemployment jumped to 4.9 percent in August 2001 from 4.5 percent in July 2001, as US employers eliminated 100,000 jobs. The US manufacturing sector

Mexico: Borders, Economy
US Border. The INS reported that the number of illegal migrants apprehended in September 2001 trying to enter the U.S. from Mexico fell 40

Canada: Immigration, Guest Workers
Some 252,000 immigrants arrived in Canada between July 2000 and June 2001, the highest total since the Hungarian revolution in 1956, pushing the

Latin America
Cuba. A Swede living in the US was arrested in Cuba in September 2001 and charged with smuggling; he was caught on September 4, 2001 in the

Census: 13 Million, 8.5 Million
According to Census data, the number of foreign-born residents rose by 13 million in the 1990s, and the number of unauthorized foreigners in the US

Guest Workers, Legalization
Presidents Bush and Fox are scheduled to meet on September 5, 2001 in Washington. They had hoped to announce major immigration policy reforms during

INS: Border, Sanctions, TPS
James W. Ziglar was confirmed as the new Immigration and Naturalization Service commissioner on July 31, 2001. Ziglar in August 2001 said that he

Labor, H-1B, Integration, Welfare
The US unemployment rate remained steady at 4.5 percent in July 2001. Between January 1997 and March 2001, the US added an average 235,000 jobs a

California, New York, Iowa
California. In the 1980s, California appeared to be developing a two-tiered society: well-educated whites and Asians near the top of the

Mexico: Investment, Border
Mexico's "Don't risk it" program is showing four short videos on Estrella Blanca buses headed from the interior of Mexico toward the border. The

Latin America, Caribbean
Central America is suffering from drought, which is aggravating rural poverty and increasing migration from drought-stricken areas. A combination of

Guest Workers, Legalization
The major immigration issues facing the new administration and Congress are: (1) whether and how to break up the INS into separate enforcement and

US Supreme Court Eases '96 Laws
Congress in 1996 enacted laws that lead to the deportation of immigrants who are convicted of felony crimes in the US, reduce the eligibility of

INS, Smuggling, Integration
James W. Ziglar, the nominee for commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, said in July 2001 that, if confirmed, his "primary goal

Labor, H-1B
The US unemployment rate rose to 4.5 percent in June 2001, up from 4.4 percent in May 2001, as employment fell by 114,000, meaning an average of

Mexico: Migrant Profile, Trucking
In June 2001, the US and Mexico announced new initiatives aimed at increasing safety along the 2,000-mile Mexico-US border. The US agreed to

Latin America: DR-Haiti, Argentina
Central America. President Vicente Fox of Mexico announced the Puebla-to-Panama Plan in June 2001, which will help Mexico and Central America

INS: Border Deaths, Trafficking
In May 2001, 14 of 26 Mexican migrants attempting to enter the US died in a remote desert near Yuma, Arizona; the desert heat reached 120 to 130

Labor, H-1B
Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan in February 2000 seemingly endorsed immigration to maintain US economic growth, saying "The benefits of

Integration: California, New York
California. California's economy surpassed that of France to become the world's fifth largest in 2000, producing goods worth $1.33 trillion.

Polls, Hispanics, Asians
Polls. An April 2001 poll by the Pew Research Center found that about two-thirds of Americans are aware that blacks, Latinos and people of

Canada: Smuggling, PTKs
Canada's Parliament passed a revise Immigration Act on June 13 on a 135-84 vote that cracks down on human smuggling and refugees who are criminals.

Mexico: Economy, Census
President Vicente Fox in May 2001 announced a six-year National Development Plan that declares an end to big government and a drive for

INS: Ziglar, 245(i), Border
James Ziglar, the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms with experience in the finance industry and government, was nominated to be INS commissioner. Ziglar is a

Administration, Congress
On May 5, 2001, in honor of Cinco de Mayo, President Bush became the first president to give his weekly radio speech in Spanish, followed by a speech

Labor: Guest Workers, H-1B
The US unemployment rate rose to 4.5 percent in April 2001, the highest since October 1998; the lowest rate was 3.9 percent in October 2000;

Mexico: Economy, NAFTA, Migrants
Presidents Bush and Fox met for the third time in May 2001. Fox said they talked about "an orderly system" through which Mexicans could work in the

Canada: C-11, Professionals, Mexicans
The Canadian government has offered major amendments to Canada's 1976 Immigration Act in Bill C-11, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. C-11

Integration: California, New York
California: Politics. Many political scientists have noted the growing gap between population shares and voter shares in California, in which

Latin America
El Salvador. There are about 6.1 million El Salvadorans in El Salvador, and 1.5 million El Salvadorans in the US. The country was hit by

Labor, H-1Bs, Janitors, EEOC
The US unemployment rate rose to 4.3 percent in March 2001, as employment shrank by 86,000, or almost 3,000 a day; the unemployment rate was lowest

Mexico: Hope, Dual Nationality
As the number of Mexicans apprehended along the US border stayed below year-earlier levels, some credited the drop in US apprehensions to the "Fox

Congress: Guest Workers
The major immigration issues facing the new administration and Congress are whether and how to break up the INS into separate enforcement and service

Census, Politics, English
The US population was 281 million in April 2000, and included 198 million non-Hispanic whites; 35 million Hispanics; 35 million Blacks; and 12

Canada: SOA, Chinese
Canada, host of the 2001 Summit of the Americas on April 22 and 23, 2001 in Quebec City, released a report showing how Canada responded to previous

INS: Border, 245, Asylum, Detention
The INS apprehended 1.6 million unauthorized foreigners in FY00, an average of 133,000 a month. Apprehensions fell by 24 percent in the first half of

Canada: Terrorism, Quebec, Labor
Immigration Minister Elinor Caplan proposed major amendments to Canadian immigration law in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Latin America
El Salvador. President Bush in March 2001 announced that an estimated 150,000 unauthorized Salvadorans in the US before February 13, 2001

Mexico: Remittances, Braceros
Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda outlined a four-pronged strategy to improve the management of Mexico-US migration. Castaneda urged the US to

INS: Sanctions and Discrimination
President Bush proposed a $2 trillion budget for FY2002, including a request that the Justice Department budget be reduced. The INS budget for FY2001

Guest Workers, H-1Bs
The US unemployment rate remained at 4.2 percent in February 2001, as job growth slowed to about 103,000 a month, or 3,500 a day. The average hourly

Census: Hispanics Outnumber Blacks
The 2000 Census found that the number of Hispanics grew faster than expected in the 1990s, so that about 35 million residents identified themselves

Mexico: Bush, Fox Meet
Mexican President Vicente Fox and US President George Bush met on February 16, 2001 in San Cristobal, Mexico, Fox's home town in the state of

INS: Apprehensions Down
There was a 22 percent drop in apprehensions along the 1,952-mile Mexico-US border in the first four months of FY01, which began October 1, 2000-

Congress, Administration
Amnesty. Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-Illinois) in February 2001 introduced legislation that would grant immigrant status to all persons

Census, Labor
Census. The Census Bureau reported in February 2001 that the undercount in the 2000 census was 2.7 million to 3.9 million, or 0.96 percent to

Canada: Immigration Up, Integration
Canada, with 31 million residents, received 226,837 immigrants in 2000, above its target level of 200,000 to 225,000; the target for 2001 is 235,000.

California: Immigrant Integration
A new report from the California Policy Seminar concludes that immigration was neither a cause of California's problems in the early 1990s, nor a

Welfare, Licenses, Sudanese
Welfare. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released poverty lines for 2001: they are $8,950 for one person, $14,360 for three,

Latin America
El Salvador. A January 13, 2001 earthquake and several aftershocks, including another quake on February 13, 2001, caused an estimated $2-$3

Mexico: Guest Workers
President Bush is scheduled to visit Mexican President Fox on February 16, 2001. In preparation for the visit, US Secretary of State Colin L. Powell

Bush Administration, LIFE
Chavez/Chao. President Bush nominated Linda Chavez to be Secretary of Labor. She promised to "keep faith with the men and the women who still

INS: Removal, Asylum, Border
Removal/Detention. The US Supreme Court in January 2001 agreed to review immigration laws enacted in 1996 that permit the INS to remove or

Labor: H-1B, UI
The US unemployment rate was still low at four percent in December 2000, but job growth slowed- manufacturing employment fell 178,000 in 2000. The

Canada: Immigration Up, Asylum
Canada's Citizenship and Immigration Department reported that 226,500 immigrants were admitted in 2000, the most since 1993. The government's target

Census: Population and Foreign-born
Census. The US Census Bureau reported there were 281,421,906 US residents on April 1, 2000, up 32 million, or 13 percent, from the 249 million

Latin America
Cuba. Cuba has sentenced 70 Cuban-Americans convicted of attempting to smuggle Cubans out of the country to long prison terms under laws

INS: Asylum, Border, Sanctions
Asylum. The INS in December 2000 announced draft regulations that will make it easier for victims of domestic violence to obtain asylum.

Bush, Congress: Legalization
President-elect George W. Bush favors more guest workers- both professionals and farm workers. During the campaign, Bush pledged to split the

Labor: Education, Guest Workers
The United States' GDP reached $10 trillion at the end of 2000, including $1.4 trillion in California. There were 135 million US residents with jobs,

Mexico: Fox, Returns, Progresa
Vicente Fox became President of Mexico on December 1, ending 70 years of governance by the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, which emerged

Canada: Liberals, Chinese
Prime Minister Jean Chretien and his Liberal Party won re-election in Canada on November 27, increasing their number of seats in the 301-seat

Latin America
The North American Free Trade Agreement encouraged many US and Canadian firms to shift factories from the Caribbean to Mexico. In May 2000, the US

Elections 2000
The outcome of the presidential election remained in doubt in November 2000; Republicans retained control of the US House, but not the Senate. Before

INS: Border, Detention
Commissioner Doris Meissner left the INS in mid-November 2000 after seven years as Commissioner for the Carnegie Endowment (http://www.ceip.org); deputy

Congress: H-1B, LIFA
H-1B. Congress raised the annual limit on the number of H-1B visas that can be issued to 195,000 a year for the next three years, but critics

Mexico: Fox, Remittances
Mexico is to have a new president, Vicente Fox Quesada, on December 1, 2000. It appears that the "six-year" curse of a peso and economic crisis will

State Briefs
California. California has 25 percent foreign-born residents among its 33 million people, compared to 10 percent foreign-born residents among

Labor, Remedies for Migrants
The US unemployment rate remained at 3.9 percent in October 2000, meaning that it stayed below 4.1 percent for the past 12 months. The unemployment

Canada: Elections
Canadians went to the polls November 27, 2000, and Jean Chretien and his governing Liberal Party were expected to win their third consecutive term as

Latin America
Argentina/Peru. Many Argentineans are the descendants of immigrants from Italy, Spain, and other European countries, and they have the right

INS: Unauthorized Migrants
Doris Meissner announced her resignation as INS Commissioner in October 2000; she is returning to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Congress: H-1Bs Increased, Amnesty
H-1B. Congress in October approved the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act of 2000, which increases the number of H-1B

Mexico: Guest Workers?
The Los Angeles Times on October 15, 2000 reviewed the reactions to President-elect Vicente Fox's call for an open border in August 2000, and

SSNs, Employment, California
When they are hired, many unauthorized workers provide their employers with false Social Security Numbers or those of another person. Employers are

Canada: Immigration Reforms
The Canadian government has proposed a reform of immigration law to crack down on criminals while encouraging "the best and the brightest" immigrants

Latin America
Under 1996 immigration reforms, non-US citizens convicted of aggravated felonies must be deported from the US after they have served their sentences;

Poverty, Welfare, Inequality
The Census Bureau released its reports on poverty and income in September 2000. The poverty rate for Hispanics dropped from 26 percent in 1998 to 23

INS: Border, Naturalization
INS Commissioner Doris Meissner, visiting the US-Mexican border in September 2000, said that the INS had expected stepped up border controls to deter

Congress: H-1B, H-2C, Amnesty
A new Gallup poll, conducted September 11-13, 2000, shows that a plurality of Americans, 41 percent, believe that immigration should be kept at its

Mexico: Politics, Maquiladoras, AIDS
President Ernesto Zedillo, who gave his last State of the Nation address (Informe) on September 1, 2000, said that "Mexico has completed its journey

Canada: Immigration Up
Canada admitted 189,816 immigrants in 1999, compared to 174,159 in 1998 and 216,014 in 1997; Canada's immigration target is 200,000 to 225,000 a

Labor: Unions
The US unemployment rate rose to 4.1 percent in August 2000, and employment fell by 105,000, as the Census Bureau laid off workers and Verizon

Caribbean, Central America
Caribbean. The United States urged Cuba to support the reunification of divided families during September 2000 talks, and to eliminate

US Foreign Population, Trends
The Census in September 2000 released "The Foreign-Born Population in the United States" (March 1999, P20-519), continuing the annual release of data

Mexico: Fox for Open Borders
Mexican President-elect Vicente Fox, who takes office on December 1, 2000, visited President Clinton on August 24-25, 2000. Fox called for a new

Presidential Politics
Republicans. The Republican party's convention in August in Philadelphia was marked by little of the anti-immigrant rhetoric noticeable in

INS: Is Gatekeeper Working?
The INS changed its strategy to prevent illegal migration over the Mexico-US border in 1994. Instead of trying to apprehend all migrants detected,

Labor: Employment, California
The US unemployment rate held steady at four percent in July 2000; average hourly earnings were almost $14. Unemployment has remained in the 3.9 to

Cuba, Colombia
Emigration from Cuba was reported to be increasing in July-August 2000, as Cubans once again set out for Florida, 90 miles away, in small boats. Most

Canada: Guest Workers, Chinese
Immigration Minister Elinor Caplan is considering allowing up to 6,000 foreign construction workers into Canada under a fast-track system to ease a

Population, States Briefs
The U.S. Census Bureau reported that between 1990 and 1999, the US Asian and Pacific Island population grew 43 percent, to 10.8 million, and the

Mexico: Fox Wins
Vicente Fox, presidential candidate of the National Action Party (PAN) won the July 2, 2000 election in Mexico, ending 71 years of Institutional

INS: Border, Cuba
Border. The INS has 8,000 Border Patrol agents; 300 are on the 4,000-mile Canadian border, and 7,700 are on the 2,000-mile Mexican border. In

Congress, Politics
Congress is expected to act on three major immigration items in 2000: increases in the H-1B quota; restoration of Section 245(i) of the Immigration

Labor: H-1Bs, Janitors, Vanguard
The US unemployment rate was four percent in June 2000. About three-fourths of the 132 million employed US workers are production workers and their

State Briefs: California, New York City, Utah
California has a $100 billion budget for 2000-01, including a general fund of $79 billion- general fund monies are from state income, sales and

Latin America
More Central Americans are attempting to get into the US by taking boats to Baja California and then slipping across the Mexico-US border. In

Canada: Chinese, Politics
Even as Canadian and US authorities meet with Chinese officials in an effort to reduce the smuggling of Chinese migrants, Canadian officials

INS: Border
The summer of 2000 will undoubtedly see more migrants dying in their attempts at unauthorized entry through the southwestern deserts to the US, as

Labor: AFL-CIO, H-1B, H-2B
The US unemployment rate rose to 4.1 percent in May 2000, and the California rate rose to five percent. AFL-CIO. The 68-union

Mexico: July 2 Elections
Elections. Mexicans go to the polls on July 2, 2000, and 58 million registered voters could cast ballots for the president and Congress (500

State Briefs: California, Georgia
California. Mexican and US border governors met in Sacramento in June 2000; the Mexican governors wanted to discuss immigration issues, which

Canada: Legislation
Canada's immigration policy aims to admit about 220,000 immigrants a year, although only 190,000 arrived in 1999. Over the past 20 years, immigration

Elian Returns to Cuba
Elian Gonzalez and his family returned to Cuba June 28, 2000 after the US Supreme Court refused to issue an injunction sought by his Miami relatives

Caribbean, Trade
The Dominican Republic, in a bid to create Internet-related jobs, opened the Dominican Cyberpark in spring 2000. It aims to create jobs for Dominican

Elian Gonzales: No Asylum Hearing
On June 1, 2000, the 11th Federal Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the right of immigration officials to deny Elian Gonzalez a political asylum

INS: Border, Smugglers
In May 2000, the GAO concluded that "alien smuggling is a significant and growing problem." The INS, which has 276 agents working on anti-smuggling

Congress: H-1B Debate
Most observers believe that Congress will approve an increase in the yearly H-1B quota, currently 115,000, before October 1, 2000, when the annual

Legalization, Hmong
The AFL-CIO in February 2000 called for a legalization for the estimated six million unauthorized foreigners in the US and an end to the enforcement

Mexico: Presidential Campaign
Presidential candidates Vicente Fox of the center-right National Action Party (PAN) and Cuauhtemoc Cardenas of the left-leaning Democratic Revolution

Canada: Chinese, Quebec
Canadian officials traveled to China in April 2000 to seek Chinese help to deter smuggling and to expedite the return of the Chinese migrants who

Labor: Unemployment
The US unemployment rate in April 2000 was 3.9 percent and 4.9 percent in California. California added 64,400 jobs in April 2000, or about 2,000 a

Latin America
Haiti. More Haitians seem to be setting out for Florida by way of the Bahamas. Carol Joseph, director of Haiti's National Migration Office,

Cuba: Elian Gonzalez
On April 22, 2000, INS officials took six-year old Elian Gonzalez from his relatives' Miami home and flew him to Washington, DC, where he was

INS: Border, Detention
The INS has been returning to Agua Prieta, Mexico over 1,000 migrants a day who were apprehended just inside the US border in Arizona. Many of those

Congress: H-1B
H-1B. As the American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act, which would raise the number of H-1B visas from 115,000 a year to 195,000 a

Polls and Politics
Public opinion on immigration has become more favorable. A 1999 Gallup poll found that 44 percent of respondents wanted to reduce immigration, down

Mexico: NAFTA and Jobs
Mexico is holding elections on July 2, 2000 for the national presidency, the 500-member House of Representatives, the 128-member Senate, two state

Canada: New Law
The proposed Immigration and Refugee Protection Act would impose fines of up to C$1 million and life in prison for traffickers who are involved in

State Briefs
California. Ron Prince, who co-authored Proposition 187, approved by California voters 59 to 41 percent in 1994, has abandoned plans to put a

Labor: Janitors, Sanctions
Several thousand of the 8,500 janitors represented by the Service Employees International Union Local 1877 went on strike against 18 cleaning

Census 2000; Bilingual Education
Census of Population forms were mailed in March 2000; Census day is April 1, 2000. Some 83 million households received the seven-question short form,

Congress: More H-1Bs
It is often said that the dynamics of the immigration issue have changed significantly between the early and mid-1990s and the end of the 1990s.

California: Jobs, Welfare
California's unemployment rate was 4.6 percent in February 2000, the lowest level in 30 years, reflecting the gain of 40,200 workers during the

INS: Sanctions, Border
Congress and think tanks have been debating what to do about continued illegal immigration— there are an estimated six million unauthorized

INS: Detention, Asylum
Detention. In February 2000, there were 4,566 foreigners in INS custody who had finished serving sentences for US crimes and had been ordered

Canada: Section 110, Asylum
Section 110. The arrest of Ahmed Ressam, the Algerian-born Montreal resident who tried to enter Washington state with a carload of explosives

Mexico: Politics, Maquiladoras
National Action Party presidential candidate Vicente Fox in March 2000 said that, if elected July 2, 2000, he would deal with two issues that have

Cuba: Elian Gonzalez
On March 20, 2000, a federal judge refused to block INS efforts to return six-year old Elian Gonzalez to Cuba, ruling that only the US attorney

Latin America
Latin America's economy is expected to grow by 3.5 percent in 2000, up sharply from 1999, in part because of an expected infusion of $70 billion in

AFL-CIO: End Sanctions
On February 16, 2000, the AFL-CIO's executive council unanimously called for: (1) the repeal of employer sanctions; (2) legalization for many of the

Presidential Candidates on Immigration
Going into the major primaries on March 7, 2000, the leading candidates for president were Al Gore and Bill Bradley for the Democrats, and George

New York, California
New York. An Albany jury in February 2000 acquitted four white police officers of all charges in the killing of Amadou Diallo, an unarmed West

INS: Enforcement, Detention
Operations Safeguard and Cochise have pushed migrants attempting entry away from ports of entry to more remote areas of Arizona and New Mexico,

Congress: H-1B
Congress returned to work January 24, 2000. Three immigration-related bills are expected to receive attention during this year's session—raising the

Mexico: Dual Nationality, Politics
Beginning March 20, 1998, changes in Mexico's nationality laws took effect. Henceforth, Mexican citizens who naturalize in the US or elsewhere will

Canada: Chinese and Asylum
Chinese. Of the 590 Chinese migrants who arrived in British Columbia in four ships in the summer of 1999, 493 claimed refugee status. As of

Cuba: Elian Gonzalez
The INS on January 5, 2000 said that six-year old Elian Gonzalez "belongs with his father," and would be returned to Cuba by January 14, 2000. The

INS: Border, Smuggling
Border. The Border Patrol arrested 88,196 migrants in the first 17 days of January 2000, up from 70,860 over the same period in 1999. In FY99

Integration, Census
The Latin migration north is one of the largest mass migrations in US history—about half of the 32 million Hispanic residents were born abroad. A

H1-B, H-1Cs
H-1B. The INS is expected to run out of H-1B visas for temporary foreign professionals by March 2000 even though the annual ceiling was raised

Economy, Unions
The US unemployment rate remained at a 30-year low of 4.1 percent in December 1999 as the US economy continued on its longest-ever expansion—107

Canada: Chinese, Sri Lankans
Chinese. The fourth Chinese among the 590 migrants who arrived on four ships in summer 1999 in British Columbia was recognized as a refugee in

Mexico: NAFTA, Corn
Francisco Labastida, the presidential candidate of Mexico's governing party, the PRI, said in a January 30, 2000 interview that if elected, he would

INS: Border, Detention
Border. The US declared a "high-security alert" after an Algerian with bomb-making materials was caught attempting to enter the US from Canada

Cuba, Haiti
Cuba. A five-year-old Cuban boy, Elian Gonzalez, was rescued on November 25, 1999 and brought to Florida after the boat taking his mother and

Canada: Immigration to Rise
Immigration. Canada accepts about 225,000 immigrants a year, including 55 percent (workers and dependents) selected on the basis of skills, 30

States Briefs
California. Ron Prince, a major backer of the 1994 Proposition 187 campaign, announced in November 1999 that he would try to put another

Labor, Foreign Students
The US unemployment rate in November 1999 was 4.1 percent. The median weekly earnings of the 99 million full-time wage and salary workers in the US

Mexico: Remittances, Demography
Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo was scheduled to meet with President Clinton in December 1999, but the inability of his government to persuade the

INS: Naturalization, Deportations
Naturalization. The Immigration and Naturalization Service announced in late October 1999 that the wait between application and naturalization

Jobs, H-1Bs, Students
The US economy is expected to expand by almost five percent in 1999, bringing GDP to $8.9 trillion. This rapid economic growth helped to push US

California: 187, Los Angeles
According to the INS, there were about two million unauthorized foreigners in California in October 1996 and their number was increasing by about

Canada: Immigration up
Canada's Immigration Minister Elinor Caplan plans to increase annual immigration to 300,000 despite failing to reach the target of 200,000 immigrants

Mexico: Welfare, Economy
Remittances. In the US, state and federal suits were filed in 1997-98 against several money transfer businesses, including Western Union,

Haiti, Dominica
Haiti. On October 30, 1999, the Inter-American Human Rights Commission condemned the treatment of Haitians living in the Dominican Republic.

INS: Border, Sanctions, Detention
Border. On October 8, 1999, the INS announced that it was expanding Operation Safeguard, a combination of more agents, lights and fences along

Labor Market: Enforcement, H-1Bs
Since September 1997, the US minimum wage has been $5.15 an hour. Congress is expected to approve legislation in Fall 1999 that would raise the

Congress, Candidates
A group of border-state senators introduced a bill in October 1999 that would increase federal reimbursement of the costs to state and local

States: California, Texas
California Demography. California Research Bureau demographers released projections showing that the percentage of non-Hispanic whites would

Immigrant Integration
Chinese. Between 1991 and 1998, 350,000 mainland Chinese immigrated to the United States. The Los Angeles Times speculated on October 16, 1999

Canada: Chinese
Some 590 Chinese arrived in four ships in Canada between July and September 1999-491 applied for asylum. By October 1999, the Immigration and Refugee

Mexico: NAFTA
Some former Braceros have charged that, between 1942 and 1947, 10 percent of their US wages were deducted and forwarded to Mexico's Banco Nacional de

Latin America
Colombia. There are about 1.5 million Colombians in the US, including some 800,000 in the New York City borough of Queens. Since summer 1999,

Canada: Chinese Migrants
Between July and September, 1999, Canadian authorities intercepted four ships each with more than 100 Chinese migrants being smuggled into Canada.

INS: Border, Naturalization
Border. The INS apprehended 1.5 million unauthorized migrants in FY99, which ended September 30, up slightly from 1998. Apprehensions in the

States: California, New York, Texas
California. The federal judge who issued an injunction in 1994 blocking the implementation of Proposition 187 approved a settlement in

Congress: More Change?
Many immigration advocate organizations held rallies in mid-September 1999 to bolster efforts in Congress to "fix" 1996 immigration and welfare

Census: Foreign Born, Hispanics
The Census Bureau reported that there were 25.2 million foreign-born residents of the US on July 1, 1998—making them 9.3 percent of US residents. In

Labor Market: H-1Bs, Ethnic Business
The annual limit on the number of H-1B professionals—foreigners who can enter the US for up to six years after US employers "attest" that they are

Agricultural Guest Workers
In the early 1980s, the percentage of unauthorized workers among US farm workers was 20 to 25 percent and rising, farm wages and benefits were flat

Caribbean, Central America
Cuba. Some 1,500 Cubans arrived in Florida between January and June 1999, the largest influx since 1994, when 33,000 arrived. Instead of

INS: Immigration Down
The INS in August 1999 announced that 660,477 persons became legal immigrants or permanent resident aliens in FY98, which ended September 30, 1998,

Refugees and Asylum
In August, 1999 President Clinton increased the ceiling on worldwide refugee admissions for FY99 from 78,000 to 91,000 in response to "an unforeseen

Congress: Reorganize INS?
Congress was in recess in August, but debate on the reorganization of INS continued. The Immigration Reorganization and Improvement Act of 1999 (H.R.

Education, Welfare, Perspective
Education. The number of K-12 pupils in US schools is expected to be a record 53 million in Fall 1999, according to the Department of

Labor Market: H-1Bs, Day Labor
H-1Bs. Bills have been introduced in Congress to raise the annual cap on the number of H-1B visas, now 115,000, to 200,000 a year until 2003, when

Mexico: Migration and Development
California Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa visited furniture and clothing factories in Etzatlan, Jalisco that were created with the help of

New York, California, Texas
New York. On May 1, 1999 several billboards went up in Queens with signs such as: "Over 80 percent of Americans support very little or no more

Canada: New Minister, Chinese
In August 1999, former Ontario health minister Elinor Caplan was named Canada's Immigration Minister, replacing Lucienne Robillard, who was from

Latin America, Caribbean
Nicaraguan President Arnold Aleman in July 1999 suspended a summit of Central American leaders scheduled to be held in Managua in response to the

INS: Border, Deportation
Border. The INS in June and July 1999 came under fire for releasing suspected serial killer Angel Maturino Resendez, who was on the FBI's Ten

Congress: Break Up INS?
On July 15th, Representatives Hal Rogers (R-KY), Lamar Smith (R-TX), and Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) introduced a bill, HR 2528, Immigration

Caribbean: Cubans, Haitians
Cubans. Some 1,500 Cubans arrived in Florida between January and June 1999, the largest influx since 1994, when 33,000 arrived. Instead of

California: 187, Los Angeles Booms
On July 29, 1999, the Proposition 187 saga came to an end with a mediated settlement that was accepted by the US 9 th Circuit Court of Appeals:

Canada: Immigration Down
Canada received 174,100 immigrants in 1998, down from 215,840 in 1997, the fewest since 1988. According to the government, some 15,000 immigrant

Mexico: Maquiladoras
The San Diego-Tijuana region is the fastest-growing metropolitan region of North America, with population and job growth fueled by high-tech on the

H-1B, Hotels
H-1B. The debate over whether to increase the annual cap on H-1B admissions, currently 115,000 a year, continued in July 1999. The H-1B cap

Central/South America
Central America. The number of Nicaraguans in South Florida is increasing: there were an estimated 20,000 in 1980; 50,000 in 1990; and 125,000

INS: Citizenship , Border
Citizenship. The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in a 2-1 decision upheld the power of the INS to revoke administratively the US citizenship

California: Economy, Driver's Licenses
California's unemployment rate fell to 5.2 percent in May 1999, the lowest rate since 1990, as the state added 56,000 jobs, almost 2,000 a day.

Central America, Caribbean
Hondurans and Nicaraguans who were in the US by December 31, 1998 may apply for Temporary Protected Status that permits them to remain in the US

Welfare: Public Charge
Public Charge. US immigration law has for over a century included a provision that allows the government to deport persons who are public

H-1Bs: Visas Run Out
H-1B. The INS announced in June 1999 that the 115,000 cap on H-1B visas was reached in June 1999 [the US fiscal year ends September 30]. No

Canada: US Migrants, Quebec
On Canada Day, July 1, a refurbished Pier 21 in Halifax was declared a national monument to immigrants and hailed as Canada's Ellis Island; about 20

Mexico: Demography, Remittances
The 16th Binational Commission meeting was held in June 1999. US Attorney General Janet Reno pledged to "do everything necessary to protect human

Population, Schools, Integration
Population. Phoenix was the fastest growing large US city in the 1990s, expanding by 21 percent to 1.2 million, followed by San Antonio and

INS: Border Patrol, Sanctions
Border Patrol. The Border Patrol had its 75th anniversary on May 28, 1999; it was founded in 1924 as an agency of the US Department of Labor.

California: 187, Welfare, Chinese Students
California Governor Gray Davis asked the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to mediate the legal issues to be resolved with Proposition 187. Davis said

Central Americans, Caribbean
Central America. The Clinton administration on May 20 announced revised regulations under which the INS would presume that certain Salvadorans

Courts, INS: Detention and Deportation
Detention. The INS in mid-May released five Cuban felons and pledged to review the cases of 3,500 other prisoners from Cuba, Vietnam, Cambodia

Chinese to Pacific Islands
Guam Governor Carl Gutierrez in May 1999 called the arrival of several thousand Chinese migrants in the past few months "a crisis of national

Mexico: Remittances
Remittances. Western Union and Orlandi Valuta, subsidiaries of First Data Corp., and MoneyGram Payment Systems Inc. in May settled

New York: Police on Trial
The trial of four New York police officers accused of brutalizing Haitian security guard Abner Louima in August 1997 suggested that New York police

Canada: Refugees, Labor
Refugees. Canada in 1995 began to charge immigrants a landing fee of C$975 to cover administrative costs and to cover the cost of some

California, New York
Migrant-related issues, Proposition 187 and police brutality, were in the headlines in April 1999 in the two major immigration states, California and

State Department: Visas, Admissions
Visas are government-issued travel documents that permit foreigners to assume they will be granted entry and other benefits when they reach the

INS: Border, Sanctions
Border. On April 2, 1999, eight Mexicans froze to death and dozens were rescued after being caught in a sudden overnight snowstorm in southern

INS: Reorganization
Many are of the opinion that the INS should be restructured, but there is little agreement on how. The INS has proposed keeping enforcement and

Welfare, Health
There were 14.1 million US residents receiving cash assistance in January 1993, and 7.6 million in December 1998. Most of the first wave studies of

Mitch, Mexico, South America
Mitch. A Gallup survey done for the US Information Agency estimated that 600,000 adults in Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador

Guest Workers, Labor
Nurses. The Immigration Nursing Relief Act of 1989 (INRA) permitted hospitals to recruit about 30,000 nonimmigrant foreign nurses a year until

Canada: Guest Workers
Canada is debating the need for high-tech foreign workers. Human Resources Development Canada released a report in April 1999 that concluded that

INS: Fewer Workplace Raids
The INS, which has 1,750 agents for interior enforcement, announced in March that its current enforcement strategy is not reducing the number of

Clinton to Central America
President Clinton visited Nicaragua and El Salvador in early March, just as the INS announced that it was resuming deportations of Central Americans:

Mexico: Guest Workers
After a March meeting between the US and Mexican labor secretaries, former Mexican Labor Secretary Jose Antonio Gonzalez said that Mexico would ask

US Courts: Mixed Decisions
Many of the court-stripping provisions of the 1996 Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act and the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant

INS: Investors, Nurses
Investors. The US investor visa program, which offers immigrant visas to foreigners who invest at least $500,000 and create or preserve 10 US

Congress: Hearings
Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) held four hearings in March 1999 on various aspects of immigration. The March 4, 1999 testimony focused on temporary

Canada: Students, Caregivers
A report released by the Edmonton-based Prairie Center of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Integration found that foreign-born high school

California, New York, Utah
California: Prop 187. Governor Gray Davis, who replaced Pete Wilson after November 1998 elections, is considering dropping the state's appeal of a

US Population, English, Economy
Population. The Census Bureau in March 1999 released "Historical Census Statistics on the Foreign-Born Population of the United States: 1850

INS: Detention, Removal, Border
Detention. The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 requires the INS to detain foreigners who commit crimes

Mitch, Mexico, Puebla
Hurricane Mitch. Central Americans are reportedly being apprehended in Texas and released, despite the statement of INS Commissioner Doris

INS: Budget and Management
President Clinton's proposed $1.8 trillion budget for FY00 includes $4.3 billion for the INS; if it is approved by Congress, the INS would grow from

Welfare, Labor Market
The Clinton administration proposed a $1.3 billion, five-year plan to restore welfare benefits to some immigrants who entered the US after August 22,

Canada: Hong Kong, Asylum
Hong Kong is the number one source of Canadian immigrants--300,000 Hong Kong immigrants arrived in Canada between 1983 and 1998, with a peak 44,000

Cuba, Haiti
Cubans and Haitians continued to arrive on Florida beaches in February 1999. In 1998, the Coast Guard intercepted 1,025 Cubans and 1,206 Haitians at

New York: Africans, Mexicans
Africans. Four white undercover police in New York City investigating a series of rapes and robberies killed with 41 shots an unarmed Black

Argentina: Crackdown
In January, 1999, Argentine President Carlos Menem said that unemployment and rising crime in Buenos Aires were "closely connected to illegal

800,000 Immigrants, Lifers, Detention
President Clinton proposed $4.3 billion for the INS in FY00, up from $4 billion in FY99. The INS, created in 1891, has 29,000 employees in three

Welfare Down, California Poll
The Clinton administration is requesting $1.3 billion over five years to restore health and disability benefits and Food Stamps to legal immigrants

Hurricane Mitch
News reports from Mexico and Central America continued to speculate about a "mass migration north" from Central America in the wake of Hurricane

INS: Sanctions
The INS is reportedly de-emphasizing enforcement of employer sanctions laws and instead focusing on deterring smuggling and exploitation of

Canada: Reform, Integration
Reform. Immigration Minister Lucienne Robillard in January 1999 introduced 60 pages of proposed changes to Canada's 1978 Immigration Act that

Mexico: Economy, Progresa
Governor Gray Davis traveled to Mexico in early February, reflecting the growing economic ties between California and Mexico, and the fact that there

Census, Hispanics
The US Supreme Court in January 1999 ordered that the 2000 Census be conducted in the accustomed manner, with an effort to enumerate each person

Cuba, Haiti
About 150 Cubans and Haitians landed in South Florida in the third weekend of January 1999, perhaps the leading edge of another wave of migrants

Temporary Workers
Temporary Workers. More US employers are complaining of labor shortages, and asking for changes in the H-2B program, which permits the entry

South America
The 1980s are considered to have been a "lost decade" in Mexico, Central and South America: a time of debt crises, unemployment and emigration.

Mitch Leads to TPS
On December 30, 1998, the Immigration and Naturalization Service announced that 150,000 unauthorized Nicaraguans and Hondurans, as well as nationals

INS: Smuggling, Foreigners' Rights
Smuggling. The INS has reportedly drafted a five-year plan to combat smuggling and document fraud, but not to step up enforcement of employer

H-1Bs, Foreign Students
The H-1B temporary worker program continues to be the subject of debate. Under amendments approved in October 1998 that raise the annual quota

Polls, Integration, Puerto Rico
Polls. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News Poll conducted in December 1998 found that 72 percent of respondents agreed that the US "should not

US-Mexico Border
San Diego-Tijuana. The busiest land port in the world is between San Diego and Tijuana, with 40,000 cars crossing daily. Waits of one to two

Mexico: NAFTA, Voting, Income
The North American Free Trade Agreement had its fifth anniversary on January 1, 1998; the Canada-US FTA celebrated its 10th anniversary. US-Mexican

Canada: New Laws
Premier Lucien Bouchard's Parti Quebecois kept its majority in Quebec's parliament in November 1998, narrowly defeating the Liberal Party headed by

Population Updates
The US had 270.4 million residents on July 1, 1998, up one percent from 267.7 million a year earlier. The Census estimated 953,000 net immigrants in

Welfare, Economy, Labor Force
Welfare. Most states are meeting the work requirements of the 1996 federal welfare law, which stipulate that 25 percent of recipients hold

Central America: Hurricane Mitch
Hurricane Mitch, which killed 10,000 people in Honduras and Nicaragua in late October 1998, left three million people homeless, and severely damaged

INS: Smuggling, Sanctions, Asylum
Smuggling. After a year-long investigation, the INS on November 20 announced the arrest of 21 members of a ring that, over the last three years,

Mexico: Voting, Remittances, NAFTA
Voting. An expert's report commissioned by the Federal Electoral Institute and released on November 12 concluded that it is technically feasible to

INS: Asylum, LA-8
Asylum-LA Eight. On November 4, the US Supreme Court heard arguments in the 11-year-old case of eight Palestinians whom the INS tried to deport in

Canadian Citizenship Legislation
Citizenship. The Canadian Minister of Citizenship and Immigration will submit to Parliament legislation that would tighten residency requirements to

Elections, Population, Education
Latinos cast about five percent of the votes in the November 1998 election, up from four percent in 1992. Less than half of the 28 million US

Florida, Haiti
Miami-Dade County, the self-proclaimed Gateway to Latin America, has been losing about one US-born white for each immigrant it attracts. The

H-1B Workers
The American Competitiveness and Work Force Improvement Act, which will increase the number of H-1B non-immigrant visas by 142,500 over the next

Economy: US, California
US. The US unemployment rate was 4.6 percent in October 1998; it has been below five percent since July 1997. There were 132 million US workers

Congress: H-1Bs Approved; Farm Workers Rejected
There were two very different outcomes for two groups of largely California employers in the final votes on the $487 billion omnibus spending bill

INS: Sanctions, Detention, Fees
The INS has a $3.8 billion FY99 budget, up from $1.1. billion in FY94. The INS has 29,000 employees, of whom two-thirds work in enforcement. In FY98,

Integration: Miami, California
Miami. The National Immigration Forum released a report, "Miami: Cosmopolitan Capital of the Americas," that concluded that immigrants helped

Mexico and Central America
Rather few Mexicans who have become naturalized US citizens have applied to recover their Mexican citizenship and become dual nationals. Since March

Canada: Immigration Down
Immigration to Canada is expected to be reduced up to 25,000 due to the Asian financial crisis, from the planned 225,000 to 200,000. Immigration

INS: Enforcement, Naturalization
Sanctions. The Immigration and Naturalization Service has 300 agents across the US assigned to enforce employer sanctions laws. However, in

Congress: H-1Bs Up, Farm Workers
H-1Bs. The US House of Representatives on September 24 voted 288-133 to raise the number of H-1B visas available by 142,500 over the next

Health, Welfare and Poverty
Immigrant Health. Another study has concluded that immigrants become less healthy the longer they are in the US. A University of

Mexico: Border Cards, Voting, Economy
Border Cards. The US has issued six million border-crossing cards to Mexican residents of border areas that permit card holders to travel up

Census 2000, Foreign Students
Census 2000. As the Census Bureau prepares for the year 2000 count, a dispute persists about how to conduct it. The major issue is whether

Canada: Border Checks
Section 110 of the 1996 IIRIRA (Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act) required the INS to develop a system for recording the

California: Politics, Koreatown, Population
Politics. California has 14.2 million registered voters, including 700,000 Asian Americans, five percent of all registered voters. Another 11

INS: Enforcement, Naturalization, Asylum
The House immigration subcommittee in July 1998 approved on a voice vote a bill by Representative Harold Rogers (R-KY) that would create a new Bureau

Congress: H-1Bs, HIV, Haitians
H-1Bs. The H-1B compromise reached by Congressional Republican leaders in July 1998 was not considered by the US House of Representatives

Immigrants and Welfare
Since January 1993, the number of welfare recipients has fallen by 41 percent, or 5.7 million. The welfare reforms of 1996 made states

Mexico, Central America
Many US border communities continue to complain about the $45 cost to their Mexican customers to obtain the new US border-crossing card--the new

Canada: Investor Visas, Immigration
Both the US and Canada offer visas to foreigners who invest in a business that creates jobs. In both countries, middlemen such as immigration lawyers

Hispanics, Asians
The Census reported that there were 30 million Hispanics in the US in 1997 and 34 million African Americans--11 percent of US residents were

California: Courts, Hispanics
The federal government has withheld $13 million allocated for English as a Second Language instruction because California failed to properly account

Taxes: EITC, Nannies
The US tax system is based on individuals assessing themselves the taxes they owe and forwarding the monies owed to the IRS. Many immigrants with low

Research Papers
In "The Economic Progress of Immigrants," George J. Borjas develops a model in which the relationship between the entry wage of immigrants and the

Congress: H-1Bs
House and Senate Republican leaders on July 24, 1998 reached a compromise to increase the annual ceiling on the number of professionals admitted to

Congress: Farm Workers
Farm Workers. On July 21, Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR) and eight other senators introduced a guest-worker bill, S2337, the Agricultural Job

INS: Enforcement, Naturalization
Under appropriations bills pending in Congress, the INS is expected to receive $4.2 billion in FY99, up from $3.8 billion in FY98 and $1.6 billion in

Canada: Border, Integration
Border. The Wall Street Journal ran several stories of Canadians who have been barred from the U.S. because of tighter controls mandated by

California: Demography, Proposition 227
Demography. About 25 percent of California's 33 million residents were born abroad. The impact of immigration is greater than that number

Mexico: NAFTA, Economy
NAFTA became effective January 1, 1994, but so far none of the border-area environmental projects that could improve life for the 10 million

Immigrant Integration
About 60 percent of the 26 million foreign-born U.S. residents live in seven metropolitan areas: New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston,

Clinton: Avoid Xenophobia
In a June 13, 1998 graduation speech at Portland State University, President Clinton urged Americans to welcome immigrants. "I believe new immigrants

Congress: Food Stamps, H-1B, Haitians
Food Stamps. On June 4, the House voted 364-50 to restore Food Stamps to 250,000 of the 900,000 legal immigrants who lost them in 1997 as a

INS: Enforcement, Asylum
Most of the 23 Chinese men apprehended when their boat ran ashore on the New Jersey beach in May 1998 have requested political asylum. The men, from

California: 227, Welfare, Economy
Proposition 227, the initiative ending bilingual instruction, was approved by California voters, 61 percent to 39 percent on June 2. According to

Courts Block Quick Removals
The US Supreme Court agreed to hear a case that may clarify the constitutionality of the IIRIRA provision that limits the right of foreigners to

Mexico: Agriculture
Agriculture is the largest single sector of employment in Mexico: some six to seven million Mexicans, about 25 percent of the labor force, are

Caribbean, Central America
Caribbean. As the weather improves, more Cubans and Haitians are setting out for the US. According to the INS, more Cubans are using smugglers

Naturalization and Civic Culture
The House Immigration subcommittee on June 11, 1998 approved on a party-line 5-2 vote HR 2837, the Citizenship Integrity and Backlog Reduction Act of

Congress: H-1Bs, Food Stamps
Action will probably be completed in June 1998 on two immigration-related measures considered by Congress in May. The ceiling on the number of H-1B

INS: Enforcement
Sanctions. The INS is reportedly requiring local INS offices to warn employers before raiding them if they are suspected of

INS: Deportation, Detention
The INS deported 113,325 foreigners in FY97 and expects to deport 127,300 in FY98. In the first six months of FY98, the INS removed 78,291

California: 227, Politics
Prop 227. President Clinton in May opposed Proposition 227, saying that it set rigid and unrealistic deadlines for the learning

Mexico: Dual Nationality, Manufacturing
Migration. Naturalized US citizens from Mexico on March 20, 1998 began to reclaim Mexican nationality, which they lost when they

Naturalization and Nicaraguans
Naturalization. Two million foreigners in the US who have applied for naturalization are waiting to be interviewed. The interval

New York: Chinese, Taxes, Ellis Island
Chinese. In May, the INS detained 22 Chinese attempting to enter the US from a 28-foot power boat at Bay Head, an affluent

Refugees, Asylum
In consultation with Congress, the US President sets an annual ceiling on the number of refugees to be admitted; for FY97 and FY98 the ceiling is

Foreign-Born Population, Hispanics
New Current Population Survey data released in April show that there were almost 26 million foreign-born residents in 1997. One-third of these

INS: Green Cards, Asylum
Green Cards. The first 50,000 new Permanent Resident Cards were sent to legal immigrants in the US in April 1998. Revised I-551 visas

INS: Foreign Investors
There are a number of US businesses and consultants who advertise the availability of US visas for foreigners seeking to enter the US permanently or

Congress: Food Stamps, Haitians/a>, 1986 Amnesty
Food Stamps. Congress has not yet voted on the Agriculture Research Conference report, which provides $818 million over five years to restore

Congress: H-1Bs
H-1Bs. On April 2, 1998, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved, 12-6, a bill (S 1723) that would raise the visa ceiling from the current

Sierra Club: No Change
The Sierra Club, the largest US environmental organization, announced April 25, 1998 that its members had voted 60-40 percent against changing the

Canada: Czechs
The Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board issued a 30-page report that found that Czech gypsies (Romanies) suffer discrimination in all areas of

Mexico: Economy,FTAA
President Clinton nominated Jeffrey Davidow, a professional diplomat, to be U.S. ambassador to Mexico. According to Banco de Mexico,

California: 227, Labor
Bilingual Education. An April 1998 Los Angeles Times poll reported that registered California voters favor Proposition 227--the Save our

New York: Dominicans, Unite
About 10 percent of the people alive today who were born in the Dominican Republic have migrated to the US, and Dominican immigration continues at

US Supreme Court
The US Supreme Court in April 1998 ruled 6-3 that fathers and mothers can be treated differently in deciding whether children born out of wedlock and

Miami, Central Americans
The top-rated television station in Miami in February 1998 was WLTV, a Spanish-language station owned by the Los Angeles-based Univision network.

INS: Enforcement, Detention
Border. The INS will have 8,000 Border Patrol agents by the end of 1998, double the 4,000 in 1993, and 1,000 more than in 1997. INS

Congress: Food Stamps, H-1Bs, Haitians,
Food Stamps. The agricultural research bill approved by Congress in March 1998 included $818 million over five years to restore Food Stamp

Mexico: Dual Nationality, Migration, Twin Cities
Dual Nationality. Beginning March 20, 1998, Mexicans in the US could acquire or re-acquire rights as Mexican nationals under Mexico's new dual

INS: Naturalization, Organization
Naturalization. The INS received 1.4 million naturalization applications in FY97, up from 1.3 million in FY96 (in FY93, there were 300,000

Immigrant Integration: Children, Social Security
The Wall Street Journal profiled the 3Com work force on March 30, 1998, and reported that 3Com could deal with 1,200 immigrants speaking 20 languages

Canada: Reform Entry Criteria?
Canada, widely considered to have the world's most liberal immigration system, is considering proposals that would more quickly screen asylum

California: Prop 187, Labor, Bilingual Education
Proposition 187. US District Judge Mariana Pfaelzer declared the core provisions of Proposition 187 unconstitutional on March 18, 1998, holding that

Mexico: Mexican Migration Project
Sociologist Douglas Massey launched the Mexican Migration Project in 1982 (http://lexis.pop.upenn.edu/mexmig/welcome.html) to collect data from

Welfare: Benefits Restored
Immigrants. President Clinton's budget, released on February 2, 1998, proposed that about 736,000 legal immigrants removed from Food Stamp

INS: Budget, Naturalization, Enforcement
Budget. President Clinton on February 2, 1998 proposed a $4.2 billion budget for the INS, up from $3.8 billion in FY97 and up from $1.5

Congress: Central Americans, Sanchez
The Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA), signed into law November 19, 1997, (1) permits certain Nicaraguans and Cubans in

H-1Bs
The debate over whether US high-tech companies really "need" more temporary foreign workers continued in February, with critics noting that most

Mexico: Projections, Ag, Insurance
While visiting Washington in early February 1998, Mexican Foreign Minister Rosario Green said that the Mexican government would "maintain -- at all

California: Bilingual Education
Bilingual. The Unz "English for the Children" initiative will appear on the June 1998 ballot as Proposition 227. The Unz initiative would put

US Labor Market
The US labor force continues to grow--67 percent of US residents 16 and older were employed or looking for work in 1998, up from 66 percent in 1990,

Nonimmigrants: High-Tech
The Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), an organization of high-tech companies, plans to push in 1998 for an increase in or

INS: Enforcement, Asylum, Fees
Enforcement. The INS has 12,400 immigration officers authorized to carry a gun and make arrests, more than the 11,300 federal prison guards or

Mexicans in the US
The 7 to 7.5 million Mexican-born residents of the US are almost 30 percent of the 26 million foreign-born residents of the US, and they are moving

California: Bilingual Ed/Los Angeles
Bilingual Education. The English for the Children or Unz initiative that would reduce bilingual education in California public schools came

Nonimmigrants: Marianas, Au Pairs
Employment. The US issues about 20 types of nonimmigrant visas that permit employment, among them A visas for foreign government officials and

Mexico: Wages, Maquiladoras, NAFTA
Mexico's Foreign Relations Secretariat (SRE) in January 1998 published the new dual nationality law, which becomes effective March 20, 1998. Mexicans

Caribbean: Cuba, Haitians, Passports
Cuba. Pope John Paul II on his January visit urged young Cubans not to emigrate; instead, he urged them to stay in Cuba, find salvation in its

Labor Market: Enforcement, Recent NBER
A Gannett news analysis of five years of DOL wage and hour records between FY93 and FY97 found that 1.7 million US workers are owed about $860

INS: Naturalization, Sponsorship, Welfare
The INS received 1.6 million naturalization applications in fiscal year 1997, which ended September 30, 1997. This was up from 1.3 million in FY96, 1

INS: Enforcement
Border Enforcement. The GAO issued a 101-page report in December that concluded the INS has no effective means of determining whether border

Haitians, Asylum
Haitians. On December 23, 1997, President Clinton signed an order suspending for one year the deportation of up to 40,000 Haitians who applied

California: Integration, Schools, Economy
Integration. There is little disagreement that the best available predictor of a person's earnings are his/her years of education, and the

Social Networks, Investors
The US unemployment rate fell to 4.6 percent in November 1997, as the labor force increased by 453,000. A record 67 percent of residents 16 and older

Canada: Immigration, Diversity Up
Canada plans to accept 200,000 to 225,000 immigrants in 1998, 5,000 more than in 1997. Two immigrants are admitted in the economic class for every

Immigration in New York, Florida
New York. A 1996 federal Census Bureau survey of 18,000 New York City households found that 56 percent of the 7.2 million New Yorkers are

Cuba/Caribbean: Immigration, Remittances
In 1994, the US agreed to accept 20,000 Cubans a year to bring an end to the migration of thousands of Cubans on rafts to Florida. In FY97, the US

Mexico: Dual Citizenship, Economy
Mexico's Congress in December 1997 approved legislation on a 427-0 vote that would make possible dual citizenship for all persons born in Mexico; the

US Population, Census
Population. The US population in 1998 is about 269 million, reflecting 3.9 million births in 1997, 2.3 million deaths, and net immigration of

Economy: NRC, OECD, Inequality
NRC. The NRC study, "The New Americans," continued to generate discussion in December. George Borjas and Richard Freeman, members of the group

Congress: Central Americans, 245(i)
Central Americans. In November, Congress took action to ease the situation of Central Americans in the US. About 400,000 Central

Sponsorship, Welfare
Sponsorship. US residents wishing to sponsor relatives for immigration must demonstrate that they have an income of at least 125 percent of

INS: Budget, Enforcement
Congress approved a $3.8 billion budget for the INS in FY98, including $211 million for revamping the naturalization process. Among the innovations

California: Proposition 187 Unconstitutional
In Los Angeles on November 14, 1997, US District Court Judge Mariana R. Pfaelzer in Los Angeles ruled that Proposition 187 violates both the US

New York: Dominicans, Senegalese
New York's Dominican population has increased from 125,380 in 1980 to 332,713 in 1990 to 495,000 in 1997, and is projected to be 700,000 in 2000, but

Employment, Inequality
Labor Market. The US unemployment rate fell to 4.7 percent in October, 1997, the lowest since October 1973, when the rate was 4.6 percent. The

CIR Pushes for Changes
Commission in Immigration Reform Chair Shirley Hufstedler summarized the CIR's findings and recommendations on the economic impact of immigration,

Canada: 17 Percent Immigrant
At the end of 1996, there were five million foreign-born residents in Canada, making immigrants 17 percent of the 29 million Canadians, up from 16

Mexico: Remittances, Economy and Unions
Remittances. On November 6, 1997, a Los Angeles attorney filed a suit seeking at least $1 billion against Western Union and MoneyGram for

Caribbean: Migrants
The Dominican Republic in November 1997 announced that it would crackdown on the estimated 300,000 illegal immigrants in the country and stop

Fast Track and NAFTA
In November, 1997, President Clinton withdrew his request for fast-track trade agreement negotiating authority because he lacked the votes in the

245(i) and Central Americans
245(i). On October 22, 1997, the US House of Representatives agreed to extend until November 7, 1997 the 245(i) provision of immigration law

INS: Enforcement, eportations, Sponsorship
Border Enforcement. The INS apprehended 1.3 million foreigners unlawfully in the US in FY97, down from 1.6 million in FY96. The

Welfare and Poverty
On September 1, 1997, many legal immigrants lost their food stamp benefits. In reviews of the events of September and October, few visible impacts of

California: Bilingual Education, Rural Poverty
Bilingual Education. In October, many newspapers ran background reports on bilingual education with titles such as "fix or end the bilingual

Florida's Changing Hispanics
Miami. Voters on September 4, 1997 rejected the abolition of the city of Miami, population 350,000. A referendum to have Dade county,

Canadian Immigration
Attitudes. A study by the Canadian Ministry of Immigration found that residents of Toronto, where 44 percent of Canada's immigrants live, are

Mexico: Maquiladoras, Remittances
Maquiladoras. Some 897,354 Mexicans were employed in 2,676 maquiladoras in June 1997, up 16 percent over 1996, and maquiladoras exported goods

Guest Workers: High Tech, Marianas
The US Department of Commerce in October 1997 released a report that concluded that: "the emergence of a world-wide shortage of information

245(i), Naturalization and Immigration
245(i). In 1994, Congress amended the Immigration and Nationality Act to permit foreigners in the US when their immigration visas became

Enforcement and Databases
Border. The INS in June 1996 laid out the border-enforcement strategy exemplified by Gatekeeper and similar operations on the Mexican border.

CIR: Americanization
The US Commission on Immigration Reform issued its final report September 30, 1997, and urged the US government to "Americanize immigrants," or do

California: Rand, Population, Dornan
Rand. Rand in September 1997 released a 321-page report that examined the effects of immigration on California and urged the US to reduce

Integration: Voting, English, Housing
Voting. Local governments spent $4 million to provide bilingual assistance to voters in the 1996 elections, according to the General

Central American Deportation Relief
On September 24, 1997, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) introduced the Central American Deportation Relief Act, which would exempt Nicaraguans who arrived in

High-Tech Foreign Workers
The US Commerce and Education departments in September 1997 issued a report that warned of a growing shortage of workers with advanced computer

Canada and Czech Roma
The Canadian Embassy in Prague said on September 15 that if the number of Czech Sinti and Roma requesting political asylum does not decline, the

Mexico: Migrants and the Economy
Migrants. Mexico's Foreign Minister Jose Angel Gurria condemned stepped-up US border controls at the United Nations General Assembly on

CIR: Split Up INS
The US Commission on Immigration Reform, in its fourth and final report to be released in September 1997, will recommend that the Immigration and

INS: Enforcement
The INS budget for FY97 was $3.1 billion; in FY81, the INS budget was $372 million. The INS reported that there were 475 million legal

Central Americans, Criminals
Central Americans. The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 changed the name of a procedure for staying in the

245(i) Adjustments, Naturalization
245(i). Since October 1, 1994, foreigners already in the US when their immigration slot becomes available have been able to pay a fine and

Immigrants and Welfare
Reviews of the 1997 changes to the August 1996 welfare reform law emphasized that the August 1997 budget accord kept in place SSI benefits for

New York: Deaf Mexicans, Palestinians/a> and Haitians/a>
In August, the press made much of three sets of events related to immigration in New York City. Deaf Mexicans. On August 20,

California: Politics, Prisons, Bilingual
Politics. The Los Angeles Times on August 3, 1997 carried an article on " The Impending Collision of Eastside and Westside" that recounted how

Canada: Gypsies and Terrorists
An August 7, 1997 TV documentary has reportedly persuaded about 700 of the 200,000 Gypsies or Roma in the Czech Republic to migrate to Canada.

Immigrants Retain SSI
The FY97 budget bill approved in July maintains Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid benefits for legal immigrants who were in the US on August

Deaf Mexican Migrants
In New York City, police on July 20, 1997 arrested seven Mexican immigrants who allegedly smuggled 62 deaf mutes, including 10 children, into the US,

Central Americans
On July 24, 1997, the Clinton administration asked Congress to overturn a key provision of IIRIRA that could lead to the removal of 40,000

INS: Management and Enforcement
Management. Some 1.8 million immigrants are expected to apply to become naturalized US citizens in FY97, and the wait between application and

NAFTA After Three Years
The North American Free Trade Agreement went into effect on January 1, 1994, and the Clinton administration released a report on July 10, 1997,

Congress: Birthright Citizenship, Naturalization
Birthright Citizenship. On June 25, 1997, the House Immigration subcommittee held hearings on the 14th Amendment provision that is the basis

California: Bilingual Education
Bilingual Education. The California Legislature in June 1997 approved legislation that would give state school districts more flexibility in

Hispanic Mobility, Voting
The National Council of La Raza released a report July 21, 1997 that concluded that a strong work ethic and working women have fueled a broad

Marianas and Labor Law
President Clinton in July urged Congress to apply US labor and immigration laws to the 14-island Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands near

Some Welfare Benefits Restored
In May 1997, Congressional leaders and President Clinton agreed in the budget compromise to modify the 1996 welfare law to maintain Supplemental

INS Removals, Enforcement and Polls
Removals. The Immigration and Naturalization Service expects to remove or deport 93,000 people in FY97, up from 68,657 in FY96, 50,414 in

Mexico: Immigration, Politics, Border
Immigration. In a May 2, 1997 interview, published in the Journal of Commerce on May 7, 1997, Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo Ponce De Leon

California: Race, Welfare and Demography
President Clinton on June 14, 1997 launched what he promised would be a year-long campaign to improve the racial climate in the US. Beginning from

Integration: Children Learn English
Among children under 18 in the US population, some ten million, mostly born in the US, live with immigrant parents. In the view of the author of a

Refugees and Asylum
The US Commission on Immigration Reform on June 6, 1997 urged the creation of a new office in the National Security Council to coordinate US policies

Immigrants and Welfare
Under the budget compromise reached May 16, 1997, Congress and President Clinton agreed to modify the 1996 welfare law to maintain Supplemental

Clinton Travels South
Mexico. President Clinton and 10 members of his Cabinet visited Mexico May 5-7, 1997. President Clinton and President Zedillo signed 10

INS: Criminal Aliens, Denaturalization and Sanctions
Criminal Aliens. On May 13, 1997, the INS reported that it had removed or excluded from the US 42,426 illegal aliens in the first half of

Immigration and Bilingual Education
There were 2.8 million Limited-English Proficient (LEP) pupils in K-12 schools in the US in 1996-97, double the number in the mid-1980s. Fewer than 1

NRC on Immigration
The National Research Council released on May 17, 1997 a 500-page, $800,000 report entitled "The New Americans: Economic, Demographic, and Fiscal

Welfare: Immigrant Eligibility Restored
Legislation. On May 2, 1997, Congress and President Clinton agreed in the balanced budget plan to continue Medicaid and Supplemental Security

INS: Management and Apprehensions
Management. On April 18, a 140-page independent audit of the Citizenship USA program by accounting firm KPMG Peat Marwick found that only one

IIRIRA Goes Into Effect
IIRIRA. Many provisions of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996--IIRIRA-- went into effect as scheduled on

Mexico Criticizes IIRIRA
Reactions to IIRIRA. All four parties in Mexico's Congress condemned IIRIRA, amidst assertions in the Mexican press that the new law would

Foreign-born Population and Immigration Up
Foreign-born. The US population of 265 million in mid-1996 included about 24.6 million or 9.3 percent foreign-born residents, almost double

California: Voting, Prop 209
Voting. Hispanics cast 15 percent of the votes in the election for mayor of Los Angeles on April 8, 1997, a record high share; whites cast 65

Canada: Immigration Up
The Canadian Department of Citizenship and Immigration on March 18, 1997 announced that 225,313 immigrants had arrived in 1996, more than the 195,000

Marianas: Foreign Workers
The US controls several Pacific Ocean islands, including the 14-island Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, of which Saipan is capital, and

Implementing Immigration Changes
Many of the provisions of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 become effective April 1, 1997. The regulations

Congress: Naturalization and INS
The INS' Citizenship USA program was launched in August 1995 to reduce from two years to six months or less the time between applying to become a

Mexico: Drugs and Naturalization
Drugs. On February 28, 1997 President Clinton re-certified Mexico as a fully cooperating ally in the struggle against drug smuggling, despite

Welfare Changes Continue
The 1996 welfare law made a major change in the relationship between immigrants and the social safety net, shifting US policy from generally making

California: Welfare and Prop 187
On March 25, Governor Wilson unveiled long-awaited proposals to make unauthorized aliens ineligible for 200 state services, put give them access to

Caribbean: Dominican Republic, Trade and Cuba
Dominican Republic. In the Dominican Republic, the number one source of immigrants to New York City, US consulates receive an average of 500

English Only
The US Supreme Court on March 3, 1997 set aside an appeals court decision that said that Arizona could not require state employees to speak only

Implementing Welfare Changes
President Clinton's FY98 budget, released February 6, 1997, called for restoring some of the welfare benefits that were denied to legal immigrants by

Five Million Illegal Aliens in US
The INS on February 7, 1997 released new estimates of the population of resident illegal aliens, estimating that there were five million unauthorized

Naturalization and Voting
On February 24, 1997, the Justice Department said that 180,000 immigrants who applied for naturalization did not have required criminal background

Mexican Immigrants Spread Out
One axiom of Mexico-US migration has been that most migrants come from west central Mexico and settle in a handful of US states and cities.

Mexico: Drugs, Grupo Beta and Trade
Drugs. The arrest of the Mexican general who led Mexico's National Institute to Combat Drugs after only two months in office, Gen. Jesus

INS: Budget and Enforcement
Budget. President Clinton's budget for FY98 proposes a $3.6 billion for the INS, more than double the FY93 budget and enough to allow the INS

State Suits and Proposition 187
For the fourth time, a federal appeals court has refused to allow a state to sue the federal government for reimbursement of the costs of supporting

Hawaii: Mexicans and Natives
The Mexican government opened a consular office in Honolulu to serve the estimated 15,000 Mexicans in Hawaii, such as the Mexican worker profiled in

Immigration, Naturalization and Dual Citizenship
Immigration. The INS announced that 911,000 immigrants were legally admitted to the US in FY96, up 26 percent from 720,461 in FY95. The INS

Congress: No Major Legislation Expected in 1997
The 105th Congress convened on January 7, 1996. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) was re-appointed chair of the House immigration subcommittee, while Sen.

INS: Enforcement and Asylum
Under Operation Jobs, the INS is seeking to open up jobs for US workers by persuading employers to recruit legal replacement workers before the

Is Gatekeeper Working?
The INS budget has doubled from $1.5 billion in FY93 to $3.1 billion in FY97, with most of the increased funds going to reduce illegal immigration.

Protecting Immigrants
The Los Angeles Times on January 12, 1997 described how established immigrants sometimes cheat newcomers who accept offers of medical, legal,

Mexico: Immigration and Poverty
The Mexican government suspended five immigration agents involved in the killing of a Guatemalan immigrant January 21, 1997 at a train station in Las

Poverty and Welfare Reform
According to US Census Bureau data, the percentage of the nation's Hispanics in poverty--30 percent--in 1995 for the first time exceeded the

US: Low Wage Workers
Marriott and 28 companies, including J.C. Penny, Hyatt International, McDonald's, ConAgra and Levi Strauss, have formed the Employer Group to study

Immigration, Naturalization Up in FY96
There were 720,461 people admitted as immigrants in FY95, down 10 percent from 804,416 in FY94; an estimated one million people were admitted as

Ethnic Voting in 1996
Recently-naturalized US citizens voted overwhelmingly for Clinton in November 1996. An estimated 71 percent of Hispanics voted for Clinton.

Expanding Access to Asylum
Since 1994, when the US recognized persecution because of homosexuality as grounds for asylum, some 60 foreigners have been given asylum in the US on

Implementing Welfare Changes
On November 27, 1996, the New York Times reported that the Clinton administration was proposing changes in the August 1996 welfare law that would

INS: Management Woes/Enforcement
INS field managers have accused William S. Slattery, the third-ranking official in the INS, of improper associations with Korean garment shop owners.

Mexico: Dual Citizenship and NAFTA
The Mexican Senate and Chamber of Deputies approved legislation on December 10, 1996 that would permit Mexicans who become naturalized US citizens to

Canada: Immigration Goals-Reality Gap
The ruling Liberal Party government in Canada promised to keep annual immigration at one percent of the population, which would imply about 300,000

Caribbean Migration to the US
The 15 independent Caribbean nations, plus several dependencies, have total population of about 36 million and some of the highest emigration rates

Affirmative Action and Official English
Affirmative Action. On December 23, 1996, a San Francisco federal judge blocked enforcement of Proposition 209, saying in a 67-page opinion that

Voting and Naturalization
On the basis of exit polls, the New York Times reported that 83 percent of those voting in November 1996 were white, 10 percent were

Welfare/Immigration Reform Implementation
About 1.5 million of the nation's four million adult welfare recipients are likely to lose welfare benefits in the next few years and an additional

Mexican Migrants on the Chicken Trail
Missouri. The Los Angeles Times on November 10-12, 1996 ran a three-part report on "the chicken trail," about the recruitment of poultry

Legal Immigration Changes?
Legal immigration is expected to return as a major issue in the 105th Congress, which begins its work in January 1997. Current law anticipates the

INS Enforcement
The INS announced that it removed from the US 67,100 illegal aliens in FY96, and 160,000 over the past three years. About 55 percent of the aliens

Mexico and Guatemala
Gaps between the rich and poor in Mexico and between the industrial northern and indigenous southern parts of the country, are widening. There have

Religion and Immigration
Largely because of changes in immigration laws in 1965, the United States "is now the most religiously diverse country on earth," according to an

Immigrant Integration
A survey found that 52 percent of graduating US high school students think the US has too many immigrants. More than half believe that immigration

Naturalization Controversy Continues
As the number of newly-naturalized US citizens surpassed 1.1 million in FY96, Republicans stepped up their attacks on Citizenship USA. Vice President

Immigration in the Election
Presidential Politics. After the second debate between presidential candidates Robert Dole and Bill Clinton in San Diego on October 16, 1996,

Assessing 1996 Immigration Changes
In 1996, three major laws that affect immigrants and immigration were enacted: The Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, signed into law on

INS: Enforcement and Management
Enforcement. On October 10, 1996, the INS announced that Operation Gatekeeper would be extended to East San Diego county. Intense Border

Welfare Reform's Uneven Impacts
Food Stamps. In the omnibus spending bill, approved at the end of September 1996 along with the new immigration law, the Clinton

California: Population, Housing and Labor
Population. The US Census Bureau released its projections of California's population in October, and projected that the state would have 49.3

Mexican Views on Immigration
On October 22, 1996, Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Jose Angel Gurria asserted that "The phenomenon of migration can be beneficial and offers

Nonimmigrants/US Business/Inequality
Labor Certification. US mathematicians holding doctorates, whose unemployment rate jumped to almost 11 percent in 1995, are protesting the

Canadian Immigration Falls
Canada anticipated the arrival of 220,000 immigrants and refugees in 1996 but, as of October, only about 160,000 had arrived. The

Dominican Republic Immigration
An estimated 700,000 Dominicans, almost 10 percent of the 7.5 million population of the Dominican Republic, are believed to have emigrated since

Immigration Overhaul
On September 25, 1996, by a vote of 305 to 123, the House approved a bill aimed at reducing illegal immigration and reducing access of legal

Naturalization Controversy
In FY96, some 1.1 to 1.2 million immigrants are expected to become American citizens, more than doubling FY95's record 445,852 naturalizations. The

Welfare Changes Implemented
The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, scheduled to go into full effect on October 1, 1996, makes most legal

Mexico: Polls, Remittances and Economy
Polls. An August 1996 Los Angeles Times poll of 1,500 Mexicans in Mexico and 1,572 US adults found that 73 percent of those interviewed in

INS Enforcement
The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) announced on September 5 that a series of worksite enforcement operations at 487 businesses in 13

Canadian Immigrants
Canada is expected to add 220,000 immigrants to its 30 million population in 1996, a much higher rate of immigration than the US, which is expecting

Welfare Overhaul and Minimum Wage Changes
In August, President Clinton signed into law two bills that will have important effects on immigrants. The Personal Responsibility and Work

Immigration and Official English Legislation
Immigration. The House has not yet officially appointed its members to the Conference Committee that must work out the differences between the

Presidential Politics and Immigration
In July and August, Republicans and Democrats ran campaign ads in California promising to get tough on illegal immigration. The Republicans' ads

SOS in other States
In November 1994, California voters approved Proposition 187, the so-called "Save our State," by a margin of 59-14 percent. Proponents

INS: Enforcement, TPS and Naturalization
Enforcement. The number of aliens apprehended along the US-Mexican border in June 1996 was 117,000, or about 4,000 per day, down slightly from

Hispanic Unemployment-Immigrant Self-Employment
Historically, the African-American unemployment rate has been about twice the white rate, and the Hispanic unemployment rate has been closer to the

Regulating the Immigrant Labor Market
For the first time, the US Department of Labor has run out of H-1B visas for foreign professionals to enter the US to work for up to six years. A

Congress: Immigration, Welfare, Minimum Wages
Immigration. In July, Republicans continued to debate among themselves whether to try to include the Gallegly amendment in pending legislation

INS: Enforcement, Asylum, and Naturalization
Enforcement. Beginning in 1993, the INS implemented a "prevention through deterrence" strategy along the US-Mexican border, seeking to

Mexico/US Immigration
It is often asserted that Mexico and the US have the largest wage gap between contiguous countries, but the World Bank's World Development Report,

Immigrant Integration
In July 1997, several reports on the economic progress of recent Latino immigrants were released, and all were pessimistic about upward mobility for

Congress Works to Revise Immigration Law
As Congress struggled to reconcile the immigration bills approved by the US House of Representatives in March, 1996, and by the Senate in May 1996,

INS: Enforcement and Asylum
Border Control. On May 28, 1996, the INS announced that it was adding 185 agents to patrol the eastern parts of San Diego county to curb

Mexico: Voting Rights and Emigration
Voting Rights. In mid-June, Mexico's major political parties, the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), the left-leaning Democratic

California: Internal Migration and Strikes
Internal Migration. California in July 1995 had an estimated 32 million residents, reflecting 569,000 births in 1994-95, 222,000 deaths,

Immigration Update in New York, Florida and Illinois
New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani on June 6 criticized Bob Dole for supporting immigration legislation that would restrict federal aid to

Caribbean/Central American Immigration
More than 435,000 Cubans--about four percent of that nation's population-- applied in the US visa lottery that closed April 30, 1996 for about 6,000

Immigration Reform Advances
On March 21, 1996 the US House of Representatives passed a bill 333-87 that would add agents to the US Border Patrol, take other steps to reduce

INS: Numbers, Criminals, Sanctions
Legal Immigration. The INS was criticized by Congressional leaders of immigration subcommittees in May 1996 for "misleading" the public about

California Migration
Internal Migration. California lost a net 143,000 residents to other states in 1995, reflecting the slowdown in the state's population growth

Florida: No Federal Reimbursement
On May 13, the US Supreme Court refused to permit Florida to sue the federal government to recoup the cost of providing services to illegal aliens.

Mexico-US Agree on Migrant Rights
Mexicans' Rights. On May 8, the US and Mexico signed 11 agreements, including a four-page "Memorandum of Understanding on Consular Protection"

Regulating the Immigrant Labor Market
The US Department of Labor on May 3 issued its first-ever report on the nation's garment workers. Half of the sewing shops that were investigated had

Immigrants and US Business
Immigrants in the US have higher rates of self-employment than US natives. As immigration increased over the past 25 years, immigrants from

Senate Tackles Illegal Immigration
On May 2, the Senate voted 97-3 to approve a measure (S164) aimed at reducing illegal immigration. A similar House bill approved in March 1996 by a

Immigrant Beatings, Numbers and Naturalization
On April 1, two white Riverside county sheriff's deputies were taped beating two unauthorized Mexican aliens who had led them on an 80 mile

DOL Reports on Temporary Workers
The US Department of Labor's inspector general in April released an 12-state audit of DOL labor certification activities that concluded that "foreign

California: Initiatives and Wages
In California, one proposition qualified for the November 1996 ballot, and one did not. The California Civil Rights Initiative qualified for the

Florida's Growth, Arizona's Prop. 187
Florida is currently the fourth most populous state, with 14 million residents, and is projected to grow to 17-18 million by 2010, and to 22 million

Anti-Terrorism and Asylum
The anti-terrorism bill signed by President Clinton on April 24 would permit asylum officers, with the approval of their supervisors, to exclude

Independent Mexican Unions
Industrial wages in Mexico are equivalent to only 50 percent of their 1982 level, but the number of strikes in Mexico is still very low--there were

Central American Immigrants
The seven countries of Central America south of Mexico are smaller, poorer, and more rural than Mexico. They sent about 40,000 legal immigrants to

Congress Moves to Curb Illegal Immigration
Congress in March took up proposals by Senator Alan Simpson (R-WY)--S S269 and S1394, and Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX)--HR2202, the Immigration

Presidential Candidates and Immigration
Immigration divided the "Big 4" candidates for the Republican presidential nomination, which was wrapped up by Bob Dole on March 19 in the Midwestern

INS: Sanctions, Apprehensions, Immigration, and Naturalizations
Sanctions. The San Francisco Chronicle published a long article on March 18, 1996 reporting that fewer than half of the 12,700 US employers

US and California Population Growth
The US Census Bureau reported March 12 that, by 2050, the non-Hispanic white share of the population would drop to 53 percent, down from 74 percent

Mexico Professionals Being Drawn to US
Mexican professionals such as teachers and doctors are reportedly being drawn to the US because of unemployment in Mexico. According to a March 4

Immigration and Voting
A federal court issued a ruling on March 11, 1996 that upheld the creation of a horseshoe-shaped Chicago congressional district to remedy past

INS: Budget and Apprehensions Up
The Immigration and Naturalization Service announced February 8, 1996 that much of the department's FY96 budget of $2.6 billion will be spent to

Presidential Candidates on Immigration
The surprising strength of Pat Buchanan in recent primaries will ensure that immigration remains a key issue in 1996 presidential politics. The

Agricultural Guest Workers
In February 1995, the National Council of Agricultural Employers released a proposal for a supplementary foreign worker program to fill temporary or

CongressMoves on Immigration Reform
Congress is scheduled to debate on major reforms to US immigration law in March 1996. The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to

Unions and Immigrants
The AFL-CIO met in New York in late October, 1995, and selected John Sweeny of the 1.1 million-member Service Employees International Union to head

Canada Cracks Down on Immigrant Sponsors
The Canadian government on December 14, 1995 promised to crack down on residents who, after sponsoring the immigration of their relatives to Canada,

MexicoSteps Up Southern Border Enforcement
Mexico stepped up enforcement on its southern border with Guatemala, arresting an average 300 Central Americans and Asians per day at immigration

Argentina Beefs Up Employer Sanctions
The Argentine government proposed to increase fines to $100,000, and jail terms of up to six years, for employers who hire illegal foreign

Caribbean Immigration
On January 31, 1996 the last 124 Cubans left the US base at Guantanamo for the US. After Cubans and Haitians set out for the US in the summer of

Clinton: Illegal Aliens = No Contracts
President Clinton pledged in his January 23, 1996 State of the Union speech to issue an Executive Order that might bar companies convicted of

INS: Apprehensions, Asylum and Deportation
Alien apprehensions doubled along the US-Mexican border in December 1995 versus year earlier levels. To prevent what some feared would be a massive

Immigrant Integration
The Commission on Immigration Reform believes that the United States should continue to be a country of immigration, but that the US must worry about

US Naturalizations Continue to Increase
Over one million foreigners applied to become naturalized US citizens in 1995, up from 543,353 in 1994, 522,298 in 1993, and 342,269 in 1992. The

Employers Criticize H-1B /a>Program
Employers continue to criticize the US Department of Labor for proposing changes in the H-1B program, which allows up to 65,000 "professionals" to

Alien Smuggling
The January 1996 Report of the Presidential Initiative to Deter Alien Smuggling recommended that all nations pass laws that make alien smuggling a

Foreign Students in US
In April 1993, about 10 percent of US residents holding Bachelor's degrees in science and engineering, and seven percent of non-science and

Mexican Maquiladoras
Mexico ran a trade surplus of $7.4 billion in 1995, versus a deficit of $18.5 billion in 1994. Exports were $80 billion, including $67 billion of

Filipino and Korean Integration in the US
December 1995 interviews with a 750-person sample of the one million Filipinos in California find that most speak English well and want to become US

Salvadoran/Guatemala Asylum
Salvadoran legislators urged the 187,000 Salvadorans in the United States who are in the so-called ABC program, scheduled to expire January 31, 1996,

Agricultural Guest Workers
On December 7 and 14, the House Immigration Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims held hearings on agricultural guest workers. The

INS
In early December, the INS tested a plan near Nogales, Arizona for processing and returning to Mexico, or detaining, a hypothetical mass of illegal

Congress Debates Jus Soli
On December 13, 1995, two Congressional subcommittees held a hearing on proposals to deny US citizenship to the children of illegal aliens born in

Prop. 187 Judges Urges Speedy Appeal
In November, 1995, a federal judge, in a 72-page OPINION (League of United Latin American Citizens v. Wilson, Case No. CV 94-7569 MRP--available on

Mexico Works on Dual Nationality
Mexico in 1996 is expected to approve a dual nationality amendment to the Mexican Constitution that would permit Mexican nationals who become

South Koreans in Argentina
South Korean immigrants are a prosperous community of about 35,000 in Argentina. South Koreans operate more about 1,000 businesses in Argentina, many

Welfare, Health, and Poverty
In 1993, the US government spent $300 billion on programs for poor residents through six major programs--Medicaid ($132 billion), food stamps and SSI

House and Senate to Take on Immigration Bills
In November, the full House prepared to take up the Immigration in the National Interest bill, and in the Senate, Senator Alan Simpson (R-WY) on

Parts of Prop. 187 Unconstitutional
A federal judge in Los Angeles declared most sections of Prop. 187 unconstitutional in a 72-page ruling issued on November 20, 1995. According to the

INS: Employee Verification and Gatekeeper
On October 31, the INS announced a pilot program in California that will permit more than 200 small companies to verify the right to work of their

Quebec Rejects Separation
On October 30, 1995, Quebec voted 51 to 49 percent to remain part of Canada--a switch of 25,000 votes would have led to a vote for separation. Some

Mexican Economic Uncertainty
On October 29, the Mexican government announced a new pacto, the Alliance for Economic Recuperation, a government, employer, and union agreement to

Thai and Chinese Alien Smuggling to US
US officials in Bangkok estimate that 2,000 people each month--Thais, Chinese, and Indians and Pakistanis--are smuggled to the US via Bangkok. In

Skilled Foreign Workers in US
Debate has been increasing in the US about whether skilled foreign workers who are recruited to work in the US are displacing American workers. The

Cuban/Haitian Immigration
Between November 15 and 30, over 1,100 Haitians were stopped in boats en route to Florida. By comparison, only about 300 Haitians were picked up

Congressional Action on Immigration
The House Judiciary Committee, completed its markup of the 364-page Immigration in the National Interest Act, HR 2202, on October 24, 1995, voting

Welfare and Immigration
The House and Senate in October approved budget proposals for FY96, that began October 1, 1995, that are projected to reduce federal spending by

INS Trumpets Gatekeeper
On October 1, 1994, the INS launched Operation Gatekeeper--a system to prevent illegal entry by deterring aliens from attempting to enter the US with

Temporary Skilled Immigrants
In October 1995, the 32,000 machinists at the Boeing Company's US factories went on strike, in part to protest Boeing plans to move some skilled jobs

Prop 187 Hearings Pending
One year after its approval by a vote of 59 to 41 percent, California's Prop. 187 remains tied up in court. There are two distinct cases

Mexico: Immigration and NAFTA
On October 10, Mexican President Zedillo came to Washington, where he repaid ahead of schedule $700 million of the $12.5 billion Mexico borrowed from

Migration in the Americas
There is a significant amount of migration within Central and Latin America. Peruvians are found in Mexico and Mexicans in Canada. NAFTA has removed

Presidential Contenders Discuss Immigration
President Clinton came to California on Labor Day, September 4, to defend immigrant rights and affirmative action. Clinton said that "we should never

Congress Moves on Immigration Reform
The Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Immigration held a hearing September 13 on legal immigration reform, and another on September 28 on

Immigration Reform and Guest Workers
On September 28, the Senate Subcommittee on Immigration held a hearing on guest workers and other temporary workers at which multinationals and farm

Welfare Reform and Immigration
On September 19, the US Senate approved by a vote of 87 to 12 a welfare reform bill that would end welfare payments to poor persons after two years,

Immigration and Sweatshops
On September 12, the US Department of Labor held a "summit" with garment industry leaders and retailers in New York to discuss labor law violations

INS Evaluates Gatekeeper, SouthPAW
On October 1, 1994, the INS launched Operation Gatekeeper, a $46 million operation to halt illegal immigration on the five westernmost miles of the

NAFTA and Mexico
Despite the loss of one million jobs so far in 1995, unemployed Mexicans have not taken to the streets in protest. According to observers, social

New York Unions Organize, Los Angeles Unions Protest
The New York City Central Labor Council has committed $200,000 to train 100 organizers to recruit immigrant workers into unions. According to union

Immigration and Internal Migration
The percentage of US residents who change their residences every year has fallen from about 1 in 5 to 1 in 6. Americans are also staying closer to

Women and Asylum
On September 27, the House Judiciary Committee approved an amendment to the immigration bill that would create a new refugee category for women who

Job and Income Trends and Immigration
Job growth patterns resemble immigration patterns--the fastest growth is at the extremes of the distribution. One result is that income is more

US Foreign-Born Up, Immigration Down
The number of foreign-born residents in the US reached a 50-year high of 8.7 percent in 1994, while the number of immigrants admitted to the US fell

Regulating the Immigrant Labor Market
A federal-state task force raided a garment factory in Los Angeles and found 70 Thai immigrants living and working in a fenced seven-unit apartment

Politics and Immigration
Since immigration affects everything from national sovereignty to concepts of community and membership, and granting permission to immigrate is a

INS: Apprehensions and Naturalizations Up
Apprehensions at the US-Mexican border were up 26 percent to 1 million in the first 10 months of FY95--there were 815,000 apprehensions in the same

TPS Extended for Salvadorans
In January 1995, the INS announced that the 200,000 Salvadorans living in the US with a Temporary Protected Status (TPS) would have to obtain another

Integrating Immigrants
The debates over affirmative action and immigration are slowly being merged in US politics, especially in local disputes. In New York,

Mexico: Recovery and Dual Citizenship
The International Monetary Fund in August issued a report that blamed Mexicans, not foreigners, for selling pesos and causing the pesos to lose half

Reaction to Immigration Proposals
Both the Commission on Immigration Reform and Rep. Lamar Smith's (R-TX) Immigration in the National Interest Act (HR 2202) would eliminate several

Immigrants and Welfare
In Los Angeles County, almost two-thirds of persons who receive SSI and Medicaid are legal immigrants. Some say that immigrant elderly are dependent

Immigration to Canada
Canada is attempting to both reduce the number of immigrants, 200,000 in 1995, and the percentage who arrive because their families sponsor them, 51

Official English
Republican Presidential candidate Bob Dole on September 4 announced that he would support proposals to make English the official language of the US.

August 31 Workshop on German-US Immigration
Immigration Issues in Germany and the US: Challenges and Options Thursday August 31, 1995 Room 223 Moses Hall,

House Subcommittee Approves Immigration Reform
On July 20, the House Judiciary's Immigration and Claims Subcommittee approved by voice vote the Immigration in the National Interest Act of 1995, HR

New Asylum Rules
The INS on January 4, 1995 implemented new regulations to reduce "abuse" of the asylum system. On July 5, 1995, the INS reported that these new

Hearing on Prop. 187
During a July 26, 1995 hearing, opponents of Prop. 187 told a federal judge in Los Angeles that the measure was unconstitutional, and that she should

Policing the LA Garment Industry
In June, Los Angeles area garment manufacturers signed an agreement with the US Labor Department to begin policing labor practices. Under the

Reaction to CIR Proposals
Strange bedfellows attacked the Commission on Immigration Reform's proposals to reduce and restructure legal immigration. The Wall Street Journal on

INS to Open Shelter for Undocumented Children
The INS in August will begin to house unaccompanied and minor illegal aliens in Tucson, Arizona, and later in El Paso, Texas. In Tucson, refugee

Agricultural Guest Workers
Despite strong statements against agricultural guest workers in June 1995 by both President Clinton and the Jordan Commission on Immigration Reform,

Economics, Education, and Immigration
Economist George Borjas estimated that the net benefits of current immigration are about $7 billion annually, or equivalent to half of Microsoft CEO

Mexico Stabilizes and Reforms
The Mexican stock market is up 50 percent since its February 27, 1995 low of 1448, but there are fears that political scandals and violence will slow

Congress Moves on Immigration Reform
In June 1995, the House and Senate took actions that are likely to reduce legal immigration and increase efforts to reduce illegal immigration. If

CIR Recommends Less Immigration
The nine-member US Commission on Immigration Reform, headed by Barbara Jordan, recommended at a June 7 press conference that legal immigration be

Pros and Cons of Guest Workers
Economist Julian Simon, who has long advocated immigration as an economic panacea, joined politicians such as Governor Wilson (R-CA) in arguing that

Gatekeeper Enters Phase 2
On June 23, the INS announced Phase Two of its effort to reduce illegal immigration over the US border south of San Diego. According to the INS,

Prop 187 Trial Scheduled
A trial of the constitutionality of Proposition 187 is scheduled to begin on September 5, 1995 in federal court in Los Angeles. In May, California

Detained Aliens Riot
In New Jersey, some of the 300 illegal aliens detained in a facility operated for the INS by a private company, Esmor, attempted to take several

Births and Naturalizations
Ron Prince, a leader of the Proposition 187 campaign, is a backer of what is being called Save Our State II -- an effort to amend the US Constitution

Mexican President Predicts Economic Growth
President Zedillo, in his first major economic speech since the December 1994 peso crisis, predicted that after Mexico pulls out of its current

Clinton Proposals to Reduce Illegal Immigration
On May 3, 1995, Senators Kennedy (D-MA), Boxer (D-CA), and Simon (D-IL), formally introduced President Clinton's proposals to deal with illegal

Western Growers to Ask for Guest Workers
The proposed crackdown on illegal immigration has led California's growers to call for a guest worker program that would permit them to legally hire

Guantanamo Cubans to enter the US
After two months of secret talks with representatives of Fidel Castro, the Clinton Administration on May 2 announced that the 21,000 Cubans in

Republicans Divided on Immigration
Republican success during their first 100 days of considering the Contract with America has been credited to, inter alia, a willingness to march in

Women and Asylum
On May 26, 1995, the US followed the lead of Canada and issued new guidelines that recognize rape, domestic violence and other forms of violence

Mexican Dual Citizenship and Devaluation
The Mexican Congress is considering a constitutional amendment that would allow Mexicans to hold dual citizenship. Mexican immigrants in the US could

House Solicits Immigration Suggestions
The House Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims on May 17 opened hearings on legal immigration reform. Subcommittee Chair Lamar Smith (R-TX) noted

TV News Show Tackles Migration
On May 11, the CBS-News TV program 48 Hours aired a segment on abuse of the attestation procedures under which US employers can "attest" that they

Nicaraguans Protest
On May 19, it was reported that the 22,000 Nicaraguans whose work permits have been renewed on a year-to-year basis while their asylum applications

Bilingual Education and Immigrant Integration
The Bilingual Education Act of 1967 required local school districts to teach subjects such as math and science in the native language of students, at

Illegal Immigration Pressures
Illegal immigration appears to be increasing, as indicated by surveys in Mexico of persons intending to emigrate, apprehension data, and reports from

Mexican Economic Prospects
On February 21, 1995, the US and Mexico reached agreement on a $52 billion multilateral rescue package. On March 30, several Senate Republicans

Naturalization Crunch
The INS has been criticized for focusing on illegal immigration rather than preparing for a wave of naturalization applications. About

Labor Market Adjustments to Less Immigration
Traditionally, the Black unemployment rate has been twice the white rate, and the Hispanic unemployment rate 1.5 times the white rate. However, in

Anti-terrorist Legislation
The Oklahoma City bombing led to a spate of counterterrorist immigration proposals. Although initial reports that Middle Eastern terrorists were

Welfare Reform, SSI, and the American Poor
The House appropriated $1 billion more for the INS in 1996, as requested by Clinton, but said that the additional funds should deter at least 300,000

California Farm Workers
Farm workers are one of only three US occupations with one million or more workers in which the majority of workers are immigrants--the other two are

Prop 187 and California's Economy
On April 15, a federal judge in Oakland refused California Governor Wilson's request to have arguments over the constitutionality of Prop 187

Early Intervention to Prevent Mass Emigration
Some speculate that early intervention in emigration nations could prevent crises that later produce illegal immigration. Between the September 19,

Immigration History
Immigration is a major public policy issue at the end of the 20th century, as it was at the beginning. What do the lessons of history teach about the

Illegal Immigration and the Peso Devaluation
Experts predicted in 1994 that Operation Gatekeeper would reduce illegal immigration from Mexico. But then came the 50 percent devaluation of the

INS: Naturalization, Greencards and Family Unity
The number of immigrants electing to become naturalized US citizens jumped 75 percent in the first four months of 1995. In FY94, some 558,139

Congressional Immigration Reform
Congress continued to hold hearings throughout March on proposals to reduce illegal immigration and reform the system for admitting legal immigrants.

US and California Population Growth
The US population was estimated to be 260 million on July 1, 1994, up from 249 million in 1990. There are about four million births annually, and two

Illegal Alien Numbers Revised
As Congress debates what to do to reduce illegal immigration, there were several reviews of the level of illegal immigration, and the efforts of INS

CIR Considers Immigration's Impacts on US Labor Markets
At a CIR hearing February 23, a Department of Labor representative urged the CIR to reduce employment-based immigration in order to balance

State Activities to Deter Illegal Immigration
Prop. 187 in California may have marked a new era in state and local government activism to reduce illegal immigration. Virginia is estimating the

California Farm Workers
On March 31, the United Farm Workers Union held events around the nation to honor the anniversary of the death of UFW founder Cesar Chavez.

Clinton's Budget Targets Illegal Immigration
President Clinton's proposed federal budget for 1996, released February 6, 1995, includes a $1 billion increase in immigration-related spending,

Budget Bolsters Interior Enforcement
Clinton's FY 96 budget requests $93 million, a 29 percent increase, in additional funds for interior enforcement. Under a proposal to target

Calls for Guest Workers Mount
On February 6, 1995, California Attorney General Dan Lungren called for a guest worker (companero) program that would permit Mexican workers to be

Evaluating Stepped-Up Border Controls
The General Accounting Office (GAO) reported in January 1995 that INS efforts to deter the entry of illegal aliens at the border rather than

Legal Immigration and Naturalization in 1994
Legal immigration fell about 10 percent in FY 94, to 800,000 from 880,000 (excluding aliens legalized under IRCA). There were 24,000 fewer

Peso Devaluation, US and Mexican Jobs, and Migration
The Mexican peso fell from $1=5.4 pesos on February 1 to $1=6 pesos on February 28. Many businesses in Mexico came to a near standstill because of

Welfare, Taxes, and Immigrants
The General Accounting Office on February 2, 1995 released a report that concluded that immigrants are twice as likely as US citizens received

Wilson Says Let State Courts Rule on 187
California state attorneys on February 3, 1995 asked Federal Judge Pfaelzer to dismiss the challenge to the constitutionality of Prop. 187 or to stop

Cubans Returned
The 28,000 Cubans who left their island nation during the summer of 1994 and remain in US custody are now housed in tent cities at the US base in

Devaluation and Mexico to US Migration
Avoiding increased Mexico-to-US unauthorized migration due to recession in Mexico and a wider US-Mexican wage gap was a pillar argument in favor of

President Clinton Endorses Registry
President Clinton, in his State of the Union address on January 24, 1995, emphasized the need to step up efforts to reduce illegal immigration.

Immigration in the 104th Congress
Immigration is not in the "contract with America" to which House Republicans have promised to devote the first 100 days of Congress, but Rep. Lamar

Haitians in Guantanamo Returned
On December 29, 1994, the US informed the 4,400 Haitians at Guantanamo that they would have to return to Haiti, and that those agreeing to return by

Farm Labor Shortages and Guest Workers
Farmworkers, maids, and janitors are the only three US occupations with one million or more workers in which most workers are immigrants, and many

Minimum Wages, Jobs, and Immigration
President Clinton, in his January 24th State of the Union address, called for a hike in the minimum wage which is currently $4.25 per hour. The US

Illegal Overstayers and Criminal Aliens
More than half of the estimated four million illegal aliens believed to be in the US in October 1994 arrived legally as visitors or students and then

Prop 187 Aftermath
The Wilson Administration continues to draft regulations to implement Prop. 187. On January 27, the Wilson Administration sued to have the

DOL Issues H-1B Final Rules
The final regulations spelling our what US employers wishing to hire foreign H1-B workers went into effect January 20, 1995. The US Department of

English-Only Legislation
There are estimated to be 150 languages spoken in the US; 32 million people reported that they spoke a language other than English in the 1990 Census

Salvadorans TPS to Expire
On December 2, it was announced that Temporary Protected Status or TPS for El Salvadorans will be allowed to lapse on December 31, 1994. Over 500,000

US Changes Asylum Regulations
In an effort to re-establish the proper balance "between compassion and control," INS Commissioner Doris Meissner on December 2 announced that asylum

Prop. 187--Enforcement Stayed
Citing serious constitutional questions, a federal judge in Los Angeles on December 14 barred the enforcement of Prop. 187's requirement that public

Illegal Immigrants and Devaluation in Mexico
In the aftermath of Mexican criticism of Operation Gatekeeper and Prop. 187, there have been several reports of harsh Mexican policies toward illegal

Another Bracero Program Considered
On December 13, the Inter-American Institute on Migration and Labor organized a meeting of 25 farm worker advocates in Washington DC to discuss the

Gatekeeper Reduces Apprehensions
On October 1, 1994, the INS launched Operation Gatekeeper, an experiment to flood the westernmost section of the US-Mexican border with three lines

Immigration at the Summit of the Americas
President Clinton told the 34 leaders of Western Hemisphere countries that he would like to see a free trade zone from Alaska to Argentina by 2005,

Cubans Riot in Panama
On December 8, about 1,000 of the 8,500 Cubans being held in Panama rioted to protest what they argued was the slow pace at which their cases were

Florida Lawsuit Thrown Out
Florida was the first state to sue the federal government for reimbursement of the costs of providing education, health, and justice services to

Immigration in the 104th Congress
Senator Alan Simpson (R-WY), who lost by one vote his bid to be his party's number two person in the US Senate, announced that he would oppose

H-1B Final Rules
The US Department of Labor issued final regulations governing the employment of temporary skilled foreigners in the US. There were 110,000 H-1B

Changes to Au Pair Regulations
The US Information Agency, which administers a program through which about 40,000 European au pair domestic helpers have been brought to the US since

Foreign Baseball Players Cannot Replace Strikers
The US Labor Department has certified the major league baseball players' strike, as requested by the Major League Players Association. The US

Prop. 187 Approved in California
California voters on November 8 voted 59 to 41 percent to approve Proposition 187, the "Save Our State'' Initiative. Proposition 187 is an initiative

Immigration and Welfare Reform
The combination of Prop. 187 in California and the return to power of Republicans in Congress has made immigration a national issue. Most observers

Operation Gatekeeper in San Diego
Operation Gatekeeper, initiated on October 1, 1994, has reduced the number of aliens apprehended by 20 percent, to 25,000 in its first month. The US

Cuban and Haitian Refugees
The Clinton Administration insisted in August, 1994 that the 30,000 Cubans and 20,000 Haitians who had left their countries in small boats and were

End of TPS for Salvadorans?
The Clinton Administration is considering allowing Temporary Protected Status to expire for the 187,000 El Salvadorans who left the country for the

Chinese Alien Smuggling to US
Alien smugglers have abandoned efforts to bring Chinese aliens illegally to the US in ships, but they have stepped up their efforts to get them to US

SOS Dominates California Campaign
The "Save Our State'' Initiative--Proposition 187--figured prominently in California political campaigns in October, and forced many state and

Commission on Immigration Reform Issues Report
The nine-member Commission on Immigration Reform created by IMMACT in 1990 issued its interim report on September 30. The CIR recommended unanimously

Operation Gatekeeper in San Diego
On October 1, 1994, the US Border Patrol assigned 200 additional agents to guard the 14 miles of border between the US and Mexico south of San Diego.

Judge Stops Return of Cubans
On October 14, President Clinton announced that Cubans being held at Guantanamo would have to return first to Cuba to apply for U.S. immigrant status

Agricultural Labor Shortages
On September 27, 1994, the Los Angeles Times reported that "raisin farmers were hit by shortage of workers." The article quoted grower assertions

Chinese Alien Smuggling
Chinese triads obtain an estimated $3 billion per year smuggling 100,000 Chinese aliens into the US. They worked in relative anonymity until the

Immigrant-Native Tensions in Wisconsin
On October 16, 1994, the CBS TV-News magazine 60 Minutes described refugee-native tensions in Wausau, Wisconsin. This small city was populated almost

Immigration and the California Election
California Governor Pete Wilson declared an "immigration emergency" on September 21 and argued in a third lawsuit against the federal government that

US Sets Quota for Cuban Immigrants
The US and Cuba negotiated an agreement on September 9 in New York which calls for the US to accept a minimum 20,000 Cubans annually, and on

No Haitian Invasion
On September 15, President Clinton announced that the US would lead an invasion of Haiti if necessary to restore elected President Aristide to power

INS Mismanagement
The New York Times, in a series of articles September 11-16, criticized the Immigration and Naturalization Service as an agency that is mismanaged

Immigration and Farmworker Unions
The United Farm Workers (UFW) union held its twelfth constitutional convention in Fresno, California on September 3-4, 1994. Perhaps more than any

Immigration and Welfare in Canada
Ontario has 40 percent of Canada's 29 million people, but 50 percent of Canada's welfare recipients and costs. Most of the welfare recipients are

Immigrants and the US Labor Market
Economists disagree about the effects of immigrants on jobs and wages, and partisans tend to exaggerate their effects. Economic theory and history

Studies Continue to Dispute Immigration's Benefits and Costs
In response to pleas and suits by governors seeking federal reimbursement for the costs of illegal immigration, the Urban Institute in Washington, DC

SOS in California
Proposition 187, Save Our State, on the November 8 California ballot would amend California's constitution to deny benefits such as public

English-only Rule Upheld by Supreme Court
The US Supreme Court let stand a lower court ruling that English-only workplace rules do not discriminate against Spanish-speaking employees.

DOL Immigration Policymaking
Jack Otero, deputy under secretary who heads the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) at the Department of Labor, announced in September 1994

Unions and Immigration Policy
The AFL-CIO Executive Council has called for a re-examination of the employer sanctions provisions of IRCA and the defeat of the SOS initiative in

Foreign Students in the US
In 1992-93, there were 439,000 foreign students in the US, and 71,000 Americans studying overseas (1991-92). Over half of the foreign students were

Clinton Reverses Policy on Cubans
President Clinton on August 19 announced a dramatic change in the 28-year old US policy toward Cuban refugees. Henceforth, persons from the island

Commission Recommends That States Test Employee Verification
The bipartisan Commission on Immigration Reform (CIR) on August 3, 1994 recommended unanimously in testimony to the Senate Judiciary's Immigration

Haitians Begin To Return Home
On July 31, 1994, the UN Security Council approved the use of force to restore President Aristide to power in Haiti. Troops from several neighboring

Immigration and Politics in California
The debate over immigration in California is rekindling interest in the role of Latino voters in statewide campaigns. Latinos are between 25 and 30

Court Decisions Changes INS Policies
As a result of a court decision, the INS will now take custody of aliens who stowaway in ships or airplanes, and permit them to remain in the US

Texas Sues over Costs of Illegal Immigration
Texas joined Florida, Arizona, California, and New Jersey on August 3 in suing the federal government for the costs state and local governments incur

Haitian Zig-Zags
The Clinton administration spent the month of July fine-tuning its policy on Haitian refugees. At the end of July, the US was on the verge of

Commission Recommends Better Verification
The Commission on Immigration Reform (CIR) is expected to release its first recommendations in testimony before the Senate Judiciary's Immigration

Los Angeles Times Calls For A New Bracero Program
In a July 18, 1994 editorial, the Los Angeles Times recommended "a treaty to legalize and then regulate the flow of Mexican workers into--but also

"Save Our State'' Initiative Qualifies
California voters will have a chance to vote on the "Save Our State'' Initiative--Proposition 187--on November 8, 1994. If approved by voters, no

Illegal Immigrants Diverted to Arizona
Some predicted that Operation Hold-the-Line in El Paso, Texas, and a steel wall plus additional Border Patrol agents in San Diego, California, would

New Jersey Sues U.S. Government
New Jersey on July 15, 1994 became the fifth state to sue the federal government to recover the costs of providing services to illegal immigrants.

Immigration and Welfare Reform
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected that eliminating welfare benefits for legal and illegal immigrants would save $22 billion over five

Immigration and Balkanization
Detailed analyses of 1990 Census data are reinforcing earlier suggestions that, as mostly unskilled immigrants move into states and cities, unskilled

Immigration Corruption in Mexico
The directors of Mexico's National Immigration Institute in have been accused of receiving payoffs from smugglers seeking to sneak Asian and Central

Illegal Americans in Mexico
According to Mexican officials, 200,000 Americans are living illegally in Mexico, some of the "drybacks" have been attracted to Mexico by the

US Migrants
The US has a significant but unknown number of workers who migrate to so-called boomtowns, where their minimum wage jobs barely cover temporary

Refugee Status Granted In Gender Mutilation Case
In what has been termed a landmark ruling, Canada granted refugee status to a Somali woman who argued that if she were returned, her 10-year old

Nine Million People Enter US Lottery
Over nine million people have applied for the "green card" lottery. From June 1 to June 30, the special program run by the State Department accepted

Citizenship Applicants on the Rise
A record number of immigrants are seeking US citizenship; 425,000 immigrants are expected to become citizens nationwide in 1994. The Los Angeles

Canada Plans to Attract Business Immigrants
Canada has unveiled a ten-year program to attract more business immigrants from Taiwan to help revitalize the economy. Canada will begin to issue

Illegal Immigration
Between 1971 and 1986, the US debated what to do about illegal immigration against a backdrop whose metaphor was that illegal aliens displaced

Wilson-Clinton Spar over Immigration Monies
California Governor Pete Wilson filed a second suit on May 31, against the federal government in an attempt to recoup nearly $370 million in costs

First Haitians Processed at Sea
Six of the 35 Haitians picked up at sea on June 16 and processed on the ship Comfort, anchored in Kingston Harbor, Jamaica, were granted refugee

Immigrant Day Laborers
In many California cities, immigrants congregate in lumber and hardware stores parking lots and on street corners to wait for employers to hire them

Public Opinion on Immigrants
A public opinion poll released by the Field Institute on June 9 found that most Californians support measures to slow down illegal immigration,

Immigrant Self-Employment--A Two-Edged Sword
A higher percentage of immigrants (7.6 percent) than natives (7 percent) were self employed in the 1990 Census Of Population, and the proportion of

English-Only Rules in the Workplace
The US Supreme Court refused to decide on the validity of a 24-year old Equal Employment Opportunity Commission policy that employer rules which

Immigration Enforcement
Operation Hold the Line has reduced the number of illegal aliens entering the US near El Paso, Texas from 10,000 to 100 per day, according to the

Clinton Changes US Policy on Haitian Refugees
On May 9, President Bill Clinton announced major changes in US policy toward Haiti, reflecting increasing impatience with the failure of Haiti's

Immigration and Campaign 94 in California
Immigration continues to be a headline issue in California. Governor Pete Wilson, running for re-election, unveiled a television ad that shows

Incomplete Amnesty
The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 included two distinct legalization programs: one based on residence in the US before January 1, 1982

Asian Immigrant Poverty
More than 30 percent of the Southeast Asians in the US--versus eight percent of all American residents-- are on welfare, the highest rate of welfare

Texas, Arizona Sue Federal Government
Texas announced on May 26 that it plans to sue the federal government for the costs it incurs to provide services to the estimated 550,000 illegal

Canadian Immigration Targets for 1994
Despite a 1993 poll that found that 47 percent of Canadians believe that the country is accepting too many immigrants, and pressure from the Reform

US Revises Asylum Policies
On March 29, 1994, Immigration and Naturalization Service Commissioner Doris Meissner announced a grant-refer system to more quickly grant asylum

International Population Conference to Discuss Migration
The Fifth International Conference on Population and Development will convene in Cairo in September. Held every decade under the auspices of the

US Public is Anti-Immigrant
A poll by CBS television found that one in five Americans want to send home immigrants-- 53 percent of those surveyed agreed that immigrants cause

Federal Appeal for Chinese Immigrants Denied
A federal appeals court ruled on May 5 that 300 Chinese who ran aground in New York last summer on the Golden Venture could not appeal for asylum as

States Sue Federal Government
California Governor Pete Wilson sued the federal government on April 29, 1994 for reimbursement of $377 million that the state will spend this year

Illegal Immigration: Numbers, Benefits, and Costs in California
California has been at the forefront of the debate over whether the federal government should reimburse states for the costs they incur to serve

Jordan on US Immigration Policy "Furor"
Former Texas Congresswoman Barbara Jordan termed the current US discussion of efforts to halt illegal immigration and reimburse states for the costs

UFW Marches in California
United Farm Workers (UFW) supporters in April 1994 retraced the famous 1966 march that led to the union's first collective bargaining agreements. In

50 Million Californians in 2020
In 1985, the Population Reference Bureau published a monograph entitled Population Change and California's Future, which projected that the

Aristide to Cancel US Return Policy
Exiled Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide notified the US government that the agreement which allows Haitians sailing toward the US to be

Living With NAFTA
Most of the US debate over the North American Free Trade Agreement in October and November, 1993 centered on how free trade would affect American

Immigration Fraud
A Hispanic civil rights leader was indicted on charges of running a $6 million immigration fraud scheme that provided fake documents to illegal Asian

Immigration Reform Bills Flood Congress
Senator Alan Simpson (R-Wyoming) introduced legislation to reduce illegal immigration into the United States. Key components of Simpson's reform

Immigration Contributes to Inequality
President Clinton's first Economic Report of the President asserted that growing income inequality in the US is "a threat to the social fabric."

Eliminating SSI for Immigrants
A White House Task Force is considering a proposal that would deny Supplemental Security Income benefits to elderly legal immigrants unless they

LA Quake Aid for Legal Immigrants
Applicants for housing assistance in the wake of the January 1994 Southern California earthquake will be spot checked by immigration officials to

Canada Revises Nanny Immigration
On March 16, 1994, Canada reduced the requirements for immigrant nannies. April 1992 rules required nannies to prove that they had completed at least

Operation Hold the Line
Stricter border enforcement in California and Texas seems to have pushed illegal immigrants from Mexico to attempt entries through Arizona. The

Immigration Costs in Texas and Florida
Rice University economist Donald Huddle estimates that legal and illegal immigration cost the state of Texas more that $4.68 billion in 1992, i.e.,

Chinese Smuggled to U.S. Via Thailand
The Immigration and Naturalization Service reported that a major Chinese triad is smuggling thousands of illegal aliens into the U.S. via Thailand.

Immigration to Wisconsin
The effects of the immigration of Southeastern Asian refugees to Wausau, Wisconsin is discussed in an article in the April 1994 Atlantic Monthly. The

Temporary Foreign Workers
An appellate court ruling will make it easier for employers to hire an alien if no Americans are qualified or available for the job. The court

Aristide Threatens US With Haitian Boat People
Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, frustrated with failed efforts to persuade the military rulers who overthrew him on September 30, 1991,

Immigrant Children in US Schools
A study of 5,200 immigrant school children in San Diego, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami found that the immigrant children performed better in US schools

Multiculturalism under Fire in Canada
Canada's 1988 Multiculturalism Act was attacked in the House of Commons after the government issued its fifth annual report on activities supported

US Labor Department Scrutinizing Temporary Foreign Workers
The Immigration Act of 1990 (IMMACT) revised the rules under which temporary foreign workers can be admitted to the US, and one result is an

Devaluations Increase Mexico-to-US Migration
The threat of increased unwanted migration from Mexico was used to argue for and against NAFTA during the Fall 1993 US debate over its ratification.

Immigration's Costs and Benefits
The Brookings Institution held a National Issues Forum in Washington, DC on February 16, 1994 at which most speakers agreed that the United States

Administration's "Comprehensive Response" to Immigration
On February 3, 1994, U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno announced a five-point plan to curb illegal immigration, speed up the processing of applicants

Operation Hold the Line in Texas
Frank Bean of the University of Texas-Austin is completing a study of the effectiveness of Operation Blockade (today known as Operation Hold the

Los Angeles Earthquake and Illegal Immigrants
Federal assistance for rebuilding Los Angeles after the January 17, 1994 earthquake was held up for several days by wrangling in Congress over the

Governors Ask for Federal Reimbursement of Immigrant Costs; Budget Director Says Don't Count on It
With governors from California (Republican), Florida (Democrat), Illinois (R), New York (D), and Texas (D) suing or threatening to sue the federal

INS Issues New Visa Requirements for Skilled Foreign Workers
The Immigration and Naturalization Service is making final a regulation easing new requirements imposed by the 1990 Immigration Act on employers

Nicaraguans Work in Neighboring Costa Rica
Costa Rican border officials permit Nicaraguan farm hands to cross the frontier to overcome seasonal shortages of sugar and coffee harvesters. Some

Immigration and Internal Migration Promote Balkanization
William Frey's analysis of 1990 census data found that especially unskilled US-born residents moved out of the cities and states to which immigrants

U.S. Asylum Granted on Basis of Chinese Sterilization Policy
A federal judge ruled that one of the Chinese asylum seekers on the Golden Venture ship that went aground in New York on June 6, 1993 is eligible for

Economic Uncertainty Motivates Rethinking Immigration Policy
Demetrios Papademetriou, who has replaced Doris Meissner as head of the Carnegie Endowment's Immigration Policy Program, believes that the US

China: Migrants, Factories, Fertility
Discussions of Chinese migrants usually refer to rural-to-urban migration within China? some 150 million Chinese, mostly young men and women, are

Japan, Korea
Japan is in recession; the unemployment rate topped five percent in Fall 2009. The government in December 2009 announced plans to promote free trade

Southeast Asia
A free-trade agreement between China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations went into effect January 1, 2010, creating the third

South Asia
Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi government in December 2009 announced plans to register the 50,000 to 60,000 subagents who recruit migrant workers. Some

Middle East: Dubai, Israel, Iraq
Human Rights Watch estimated that there were 1.5 million foreign domestic helpers in Saudi Arabia in Fall 2009, and 600,000 in Kuwait. In July 2009,

China: Migrants, Uighurs
Rural-urban migrants seeking higher wages fill many urban manufacturing and construction jobs. These internal migrants, who typically return to

Japan, Korea
Japan has had the world's second largest economy for decades, but in 2010 may slip to third place in global rankings as China's economy continues to

Southeast Asia
Thailand. A million foreign workers registered during the July 2009 registration program. Those registering with the Ministry of Interior were 73

South Asia
Bangladesh. Bangladeshi migrants are preferred by some foreign employers because of their willingness to work for low wages, usually $150 to $250 a

China: Recession; Taiwan, Hong Kong
Internal rural-urban migration is slowing as the global recession reduces the number of jobs on Chinese construction sites and in factories in

Japan, Korea
Japan. There are 2.2 million registered foreigners in Japan, including up to 200,000 foreign trainees and interns. There are also 110,000

Southeast Asia
Thailand and Malaysia are the major migrant-receiving countries in Southeast Asia. Both are heavily dependent on migrant workers to produce

South Asia
Bangladesh. Some 645,779 Bangladeshis went abroad to work in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009; remittances totaled $9.7 billion in 2008/09 from

China: Recession and Migration
Falling exports reduced the number of jobs for rural-urban female migrants in China's coastal factories, while tighter credit slowed work on the

Japan, Korea
The number of unauthorized foreigners in Japan dropped to 130,000 in 2008 from 250,000 in 2004. Most entered Japan legally and overstayed their

Southeast Asia
The leaders of the ten Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met in Thailand in February 2009 and agreed to create an EU-style free-trade

South Asia
India. The Indian government proposed that by summer 2009 all first-time migrant workers leaving the country receive smart cards that include

China: Migrants, Recession, Land; Taiwan
At least 10 percent of Chinese are internal migrants, some 130 million, meaning they are living and often working away from the place in which they

Japan, Korea
There have been more deaths than births in Japan since 2005, and the population is projected to shrink from 127 million in 2008 to 102 million in

Southeast Asia
Thailand. Thailand has an estimated two million migrant workers from neighboring Burma, Cambodia, and Laos, but fewer than 500,000 registered

South Asia
Bangladesh. Bangladesh reported that 875,000 migrants were deployed in 2008, up from 832,000 in 2007. Remittances in 2008 were estimated to be $9

Middle East: GCC, SA, UAE
The Gulf Cooperation Council member-states, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, are developing an integrated

China: Hukou, Hong Kong, Taiwan
In a huge internal migration, millions of Chinese have moved from the rural homes where they are registered to cities. The Ministry of Housing and

Japan, Korea
Japan is using ethnic Japanese from Latin America, foreign students who work part time, and foreign trainees to fill so-called 3-D (dirty, difficult

Southeast Asia
Malaysia. Malaysia had almost 2.2 million foreign workers at the end of 2007, including 1.8 million legal foreign workers, 316,000 irregular foreign

South Asia: A Special Report
Labor migration from South Asia mostly involves: (1) workers going to work with two- or three-year contracts to the Gulf oil exporters; (2) a high

China: Internal Migrants
China has more internal migrant workers than any other country, at least 132 million in 2006 (other estimates put the number of migrants at 150

Japan, Korea
Japan. Japan's Immigration Bureau reported that there were 21,054 unauthorized foreigners at the end of 2007, down sharply from 149,785 at the end of

Southeast Asia
Thailand. The Thai Labor Ministry in June 2008 proposed establishing foreign worker centers in border areas. Provincial governments would collect

India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka
India is running out of workers with the construction skills needed to build its infrastructure. India's construction industry employs 33 million

UAE, Bahrain, Gulf Jobs Crisis
UAE. The United Arab Emirates is a group of seven semiautonomous states that are using their oil money and migrant workers to build modern cities

China: Migrants, Taiwan
Migrants. China is in the midst of the world's largest rural-urban migration; some 200 million Chinese have moved away from their registered

Japan, Korea
Japan. Foreign workers protested low wages at a March 9, 2008 rally in Tokyo. The leader of the Zen-tooitsu Workers Union argued that many Chinese

Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore
Thailand. Thailand returned to civilian rule in January 2008, with Samak Sundaravej of the People Power Party filling in for deposed prime minister

Philippines: Migrants
The Philippines sent 1.1 million workers abroad in 2007, the same as in 2006, meaning that an average of 3,000 Filipinos a day left for foreign jobs.

South Asia
India. The New York Times on March 17, 2008 profiled Dilip Ratha, who grew up in the poor village of Sindhekela in the state of Orissa and now

China: Rural, Labor, Fish
China had 737 million rural residents in 2007, meaning that 56 percent of its 1.3 billion residents were classified as rural. The government

Japan, Korea
Japan has about two million registered foreign residents, including 607,000 Koreans, 488,000 Chinese, 287,000 Brazilians and 200,000 Filipinos.

Southeast Asia
On November 20, 2007, Southeast Asian leaders signed a charter that marks the first step toward an EU-style economic community, with free movement

UAE, Iraq, India
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven states, Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain, with

China, Taiwan
China's economy and society are being transformed by rural-urban migration. In 1978, before market reforms began, about 70 percent of Chinese were

Japan, Korea
The number of foreigners living in Japan almost doubled between 1990 and 2004, from one million to two million; Japan has 128 million residents.

Southeast Asia
Thailand. At least four Thai provinces, beginning with Phuket in December 2006, have enacted decrees that prohibit migrants from using mobile phones

South Asia, Iraq
India. The New York Times on September 7, 2007 reported on the effects of migration on Kerala, which has 1.8 million migrants abroad, mostly in

Gulf States, Israel
UAE. The New York Times on August 6, 2007 reported on the problems of migrant construction workers in Dubai, noting that 1.2 million, mostly Indians

China: Migrants, Slaves
The National Population and Family Planning Commission in July 2007 said that it hoped to promote more labor emigration. Noting that 10 percent of

Taiwan: Migrant Policy Evolution
The Council of Labor Affairs announced in May 2007 that the number of foreign workers allowed into the country would be based on the unemployment

Japan: Fertility, Migrants
The Asian countries that had some of the world's fastest economic growth during their miracle years are also facing some of the world's fastest

Southeast Asia
Thailand. The Thai government manages migrant workers by requiring their employers to register them, paying the equivalent of one month's wages for a

Iraq, Iran, UAE, Sri Lanka
The Middle East received about $25 billion in formal remittances in 2006, plus perhaps an additional $15 billion in informal remittances. There are

China, Hong Kong
Migrants. China has up to 200 million rural residents not working in agriculture, including 140 million who have moved to cities for nonfarm jobs

Japan, Korea
Japan had two million foreign residents in 2005, up from 1.4 million in 1995. Two-thirds of the foreign residents are permanent residents, including

Southeast Asia
During their January 2007 Summit, leaders of the 10 ASEAN countries signed the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of

South Asia: Migrants, Maids
In January 2007, thousands of migrants fled Assam state in northeast India after 61 were killed by militants opposed to their seasonal migration from

Asian Labor Migration 2006
East Asian economies generally grew fast in 2005, and unemployment declined in the major economies that attract foreign workers. Some countries

China: Migrants, Environment
The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture reported that there were 115 million migrants registered to live in rural areas but working in urban areas in

Japan, Korea
Foreign trainees work in Japan for one year; they can remain two more years as advanced trainees at higher wages. Trainees often work long hours for

Southeast Asia
Thailand. Some 200,000 migrants have work permits due to expire February 28, 2007, and another 460,000 have permits expiring on June 30, 2007. The

South Asia
India is growing and changing, but still poor. For example, about 40 percent of Indians over the age of 15 are illiterate, while 10 percent of those

China: Returns, Migrants, Taiwan
Returns. China is refusing to accept the return of 40,000 Chinese the US wants to deport. The Chinese government bases its action on the fact that

Korea: Trainees, Migrants
The Industrial Trainee System has since 1994 allowed unskilled foreigners to enter Korea to receive on-the-job training at below-minimum wages.

Thailand, Singapore
Thailand. Tak province borders Burma, and Tak officials complained in August 2006 that new investment in agriculture and garments has dried up

Philippines, Indonesia
Philippines. The Philippines received $10.7 billion in remittances in 2005, and expects remittances to top $12 billion in 2006. Many Filipinos

India: IT, Health
India's IT sector employs about one percent of the labor force and generates three percent of GDP. With IT and other white-collar services

China: Students, GDP
There are 39,000 Chinese in the US slated to be deported to China. In April 2006, China agreed to speed up the process of verifying their Chinese

Japan, Korea
Since 1990, ethnic Japanese have been allowed to move to Japan and work. About 20 percent of Japan's two million foreigners are Nikkei, second- or

Southeast Asia
Thailand. A December 20, 2005 cabinet resolution calls on Thai employers to register their unauthorized foreign workers

China: Rural Improvements
The Chinese government, faced with rising inequality and unrest in the countryside, announced that $5 billion more would be spent on health,

Japan, Korea
Japan had 117,000 foreign students in 2004. The Japanese government in 1983 aimed to increase the number of foreign students to 100,000, and has now

Southeast Asia
Thailand. Thailand has been grappling with an influx of migrants since its economy began to boom in the early 1990s, and today has an estimated two

India: IT Outsourcing
President Bush visited India in March 2006, prompting many articles about the Indian IT industry and its links to the US. Indians who went abroad

China: Migrants, Students, Taiwan
Rural-Urban Migrants. China plans to abolish legal distinctions between urban and rural residents in 11 of its 23 provinces, thus allowing peasants

Japan, Korea
Japan had slightly more deaths than births in 2005, about 1.1 million each, giving the country 128 million residents. If current trends of low

Southeast Asia
Thailand. Thais continue to emigrate, especially farmers from the northeast who harvest their crops in the spring. In the first six months of 2005,

India: Migrants, Internal
India is experiencing a reverse brain drain, as some of the Indians abroad return. The trade group Nasscom estimated that 30,000 technology

China: Migrants, Economy
There are about 120 million internal rural-urban migrants in China, mostly young people from rural areas with junior middle school educations who

Japan, Korea
About 15,000 Filipino entertainers or performing artists have lost job opportunities in Japan and more are expected to lose jobs because of tightened

Southeast Asia
The Malaysian government announced in July 2005 that 60,000 refugees from Indonesia's Aceh province, Myanmar and the southern Philippines will be

Southern Asia
India is planning the world's largest public works program, promising to provide at least one person in each rural household 100 days of manual work

China, Hong Kong
China is rapidly urbanizing, in part because urban incomes are higher than rural incomes. In 1980, about 80 percent of Chinese residents lived in

Japan, Korea
Japan's population is projected to peak in 2006 and then begin to decline, but there are no plans to open the country to large-scale immigration.

Southeast Asia
Thailand. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra promised on May 1, 2005 that the government would better regulate the 1.3 million migrants from

South Asia
India sends millions of unskilled and semi-skilled migrants to Gulf oil exporters. The migrants are better educated than most Indians: 80 percent of

China: Migrants, Farms
In 2005, the Chinese Lunar New Year or Spring Festival fell on February 9,there were some two billion trips by car, bus, train, boat or airplane,

Japan; Entertainers, Demography
Japan approved a new law aimed at combating trafficking in humans, and one side effect is expected to be a reduction in the number of entertainer

Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand
Malaysia. Malaysia has 10 to 20 percent foreign workers, with the uncertainty due in part to the large number of illegal workers; there are a

India: Remittances, High-Tech
India receives more remittances from migrant workers than any other country, $23 billion in 2004, compared to $17 billion sent to Mexico. As in

China: Migrants, Economy
China has an estimated 114 million rural-urban migrants (liudong renkou or "floating population"), most of whom earn $50 to $70 a month in factories

Japan, Korea
Japan is in its third year of economic recovery, but wages are flat or falling, largely because of the success of temporary employment agencies that

Southeast Asia
The economic impacts of the December 26, 2004 tsunami are expected to be limited on the economies of southeast Asia, in part because so many of the

South Asia
India has a thriving medical tourism industry that attracts cost-conscious patients from first- and third-world countries for procedures that may

China, Hong Kong, Taiwan
Migration. China "officially" has 114 million internal migrant workers who moved from rural to urban areas, and their number is projected to rise to

Japan, Korea
Japan has an estimated 760,000 foreign workers-- 1.5 percent of the 53 million strong work force- and two million registered foreign residents- those

Thailand: 1.3 Million Registered
Thailand had a nationwide registration program for unauthorized foreign workers in July 2004, and 1,269,074 foreign migrants registered for a fee of

Southeast Asia
Malaysia. Malaysia plans to deport at least 700,000 of the 1.2 million Indonesian migrants in 2004-05, and then admit Indonesian migrants under an

India, Bangladesh, Iraq
Some 54 percent of India's 1.1 billion people are under 25, and Indian youth are split on the direction the country should take to develop:

China: Migrants, Emigration, Economy
China's State Statistical Bureau reported that there were 114 million migrant workers in 2003, making migrants a sixth of the 744 million strong

Japan, Korea
Japan has cracked down on foreign students who overstay their visas, jailing them for several days, fining them up to 300,000 yen, and barring their

Southeast Asia: Maids, Countries
Maids. Women from Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India often go to Middle East oil exporting countries as well as

South Asia
India. The Hindu nationalist party that has led India since 1998 was defeated in May 2004 elections, despite an "India shining" campaign celebrating

China: Migrants, Agriculture
China is a fragmented society, with a gulf between inland agricultural provinces and coastal provinces that produce manufactured goods for export. A

Japan, Korea
Japan achieved its goal of raising the number of foreign students from 10,000 in 1983 to 100,000 in 2003- there were 109,508 in 2003, up from 10,428

Thailand: New Migrant Policies
Thailand is decentralizing its guest worker policies. As migrants moved into Thailand from its poorer neighbors, Burma, Cambodia and Laos, the

Indonesia, Philippines, India
Indonesia sent 480,393 migrants abroad via legal channels in 2003. The government is under pressure to do more to protect Indonesian women who

China: Migrants, Labor
China's economy is booming, but illegal migration from the southeastern coastal provinces of Fujian, Zhejiang and Guangdong continues, with migrants

Japan, Korea
Japan has a large sex industry based on Filipina, Thai and increasingly Chinese and South American women; the industry had estimated revenues of $2.4

Malaysia, Thailand
Malaysia banned additional Bangladeshi migrants in 1996, but in November 2003 agreed to allow the resumption of recruitment under a new bilateral

Indonesia, Philippines
Indonesian scholars and activists have called for a halt to labor emigration until the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration develops a system for

South Asia
India's economy is expected to expand by eight percent in 2003, making it second only to China, nine percent, in Asian growth. One reason is the

Southeast Asia
Thailand. Thailand granted 409,339 work permits to foreign workers in 2003, and the Labor Ministry asked that the permits be extended another

South Asia
According to Amnesty International, some 3.5 million Afghanis are outside their country, and 700,000 are Internally Displaced Persons inside the

Japan, Korea
Japan's labor force peaked in 1998, and is projected to decline at an accelerating rate as the population falls from 128 million to 100 million

China, Hong Kong, Taiwan: Migrants
A New York Times article called China's 100 million migrants "untouchables," consigned to the worst jobs and assumed to be criminals in the

China: Migrants and SARS, Inequality
The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak re-focused attention on China's 100 million plus migrant workers

Southeast Asia: SARS, Countries
Thailand in May 2003 announced that agreements had been reached with Laos and Cambodia to mange labor migration

Japan, Korea
Japan is facing one of the industrial world's toughest demographic challenges, despite the fact that many Japanese work well into their 60s, and more than half of the elderly live with their relatives.

South Asia
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association on July 4, 1995 pledged to remove children younger than 14 from factory floors.

Iraq and Refugees
Before the war against Iraq began, the US created a 60-member Disaster Assistance Response Team, the largest of its kind in US history, to deal with the refugees that the war would create.

South Asia
There were about 3.1 million Indians employed in the oil-exporting Gulf states in 2002, including 1.5 million in Saudi Arabia

Korea, Japan
South Korea is allowing foreigners whose employers register them to remain legally until March 31, 2003.

Southeast Asia
The Philippines has been called the world's largest exporter of skilled labor, according to Bernardo Villegas

China: Migrants, Economy
China's Spring Festival began February 1, 2003, as an estimated 130 million migrants traveled from the coastal cities and Beijing

Afghans Return; Sri Lanka
Afghanistan, a country of 28 million, saw at least six million people leave during 23 years of fighting.

Thailand, Singapore
Thailand is planning a new system for managing guest workers.

China: Economy, Migrants
China has too many people employed in agriculture, and joining the World Trade Organization will increase rural-urban migration as farm prices drop.

Japan, Korea
Japan had a record 227,984 foreign workers in June 2002, including 86,699 hired through labor brokers.

Labor Exporters
The Communist Party holds congresses to select new leaders every five years, and the 16th Communist Party Congress was held in Beijing in November 2002.


China: Economy, Migrants The Communist Party holds congresses to select new leaders every five years, and the 16th Communist Party Congress was


Philippines, Indonesia Remittances to the Philippines rose from $1 billion in 1989 to $5 billion in 1995, and topped $8 billion in 2002;


Thailand, Malaysia Thailand. Beginning November 7, 2002, Thai police began to crack down on unauthorized foreign workers, who face three years

Japan, Korea
The Sapporo District Court in November 2002 ordered a private bathhouse on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido to pay a total of $25,000 to three

India: Economy
China has surged ahead of India in per capita GDP--$890 in China in 2000, compared to $460 in India. China and India had the same GDP per capita

China: Migrants, Economy
The State Statistics Bureau reported that there are 120 million internal migrants in China in 2002; 58 percent were within the province where they

Southeast Asia
The Chinese disapora in southeast Asia, sometimes called the bamboo network, is fueling Chinese migration to Thailand, Cambodia, and other

Japan, Korea
Economy. Japan has many "zombie" companies that are being kept alive by credit alone, including for instance, construction companies that built

China: Migrants
North Korean asylum-seekers continued to enter foreign embassies in Beijing, despite efforts of Chinese police to prevent entry into the area

Southeast Asia
Malaysia. Malaysia began enforcing tougher immigration laws on August 1, 2000 that provide for fines of up to 10,000 ringgit ($1=3.80 ringgit),

Japan, Korea
Japan had 184,000 permanent resident status holders in 2001, double the number in 1997; there are an additional 500,000 special permanent status

South Asia: Afghans
Between March and August 2002, some two million Afghans returned in one of the fastest repatriations on record. A third returned to Kabul, whose

China: Migrants, One-Child, Water
Some 16 local governments have begun to implement policies that give a Hukou, a permanent urban residence permit, to employed migrants not

Japan, Korea
Japan is considering granting TPS to foreigners who apply for asylum and stay in government-operated shelters while their applications are

Malaysia/Indonesia
Malaysia's tough new immigration laws went into effect August 1, 2002--the Immigration Act (Amended) 2002 calls for illegal foreigners to be fined

Thailand: Migrants
Thailand manages the 500,000 to 800,000 foreign migrants in the country by having periodic registrations. Thai employers may obtain six-month

Philippines: Migrants
Migrants remitted $6.1 billion in 2001, and in 2002, remittances are expected to exceed the $6.4 billion average of the past three years. Some

South Asia: Afghans
There were four million Afghans outside Afghanistan in the winter of 2001-02, and 1.5 million returned between March and August 2002 in a movement

China: Migrants, North Korea, Economy
Internal migrants are beginning to protest ill treatment. In Nanxuan in Guangdong province, there were three days of rioting in July 2002 when police

Japan, South Korea
Japan had about 1.8 million foreign residents at the end of 2001; they were 1.4 percent of the 127 million residents. The largest groups included

Southeast Asia
Thailand. Thailand's immigration laws do not allow the importation of unskilled foreign workers, but there are an estimated 700,000 to 800,000

China, Hong Kong
China is revising its immigration policies to attract skilled and professional foreigners, including Chinese students educated abroad. Those admitted

Japan: Koreans in China
In June 2002, China agreed to allow 26 North Korean asylum seekers in the South Korean embassy to leave the country, ending a month-long standoff.

Korea: Registration
Korea had a registration period for the estimated 265,848 unauthorized foreigners between March 25 and May 29, 2002; those who registered may stay in

Southeast Asia
Middle-income developing countries such as Malaysia and Thailand are struggling with the issue of managing migrants who arrive from nearby countries

China: Migrants, Hong Kong
China has a "floating population" of 150 million to 200 million rural residents who have migrated to cities to take low-paying jobs that urbanites

North Koreans in Japan, South Korea
North Koreans continue to try to enter foreign embassies and consulates in China, and then negotiate passage to South Korea. Chinese police have

Southeast Asia
There is a mountain of unfunded and unredeemable debt in Asia; borrowers are unable to repay some $2 trillion. Many governments have been slow to

China, Hong Kong
China. The National People's Congress met in March 2002, and the major theme was the lagging incomes of 800 million farmers and rural

Taiwan: Immigration, APEC
The Legislative Yuan's Home and Nations Committee passed the first reading of an amendment to the immigration law which offers easier access to

Japan, Korea
Japan. In 2001, Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department issued a brochure that said: "Call 110 when you think you have seen a Chinese." It

Southeast Asia
In September-October 2001, some 565,000 migrants were registered with the Thai MOLSW, the first time that migrants in all sectors were allowed to be

China, Hong Kong
China. Prime Minister Zhu Rongji in March 2002 lamented the widening gap between rich and poor, and between coastal cities and inland farming

Korea: North, Amnesty
North Korea. North Korea controls immigration and emigration strictly. There has been a famine for the past five years, and many North Koreans

Japan: Asylum
Rejected asylum seekers who face deportation may be held in a detention center for an unlimited period under the Immigration Control and Refugee

Southeast Asia
Malaysia. Under an amendment to the Immigration Act of 1959, there will be harsher penalties, including whipping and heavy fines, for

Philippines: Nurses
Nurses employed by government hospitals in the Philippines earn 9,000 to 15,000 pesos a month, compared to 80,000 to 150,000 overseas, and many

China, Hong Kong, Taiwan
The week-long Chinese New Year holiday witnesses one of the world's largest migrations, as many internal Chinese migrants return to their villages of

Japan, Korea
Japan had 221,870 legal foreign workers on June 1, 2001, up seven percent from a year earlier, and up sharply from 96,528 in 1993. Japan admits

Southeast Asia
Malaysia. Malaysia has 770,000 legal foreign workers, and an estimated 450,000 unauthorized foreigners, for a total of 1.2 million. Some 74

China, Hong Kong, Taiwan
China. China is expected to receive $40 billion in FDI in 2002, helping to continue a construction boom that adds factories as well as

Japan, Korea
There were 636,548 Korean nationals in Japan in 1999; 233,920 ethnic Koreans obtained Japanese nationality between 1952 and 1999. The

Southeast Asia
Malaysia. Malaysia reported that it had 789,120 foreign workers on September 1, 2001, including 291,448 in manufacturing; 215,887 on

China. Hong Kong
Hukou. On October 1, 2001, China relaxed its household registration or hukou system, adopted in 1958 to prevent rural-urban migration. Those

Japan, Korea
Japan's Justice Ministry plans to revise the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law so that foreign nationals who have proper visas to live

Southeast Asia
The Malaysian government in December 2001 said that it had 450,000 unauthorized foreigners, and that 10,000 a month would be returned in 2002.

China, Hong Kong, Taiwan
The State Development Planning Commission and the Finance Ministry in November 2001 ordered local governments not to charge internal migrants extra

Japan, Korea
There are 1.3 million people of Japanese ancestry in Brazil, the largest such population outside Japan. In 1990, Japan liberalized its immigration

Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand
Malaysia. Of the nine million workers in Malaysia, about 700,000 are foreigners. The government will continue to allow the recruitment of

Philippines: Remittances
The Central Bank of the Philippines reported that remittances were $2.7 billion in the first six months of 2001, including $1.6 billion, or 59

China: WTO, Jobs, Migration
China will join the World Trade Organization in 2002. Duties on imported farm produce are to be lowered from 22 percent in 2001 to 17 percent over

Japan: Brazilians
As the number of foreigners living in Japan increases, local governments are experimenting with ways to provide information and services to them.

Southeast Asia
Thailand. Thailand's third major registration exercise ended October 23, 2001. Employers registered 559,541 of the estimated 816,000 illegal

Korea: Crackdown
Seoul prosecutors announced in October 2001 that they had arrested 46 labor brokers who brought 300 foreigners, mostly Chinese, into Korea for six to

China, Taiwan, Hong Kong
Police in southeast China's Fujian province, announced that they broke up 30 smuggling rings, arresting 300 migrants and 280 smugglers in the first

Thailand, Malaysia
Thailand and Malaysia each have 500,000 to one million illegal migrants from poorer nearby countries, including Indonesia, the Philippines, Burma,

Japan: Jobs, Fujimori
Unemployment in Japan reached five percent in July and August 2001, the highest level since 1945, and reached 10 percent among young men between 18

China, Taiwan, Hong Kong
China's household registration or hukou system, adopted in 1958, gives citizens few rights or recourse to protection once they leave their designated

Southeast Asia
Malaysia. The government in August 2001 estimated that there were 600,000 illegal foreigners in the country, including 450,000 in the

Japan: Brazilians
Some 230,000 Brazilians of Japanese origin migrated to Japan in the 1990s, but some of them are returning to Brazil in 2001; Japan's unemployment

Korea: Trainees
The Labor Ministry has proposed a revision of the foreign industrial trainee system under which trainee status is limited to one year, followed by

China: Rural, Tourism, Hong Kong
Rural China. The 800 million Chinese who live in 800,000 villages and 50,000 townships are increasingly squeezed by falling farm prices and

North Koreans
More North Koreans are crossing the Yalu and Tumen Rivers into China to escape from North Korea, and there is controversy about what to do about

Japanese Overstayers
The Justice Ministry is planning to increase the number of immigration officials by 1,100 over a five-ear period to deal with more foreign arrivals

Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia
Singapore's economy shrank for the first two quarters of 2001, putting the country in recession. Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines are

China, Hong Kong, Taiwan
Hong Kong. Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal indicated that a ruling in the last right of abode case may not be made until September 2001. The

Japan: IT, Illegals, Muslims
There were a record 1.7 million foreigners in Japan in January 2001, including 635,000 Koreans, followed by Brazilians, Filipinos, Peruvians and

Southeast Asia: Malaysia, Thailand
The Mekong Delta region--Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam and the two southern Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Guangx -- has become a center

Korea: Migrants, Unions
There are about 500,000 foreigners working in Korea, of whom 300,000 are considered migrant workers, 200,000 illegal workers (including 40,000

China: Overseas, Rural, Taiwan
The Hong Kong government in May 2001 again urged the Court of Final Appeal to seek Beijing's opinion before ruling on a case in which the government

Korea: Illegals
The Justice Ministry reported that there were 200,600 foreigners illegally in the country in March 2001-40 percent of the 499,000 foreign residents

Southeast Asia
Thailand has become a hub for human smuggling and the selling of drugs and diamonds because of its easy immigration and customs procedures. African

Labor Exporters
Vietnam. As Vietnam steps up its export of labor, abuses are being exposed. In March 2001, 112 Vietnamese workers paid a total of $190,000 to

Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore
Malaysia's Industrial Court in April 2001 ruled that foreign workers should be given the same pay as local workers doing the same job. The case was

Korea: Migrants, Emigration
There were 499,000 foreigners in Korea on March 31, 2001, including 200,000 illegal foreigners. The Ministry of Justice said that it expected the

China Census, Hong Kong IT, Taiwan
Census. China's November 2000 census found 1,265,830,000 people, up by 132 million since 1990. Taiwan has 22 million residents; Hong Kong,

Japan: Illegals
Twice each year since 1992, Japan has estimated the number of illegal aliens in the country. The largest estimate was 299,000 in May 1993. The

China, Hong Kong Migrants
Internal. Internal migration within China is similar in many respects to international migration for employment, in the sense that the Chinese

Japan: Migrants and Refugees
Japan has an estimated 252,000 illegal foreign residents, many of whom are employed in construction and other industries with high accident rates.

Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia has some of the major labor-importing countries, including Singapore and Malaysia, as well as some of the major and emerging labor

Japan: Trainees, Demography
The KSD mutual-aid society provides services to small Japanese businesses, including recruiting trainees. One KSD affiliate, the Association for

China, Hong Kong, Taiwan
Smuggling. A Chinese official in February 2001 said that China's role in illegal immigration is inflated because Chinese migrants are willing

Korea: Trainees to Migrants?
The Korean government wants to convert foreign trainees, who are paid 650,000 won ($576) a month, into foreign workers who would be guaranteed

Southeast Asia
Malaysia-Indonesia. The government of Malaysia deported 97,251 foreigners in 2000, including 83,190 or 85 percent Indonesians. Malaysia plans

Japan: Foreigners
Some four million foreigners entered Japan in 1999, including 58 percent from Asia. Most of these foreigners soon departed, but there were 1.6

Korea: Migrants
Korea is struggling to convert foreign trainees- foreigners who work in Korea but are not entitled to Korea's minimum wage or covered by Korean labor

Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand
Malaysia-Indonesia. Malaysia plans to deport 110,000 illegal Indonesians who were being held in detention in early 2001, but in phases to

Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam
Hong Kong. At the end of 2000, there were 158,000 Filipinos in Hong Kong, most working as domestic helpers. There were also 40,000

China: Migrants, Nepal
In China, young people are moving west to east, with interior provinces such as Sichuan, Hunan and Guangxi losing migrants to Guangdong, while

Japan: No Local Voting
There are about 635,000 ethnic Koreans who are permanent residents of Japan, born in Korea or the children of Koreans brought to Japan during Japan's

Korea: Guest Workers?
The ruling Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) in December 2000 continued to struggle to turn foreign trainees into guest workers. The small- and

Southeast Asia: Migrants
Philippines. The number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) returning home for the Christmas holidays was lower than usual in 2000, reportedly

China, Hong Kong, Taiwan
The UNHCR estimated that 100,000 to 200,000 migrants leave China each year with the help of organized smuggling rings, and that 400,000 Chinese

Japan: More Foreign Workers?
One percent of Japan's labor force are foreign workers. According to a September 2000 survey by the newspaper Asahi Shimum, 64 percent of Japanese

Southeast Asia: Brunei, Vietnam
President Clinton attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Brunei and visited Vietnam in November 2000. Human rights groups have

Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia
Thailand. Employers in 37 provinces were warned in November 2000 that they must get Immigration Police Bureau permission by December 1, 2000

Korea: Trainees to Workers?
Korea has few foreign workers. Instead, Korea has mostly foreign trainees who are not entitled to Korea's minimum wage or covered by Korean labor

Japan: Local Voting?
There are about 635,000 ethnic Koreans who are permanent residents of Japan, born in Korea or the children of Koreans brought to Japan during Japan's

Hong Kong, China: Migrants
For the first time, Hong Kong authorities detected stowaways inside a container bound for the US before the ship left Hong Kong. The 26 men, aged 16

Korea: Foreign Workers
A survey by the Korean Labor Institute conducted in August 2000 found "serious problems with the nation's foreign labor system." Most

Malaysia, Indonesia
The Malaysian and Indonesian government have agreed that illegal migrants who are unemployed will be returned to Indonesia, with both countries

Asia: ASEAN, Demography
The GDP of member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries-- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the

China, Hong Kong
Migrants. There are an estimated 10,000 mainland migrants in Hong Kong seeking permanent residence. Hong Kong's highest court originally ruled

Japan: Immigration?
Japan's population, 127 million in 2000, is expected to shrink after 2009. Taichi Sakaiya, head of the Economic Planning Agency, says that: "In the

Taiwan-Philippines
There are about 120,000 Filipinos employed legally in Taiwan, and Taiwan's Council of Labor Affairs in September 2000 extended indefinitely a June 1,

Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia
Thailand. Thai factory owners along the border with Myanmar need 20,000 migrants because Thais are unwilling to do the jobs vacated by the

Korea: Work Permits for Foreigners
The Korean government agreed on August 24 to introduce a work permit system for foreigners employed in Korean work places. Most foreign workers in

Smuggling of Chinese
The Chinese being smuggled into North America and Western Europe seem to arouse special concern because of the large number of potential migrants in

Japan: Children, Migrants
Japan had a record low birth rate of 1.3 in 1999, and the government is taking steps to increase it. Since June 2000, the child care allowances

Hong Kong, Macau, China
Hong Kong. On August 2, 2000, migrants from mainland China set Hong Kong's immigration headquarters on fire in an effort to avoid being sent

Korea: Migrants
South Korea's ruling Millennium Democratic Party is expected to introduce a bill aimed at improving the working conditions of foreign laborers

Malaysia, Singapore
The Malaysian government believes that 18,000 Indonesians a week are arriving illegally, to join the estimated 300,000 legal Indonesian workers in

Thailand, Vietnam
A year after the Thai government banned foreign labor in certain regions and occupations, businesses in 10 border provinces say they need foreign

China, Hong Kong
Relatives of some of the 58 migrants who died in a truck en route to the UK in June 2000 rampaged through the empty houses of two snakeheads outside

Japan's Foreigners
Twenty-six foreigners filed petitions on July 12, 2000 seeking permission from immigration authorities to stay in Japan after overstaying their

Thailand, Vietnam
Thai authorities in June 2000 apprehended 4,000 Myanmar migrants employed illegally in garment and textile factories in Mae Sod district of Tak

Korea: Trainees to Workers?
The ruling Millennium Party, over the objections of the Korea Federation of Small Businesses (KFSB), wants to convert the current system for foreign

Taiwan: Migrant Peak
In May 2000, the number of foreigners hit a record 302,157, including 76,000 helpers. The newly elected government has pledged to reduce foreign

Malaysia, Philippines
Malaysia. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad wants to turn Malaysia into a "Knowledge Economy" by decreasing the number of unskilled foreign

China, Hong Kong
More than 100 million of China's 1.3 billion people are estimated to be internal migrants, drawn to urban areas in search of work. In their home

Philippines: Taiwan and Malaysia
The Philippine government says that seven million Filipinos are employed abroad and that they remitted US$8.6 billion in 1999. However, two major

Japan: Immigration Law?
Japan has traditionally been a closed society, but there seems to be a growing consensus that Japan needs an immigration system with annual quotas

Korea: Migrant Rights
Korean President Kim Dae-jung has continued to call for the improvement of the rights of migrants. Most legal foreign workers in Korea are trainees

Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam
Bangkok city police in June 2000 apprehended 1,500 suspected illegal foreigners, mostly Burmese, in two days. The Employment Department said it was

Japan: 1.6 Million Foreigners
The number of registered foreign residents in Japan for more than 90 days hit a record 1.6 million at the end of 1999, accounting for 1.2 percent of

Korea: Migrants and Refugees
On May 1, 2000, Labor Day, Korean President Kim Dae-jung called for the improvement of the rights of migrants. Most legal foreign workers in Korea

China: Migrants, Trade
China has poverty and wealth belts. The poverty belt includes nine interior provinces and autonomous regions, plus the centrally administered city of

Taiwan: Filipinos
Taiwan's Cabinet-level Council of Labor Affairs stopped the entry of new Filipino migrants on June 1, 2000 who are recruited for manufacturing and

Indonesia, Philippines
Asia's major labor exporters-- the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, China and Vietnam— are reconsidering their labor export policies. Indonesia,

Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore
Malaysia. Malaysia constantly modifies its migrant worker policies, periodically stopping the recruitment of new workers and announcing new

Japan: Ishihara Reactions
Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, co-author of "A Japan That Can Say No," in April 2000 asked Japanese Self-Defense Forces to be prepared to help

China, Macao and Hong Kong
China's economy grew seven percent in 1999 to $1 trillion and is expected to expand by seven percent in 2000. Nonetheless, the number of labor

North and South Korea
South Korea. The South Korean Justice Ministry said that it would crack down on illegal residents in April 2000, since some unauthorized

Singapore: IT Industry
Singapore is searching for ways to keep up with the demand for skilled IT workers. The current IT and communications work force is about 93,000, but

Malaysia: Foreign Workers
The Malaysian National Security Council was asked to develop plans to reduce illegal immigration, especially in Sabah, where there are an estimated

Philippines: Overseas Filipinos
Philippine President Joseph Estrada has ordered a far more aggressive effort to protect the rights of Filipinos based abroad, in part by joining a

Japan: Foreigners
A New York Times article profiled the Japanese city of Sagamihara, which has a large immigrant population. In the 1980s, Sagamihara was selected to

Malaysia: More Migrants
As the economy recovers from the 1987-88 crisis, employers are requesting permission to employ more foreign workers, and the government is responding

Taiwan: Migrants Under 300,000
The Cabinet-level Council of Labor Affairs in March 2000 announced that, if they laid off a certain percentage of local workers within the past two

Philippines: Exporting Labor
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) reported in January 2000 that 700,000 Filipino migrants were sent overseas between January

Japan: Crackdown, Legalization
Beginning February 18, 2000 unauthorized foreigners apprehended in Japan can be barred for five-years, up from the current one-year ban. An estimated

Chinese Migrants: Canada and US
The INS estimates that at least 100,000 Chinese are smuggled abroad each year. New York City is the preferred destination for many Chinese migrants;

China, Hong Kong
China expects to join the World Trade Organization in 2000, which could accelerate rural-urban migration as farmers in interior provinces are

Thailand, Vietnam
Before the UN Conference on Trade and Development in Bangkok held February 12-19, police rounded up illegal immigrants in a security sweep. As a

Malaysia: Maids
Indonesians living in Malaysia clashed with Malaysians in February 2000, prompting calls for tougher rules on foreign workers, many of whom live on

Taiwan: Overseas Citizens
Taiwan is holding presidential elections on March 18, 2000, and political parties are appealing for votes to overseas Taiwanese. For example, the

China, Hong Kong
Internal Migration. There are 60 to 80 million migrants in China and a great deal of controversy over what to do about them. The policy

Japan, Korea
The Prime Minister's Commission on Japan's Goals in the 21st Century recommended on January 18, 2000 that Japan "should set up an explicit

Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia
The Malaysian Cabinet approved the recruitment of 20,000 foreign workers to ease the labor shortage in six Indian-related business sectors that offer

Thailand: Burmese
Thailand in Fall 1999 mounted an effort to remove about 30,000 illegal Burmese workers from factories in the border area in order to open jobs for

Hong Kong: Right of Abode
Between 6,000 and 10,000 mainland migrants face removal from Hong Kong after the five-member Court of Final Appeal on December 3, 1999 ruled that

Japan, Korea
Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a "Report of the Mission for Revitalization of Asian Economy" in December 1999 that included the

Thailand and Myanmar
Thai police raided garment factories in the Mae Sot district near the Myanmar (Burma) border in mid-December and arrested 1,800 illegal migrants,

Philippines: Migrants
The Philippine government reported that $4.7 billion had been sent home in remittances in the first seven months of 1999 and that $8 billion was

Chinese Migrants
Since July 20, 1999, Canada has seized four ships carrying migrants from the Fujian province of China—most paid smugglers $30,000 to $40,000 each to

Japan: Unauthorized, Discrimination
There are 283,000 unauthorized migrants in Japan, and 21 of them from Iran, Bangladesh and Burma have asked the Tokyo government to give them legal

Hong Kong: Mainland, Maids
Over 200 mainland immigrants in Hong Kong staged a protest outside Victoria Prison, claiming that two female illegal immigrants had been assaulted by

Thailand: Another Deadline
Thailand announced that a million illegal foreign workers must leave Thailand by November 3, 1999 or face stiff fines. Hoping for a repeat of past

Taiwan: Chinese Smuggling
Chinese Migrants. Since 1992, Taiwan says it has apprehended 38,000 mainland Chinese. The number is rising: 1,500 were caught in the first ten

Philippines: Migrants
The Philippines sends more migrants out of the country by air then any other country, and the government has developed an extensive

Cambodia: Crackdown
Illegal aliens and their employers in Cambodia had until November 4, 1999 to obtain visas. After the November 4 deadline, the newly formed Commission

Japan: Brazilians
There are about 1.3 million ethnic Japanese in Brazil and 220,000 of them have moved to Japan since 1990, when Japan allowed people of Japanese

China/Hong Kong
China's economy is expected to grow by eight percent in 1999; Hong Kong's is expected to shrink by one percent in 1999. There have been many recent

South Korea
Since the Korean War (1950-53), when children of American men and Korean women were shunned, South Korea has become one of the largest baby-exporting

Malaysia: Foreign Workers
Malaysia has one of the world's highest percentages of foreign workers: one to two million of the eight million workers in Malaysia are foreigners.

Taiwan: Migrant Fight
About 1,000 Filipino workers in Taiwan asked to be returned home after a fight with Thai workers at a Formosa Plastics Group's petrochemical complex

Korea: Ethnic Koreans
The Korean National Assembly passed a bill in mid-August that gives ethnic Koreans living overseas legal rights that are almost equal to those of

Malaysia, Singapore
About 150,000 foreign workers in Malaysia were supposed to renew their work permits by August 15, 1999. The government reported that some 71,244

Indonesia: Displaced
Internally Displaced. There are several separatist movements in Indonesia, including in East Timor and Sumatra, where the Free Aceh movement

Philippines: Celebrate Migrants
The Philippine government estimates that there are 3.5 million Filipinos abroad, living in 120 countries and remitting $7 billion a year. The

Japan's Foreign Population
With unemployment at 4.9 percent, some government officials and business leaders are pushing for reforms of the country's strict immigration

China/Hong Kong
China is encouraging migration into Tibet, causing critics to charge that China is engaged in "cultural genocide," trying to eliminate Tibetan

Japan's Foreign Residents
The 1.5 million foreign residents of Japan are over one percent of the population: almost three-fourths of the foreign residents are Asians,

Thailand, Malaysia: Foreign Workers
The governments of Thailand and Malaysia have each granted temporary work permits to those unauthorized foreign workers who have passed medical tests

Filipino Overseas Workers
Overseas foreign workers in Saudi Arabia have created a website as the vehicle for a worldwide signature campaign to declare the year 2000 as "The

Taiwan: Protests, Tibetans
In late August 1999, some 300 Indonesian and Philippine migrants employed by Formosa Plastics fought each other; the Indonesians were protesting the

Hong Kong, China
Hong Kong. In July 1999, the Hong Kong government endorsed an interpretation of Hong Kong's Basic Law provided by China's National People's

Korea: Overstayers
Korean immigration officials report that 3,000 foreigners a month overstay tourist and other visas; many are believed to go to work in Korea's

Malaysia: Migrants
There were 977,276 registered foreign workers in Malaysia in spring 1999; most were required to renew their work permits by April 16, 1999. However,

Thailand: August 4?
As the August 4, 1999 deadline for the departure of most unskilled foreign workers loomed, private employers argued that they would have to hire

Singapore
Singapore is easing immigration procedures for foreigners interested in establishing technology ventures. A long-term social visit pass valid for six

Hong Kong: Mainland
Mainland. On June 26, 1999, China's 160-member Standing Committee of the National People's Congress in Beijing overturned the January 1999

Philippines: Migrants
As of January 1999, an estimated seven million Filipino migrant workers were employed abroad, mostly as blue-collar workers, maids or professionals.

Japan, Korea
Japan. The number of registered foreign residents in Japan for more than 90 days reached a record 1.5 million in 1998, including 639,000

Taiwan: Vietnamese
Taiwan, which has about 275,000 foreign workers from Thailand and the Philippines, will begin importing workers from Vietnam in September 1999 under

Singapore
Singapore's Manpower Ministry ordered employment agencies to drop from their ads phrases such as "obedient Filipino." Some 800 employment agencies

Thailand: Second Ban
The Thai Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare announced in June 1999 that the work permits of 91,000 foreign workers would not be renewed when they

Hong Kong: Mainland Chinese
Under a January 1999 court ruling, an estimated 692,000 mainland Chinese received permission to move from mainland China to Hong Kong as soon as

South Korea: Foreigners' Voting Rights
South Korea is studying a plan to grant voting rights to foreign residents, including Koreans who live in Japan and those who have become Japanese

Japan: Foreign Brides
Rural Japanese families are spending up to $25,000 each to import brides from China, South Korea, Thailand and the Philippines. In 1997, there were

Malaysia: Patrols
The Malaysian government announced that it will increase patrols along its borders and coastlines to ensure that illegal immigrants do not flood the

Taiwan Immigration Reforms
On May 14, Taiwan's Legislature enacted a law authorizing the Interior Ministry to establish an immigration administration to handle entry, exit and

Philippines: Brokers, Chinese
Brokers. There are many agencies in the Philippines that offer to help Filipinos find overseas jobs. Some are fraudulent. The Philippine

Asian Migration
A declaration resulted from an 18-nation symposium held April 24-28 in Bangkok. It included 18 action items, among them: 1. Migration,

China: Migrants, One Child
Beijing is adding 7,000 staff in 1999 to its 5,000-strong Special Administrative Team to manage migrant workers in China's capital, and has announced

Hong Kong: Right of Abode
On January 29, 1999, the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeals ruled that the children of parents who have the right to live in Hong Kong also have the

Japan: Admit Migrants?
Japan's Economic Council, a key advisory panel to the prime minister, on April 13, 1999 proposed that Japan begin accepting immigrants to reduce

Thailand: August 1999 Ban?
There were 90,911 foreign workers in Thailand registered as of January 31, 1999, including 79,057 from Burma; 10,593 from Cambodia; and 1,261 from

North and South Korea: Illegals, Visas
Illegals. Since September 1998, an average 2,000 illegal foreigners a month entered Korea, so that there were an estimated 111,000 illegal

Taiwan's Foreign Workers
There are 271,000 foreign workers in Taiwan and employers are requesting an additional 38,000 to fill some of what they say are 200,000 vacant

Malaysia, Indonesia
In April, the government recently lifted the freeze on the admission of new foreign workers for plantations, manufacturing, restaurants, cleaning

Hong Kong: Children, China
In January 1999, Hong Kong's highest court ruled that the estimated 350,000 mainland Chinese children with one Hong Kong parent, including those who

Japan: End to Fingerprinting?
In March 1999, the Japanese Cabinet endorsed a revision of the 1952 Alien Registration Law that would substitute a signature for a fingerprint when

Malaysia: Free Mobility Call
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed has made many bold assertions, including charging that western banks manipulated financial flows to cause

Singapore's Foreign Workers
Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong defended Singapore's policy of welcoming foreign workers and professionals despite calls for a "Singaporeans first"

Philippines: Migrants Up
The Department of Labor and Employment reported that 755, 684 land- and sea-based Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) were sent to 182 destinations

Hong Kong, China
Hong Kong. In January 1999, a unanimous Court of Final Appeals ruling held that the Hong Kong Legislature's 1997 law requiring exit permits

Malaysia: New Migrants
On February 11, the Malaysian Immigration Department announced that 109,425 Indonesians and Thais could enter to work in manufacturing and plantation

Japan: Koreans, Illegals
In 1990, some of the Koreans living permanently in Japan sent their alien registration cards to the government to protest a 1955 law that requires

Taiwan
Taiwan's Council of Labor Affairs is considering a proposal to lift restrictions on employing foreign workers in retirement homes. Currently, foreign

Hong Kong and China
On January 29, Hong Kong beefed up its border controls, concerned that there could be a mass influx of mainland Chinese after a landmark court

Korea: Illegals Up
The Korean government estimates that the number of foreigners illegally present fell from 147,000 in January 1998 to 92,000 in August 1998, but rose

Malaysia: Employer Sanctions
Malaysia in March 1999 plans to introduce joint liability for violations of laws prohibiting employment of illegal workers by amending the

Taiwan: Foreign Workers
In December, 1998, the Labor Committee of Taiwan issued new rules to reduce the reliance of Taiwanese companies on foreign workers. Firms that have

Asia: Crisis Aftermath
The Asian financial crisis ravaged the middle class in fast-growing Asian economies, according to a survey article in the Los Angeles Times. The

Japan: Refugees, WWII
Japan has been a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention since 1982 and has received 1,654 asylum applications between 1982 and 1998. About 225

Philippines: OFWs
Many Filipino migrants return for Christmas. To honor overseas workers, three returning Filipino migrant workers received the red-carpet treatment.

Hong Kong: Maids
About 400 foreign workers, most of them Filipino domestic workers, protested on December 6,1998 against a proposed 20 percent cut in their minimum

Malaysia, Thailand
Malaysia reported that 255,483 illegal immigrants had been returned as of November 30, 1998, including 184,000 under an amnesty that ended on

Asian Development Outlook
The 1998 Asian Development Outlook report includes a chapter on population and human resources that explores the question posed by MIT economist Paul

Japan: Illegals, Foreign Workers
The Japanese Labor Minister reported on November 21 that growth in the number of foreign workers slowed in 1998, a result of the recession. As of

Malaysia: Illegals Out, New Workers In
On November 1, the Malaysian government announced that it had extended to November 15 an October 31 deadline to allow illegal Indonesian migrants to

Hong Kong: Domestic Workers
There are 140,000 Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong, including 30,000 who are members of the Filipino Migrant Workers Union. Several members of

Thailand Foreign Workers
More Thais are seeking overseas jobs because of high unemployment at home, but stiff competition is increasing the fees they must pay. The Thai

Singapore
Singapore will require all foreign construction workers to pass a basic skills test before they can enter the country to work. The government hopes

Korea: Foreigners, Illegals
There were 291,816 foreigners in Korea in August 1998, including 84,637 Chinese (mostly ethnic Koreans who arrived as trainees), 51,579 Americans and

South Asia
India and Bangladesh in November 1998 failed to resolve a dispute over the alleged illegal migration of tens of thousands of Bangladeshi nationals to

Malaysia: Crackdown, Recruitment
Deputy Home Minister Ong Ka Ting in October 1998 reported that there were more than a million foreigners working in Malaysia and that 800,000 had

Japan: Nikkeijin
Nearly 230,000 Brazilians of Japanese ancestry, Nikkeijin, have settled in Japan over the past eight years. According to Hello Work, the number of

Korea's Foreign Workers
The unemployment rate in Korea hit a record 7.7 percent in Fall 1998, meaning that 1.5 million of Korea's 19.5 million workers were jobless. In

Philippines: Emigration Stable
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration reported that the number of Filipinos sent overseas to work in the first six months of 1998 fell

Singapore: Caning for Illegals
The Singapore government announced on October 5 that it will impose mandatory caning for illegal immigrants and people who abet illegal entry. The

Hong Kong: Illegal Sweep, Maids Protest
The Hong Kong government launched a 24-hour sweep against illegal immigration on October 27, arresting 130 suspected illegal immigrants. Police spot

Taiwan Sets Up New Immigration Bureau
Taiwan's Ministry of the Interior proposed an immigration and emigration bureau to handle permanent resident visas for foreigners married to citizens

Asia: Urban-Rural, Economy
Urban-Rural. There is a significant urban-rural migration within southeast Asia, with rural-urban migrants returning to villages as they lose

China/Hong Kong
China. The number of nonimmigrant visas issued to Chinese coming to the US as students, business visitors and tourists has more than

Japan: Neikajin, Foreign Students
Ethnic Japanese from Brazil have flocked to Japan since the late 1980s, but some are now returning to Brazil because of Japan's economic crisis--an

Malaysia, Singapore
Malaysia. On August 31, 1998, the Malaysian government adopted a "Friendly and Firm" policy that gave about 300,000 migrants whose work

Japan: Apprehensions, Students
Japanese police charged 1,360 foreigners in 1997 with illegal entry, including 1,209 Chinese. In the first eight months of 1998, some 677 foreigners

Malaysia, Singapore
Malaysia. On August 15, 1998, an estimated 237,000 work permits held by foreign workers expired. In January, 1998, Malaysia announced that

China, Hong Kong
China has 400 million urban residents and 800 million rural residents. There are about 260 million urban workers of working age, 18 to 60, and

Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand
Indonesia. Between May 14-20, 1998, some 150,000 persons left Indonesia, including 71,000 Indonesians. At least 40,000 ethnic Chinese

Thailand: Migrants Can Stay
Thailand's Labor Minister Trairong Suwankhiri met with business leaders July 15 to reconsider Thailand's policy of deporting illegal foreign workers.

Malaysia: Foreign Workers Stay
The Malaysian Special Cabinet Committee on Foreign Workers in mid-July agreed to permit 96,000 foreign workers "in jobs shunned by Malaysians" to

Japan: Illegal Migrants, Demography
Police and maritime authorities in six prefectures along the Sea of Japan held a meeting in Niigata on July 21, 1998 to discuss ways to prevent

Singapore: Foreigners, Illegals Up
The share of foreigners in Singapore's labor force doubled between 1992 and 1998, from 12 to 25 percent. The 450,000 foreign workers (including

Taiwan: Ceiling and Brokers
There are 251,000 foreigners employed in Taiwan. The government announced plans to cap the number at 300,000 to create jobs for 200,000 Taiwanese

Korea: Trainees, Dual Nationality
There were 98,000 legal and 136,000 illegal foreign workers in Korea in December 1997, according to the Hong Kong-based Asian Migrant Center.

Structural Demand for Migrants?
As the one-year anniversary of the Asian financial crisis approaches, three themes have come to dominate the discussion of the economic crisis and

Thailand: Repatriations and Shortage
As Thailand expels legal and illegal foreign workers, Thai employers are complaining of labor shortages. Thailand has expelled about 200,000

Malaysia: Shortage and Surplus
Some 35,000 workers were laid off in Malaysia in the first five months of 1998--13 percent were foreign workers. However, in four months of 1997, 325

Japan: Illegal Workers Stable
The Japanese estimate that 276,000 foreigners were working illegally in Japan in January 1998, and the Maritime Safety Agency estimates that 4,000 to

Hong Kong, China
Hong Kong. Local workers will be the first hired under the Hong Kong government's emergency employment program which will create 100,000 new

Philippines: Deployment, Vietnamese
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) reported in June 1998 that 559,227 Filipinos were sent abroad in 1997, including 160,302 or

Conference: Crisis and Migration
A May 1998 conference organized by the Scalabrini Migration Center in Manila noted that the southeast Asian financial crisis was triggered by the

Indonesia: Chinese, Migrants
Indonesia, with a population of 204 million and a labor force of 90 million, has eight million unemployed workers. Some projections suggest that

Japan: G-8 Concerns
At the G-8 meeting of leaders of industrialized nations in the UK in May 1998, the Japanese government expressed growing concern about the activities

Malaysia and Singapore
Malaysia was criticized by UNHCR and NGOs concerned with refugees and human rights for not permitting Indonesians to apply for political asylum

Thailand: Crackdown and Shortage
On May 1, 1998, Thai authorizes began to search for undocumented foreign workers. A detention center was established in Bangkok to deal with the

Hong Kong: Children, Foreign Workers
On May 20, the Hong Kong Court of Appeal reversed the ruling of Justice Brian Keith and ruled that only mainland babies born after their parents had

Crisis and Migration
As the economic crisis in southeast Asia continues, most experts expect the number of illegal migrants to increase. The region already has the

Malaysia: Deportations
Deportations. On April 10, 1998, about 40 Indonesians jumped over walls and fences to enter the US, Swiss, French and Brunei embassies in

Singapore: Enforcement
Singapore, a country of 3.5 million, has about 450,000 foreign workers, including 100,000 foreign maids--about one household in seven in Singapore

Korea: Illegals Trapped
South Korea set a March 31, 1998 deadline for illegal workers to leave the country. However, as the deadline approached, many illegal foreign workers

Hong Kong/China
Children. A Hong Kong appeals court on April 2, 1998 ruled that mainland children with the right to live in Hong Kong (because one of their

Japan: Structural Dependence?
The University of California/San Diego Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies released a report in April 1998 that concludes that a broad range of

Malaysia/Thailand: Detention, Entry, Employment
A great deal of publicity has attended Malaysia's efforts to reduce illegal immigration, in part because it had the most illegal immigrants before

Illegal Immigration in Singapore
The Singaporean government has taken steps to curb illegal immigration from Indonesia and elsewhere. Police carried out a series of highly publicized

Japan: Citizenship and War Orphans
Japan's Supreme Court refused to award Japanese citizenship to a 49-year-old woman born in Japan to a Korean father and Japanese mother. The woman

Taiwan: Labor Policies
Taiwan's Council of Labor Affairs has initiated a new labor policy that will require local construction companies that want to employ more foreign

China/Hong Kong
There are 160,000 to 170,000 foreign maids in Hong Kong and in February 1998, the Hong Kong government decided to freeze maids' salaries at HK$3,860

Crisis and Migrants
On February 2, 1998, World Bank President James Wolfensohn said in Singapore that southeast Asia, "replete with migrant workers from one country

China and Hong Kong
Migrant Workers. Chinese migrant workers were expected to bring $9 billion (75 billion yuan) to their villages of origin when they returned

Which Way Japan?
Japan has about one million foreign workers in a labor force of 66 million; foreigners are just over one percent of the labor force. There is

Crisis and Deportations
Some two to three million migrant workers may be displaced by the economic crisis in Asia. Many analysts predict that the problem of foreign workers

Hong Kong: Children, Guest Workers, Asylum
Children. On January 26, 1998 a Hong Kong judge ruled that 160 mainland-born children with at least one Hong Kong resident parent have the

China: Internal Migration
As the Chinese government closes and restructures state enterprises, millions of urban workers are being displaced, including 12 million in 1997. The

Korea: Illegals Leave
The Korean government planned a January 1998 crackdown on illegal foreign workers, but before it could happen there was reported to be a "mass

Japan: Filipinas, Illegals
On January 26, the Japanese Justice Ministry organized a task force to apprehend foreigners staying illegally in Japan and to prevent illegal

Economic Crisis Affects Migration
Economic growth in Asia is expected to slow in 1998, falling, for example, in Malaysia from seven percent in 1997 to 3.5 percent in 1998, and in

Hong Kong: Children, Guestworkers
The Hong Kong immigration department has decided not to expel four mainland children who are seeking a judicial review of a court ruling ordering

Foreign Workers: China, Taiwan
China. China hopes to attract more skilled foreign workers by offering better working and living conditions and by protecting intellectual

Japan: War Orphans
The Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau announced in December that 1,000 Chinese may have illegally entered Japan since around 1995 by posing as

Singapore: Enforcement, Immigration
Enforcement. Beginning April 1, 1998, general contractors will be given a quota of foreign workers for each building project and they will be

Foreigners in Japan
On November 11, Amnesty International reported that foreigners held in Japanese jails and immigration detention centers risk being beaten, humiliated

Malaysia: August 1998 Deadline
The Malaysian government announced that after August 15, 1998, foreign workers may be forced to leave the country. After that date, the Immigration

Indonesia: Remittances
State Minister of National Development Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita in November 1997 said that there were 945,924 Indonesians working overseas in

Singapore: Levy Changes
Singapore announced in November that the monthly tax or levy on unskilled construction workers and domestic maids will increase on April 1, 1998,

Vietnam: Viet Kieu, Exits
Some two million Vietnamese live outside Vietnam, including 1.2 million in the US, 300,000 in France, 200,000 each in Australia and Canada, and

Thailand: Illegals, Guest Workers
The Bangkok Post reported on November 24 that more than 100,000 foreign children are working in the country illegally. The director of the Center for

Korea: No New Foreign Trainees
Korea announced that it will not import foreign industrial trainees in 1998 because of the economic crisis and the "social problems" caused by

Hong Kong: Mainland Children
A Hong Kong court in October rejected pleas that mainland-born Chinese children be allowed to remain in Hong Kong with their parents after being

Japan: Illegal Immigration
More than 1,070 illegal immigrants have been arrested in Japan since January, compared with 679 in all of 1996. The National Police Agency reports

Singapore Lures Skilled Foreigners
In August, Singapore's Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong called for more skilled immigrants, saying that Singapore needs "the world's best talent to

China: Migration and Population Growth
Migration. Estimates of internal migration based on village surveys suggest that there were about 41 million rural-urban migrant workers in

Thailand: Crisis and Migrants
Foreign workers are being laid off in Thailand, as economic activity is reduced as a result of the financial crisis. At least 17,000 foreign workers,

Malaysia: Economics and Migration
On October 23, Malaysia's deputy home minister said, "If the country's economic situation persists, the government may have to cease issuing work

Korea: Trainees to Illegals
On October 1, 1997, the Korean Labor Ministry told the National Assembly that 34 percent of foreign trainees had left their employers without

Taiwan's Foreign Workers
The Council of Labor Affairs reported that 30,800 foreign workers had abandoned their employers and contracts as of September 30, 1997, or 12 percent

Indonesia and Vietnam: Labor Exports
Indonesian Manpower Minister Abdul Latief in October 1997 said that 1.95 million Indonesians are employed abroad, and that they earn an average of

Hong Kong: Test Case
On September 18, 1997, the first hearing was held on the legality of Immigration No 5 Ordinance, approved by the Beijing-backed Provisional

Korea: Trainee to Worker After Two Years
On September 9, the South Korean government approved a revision of the Immigration Control Law granting foreign workers the right to organize, to

Japan: Trainees and Illegal Immigration
In 1996, more foreigners were arrested for illegally working in Japan than were allowed to work legally as unskilled laborers. Presently, the only

Malaysia Lifts Foreign Maid Ban
Malaysia announced on September 8 the lifting of a three-week old ban on the importation of foreign domestic workers, and the end of the five-year

Thailand: Crisis and Migration
Thailand obtained an IMF bailout in August, after a financial crisis brought on by over-reliance on foreign investment and credit, changing trends in

Taiwan to Recruit in Nicaragua
Taiwan's Council of Labor Affairs announced on September 23 that it has begun negotiations to bring workers from Vietnam and Nicaragua. Since 1990,

Indonesia: Armed Forces Control Emigration
The Indonesian armed forces will oversee "all stages" of labor immigration, and the Indonesian navy announced plans to step up patrols and tighten

Asian Migration News
Asian Migration News (AMN) is a new electronic posting that summarizes current information on migration patterns and policies. It is edited by

Malaysia Stops Recruitment
On August 20, 1997, the Malaysian government announced that it would freeze the recruitment of new unskilled foreign workers, the latest round in the

China: Migrant Workers
The living and working conditions of migrant workers within China were described in an article in the Los Angeles Times on August 3, 1997. As a

Japan: More Foreign Workers?
On August 8, several Japanese corporate executives urged the government to consider increasing the number of foreign workers admitted to Japan. The

Taiwan: Labor Brokers and Guest Workers
The August 8, 1997 issue of Asiaweek includes a lengthy article about the activities of labor brokers in Taiwan, emphasizing that many foreign

Singapore's Foreign Workers
In 1996, Singapore's population was 3.6 million, including 560,000 foreigners; the population was three million in 1990. Between 1977 and 1987,

Hong Kong: Family Reunification
A new immigration law was approved by the Hong Kong legislature on July 9 that allows the return to China of children who will ultimately be

Malaysia: Foreign Workers, Emigrants, Sabah
Foreign Workers. Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who just completed a two-month visit to Japan and several European

Taiwan: Bilateral Labor Agreements?
Taiwan's Council of Labor Affairs in July announced plans to negotiate bilateral agreements that would permit Taiwanese employers to recruit foreign

Korea: Foreign Construction Trainees
Korea announced that 2,500 foreigners will arrive in Korea in October 1997 to work on three government-funded construction projects: the Inchon

Filipino Migrants
Some 357,209 Filipinos were deployed to overseas jobs between January and June 1997, according to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration

Thailand: Alien Smuggling
Thailand has become a major transit country for Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans and Nepalese headed to the US, Canada, Europe, Korea

Hong Kong Reverts to China
On July 1, 1997, Hong Kong reverted from British to Chinese rule, ushering in a 50-year period of "one country, two systems." On July

Japan: Foreigners Up
The number for foreign nationals staying in Japan 90 days or more totaled a record 1.4 million at the end of 1996, up four percent from a year

Malaysia: Crackdown Continues
On June 11, 1997, in perhaps the most massive one-day immigration inspection anywhere, authorities checked on the right to work of 8,547 foreigners

Thailand: Extend Amnesty?
Thailand in 1996 permitted employers with illegal workers to register them, so that they could receive two-year work permits. The first deadline was

China's Hong Kong Border
Hong Kong reverts to Chinese rule on July 1, 1997, and there are fears of massive illegal immigration as Chinese slip into Hong Kong hoping for

Japan's New Immigration Law
A revised Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law went into effect on May 11 in Japan. The revised law increases penalties on organizations

Korea: Trainees to Workers
On May 22, 1997, Korea announced that it had decided to adopt an "employment permit system" to reduce the social problems that have arisen under the

Taiwan: Foreign Workers Can Stay
Taiwan will allow the 260,000 foreign workers, 60 percent Thais, to extend their contracts from two to three years, as requested by employers who

Japan: Chinese and Integration
Chinese. The number of Chinese being smuggled into Japan via Japan's rugged western coast is increasing, and the Chinese and Japanese traded

Malaysia: Roundups and New Migrants
Malaysia in 1996-97 began to round up illegal foreign workers in a manner that recalls the US Operation Wetback in 1954, with midnight raids and the

China and Hong Kong
Hong Kong. Chinese officials announced in April that Hong Kong residents would not have to be physically present in Hong Kong on July 1, 1997

Singapore: Sanctions and Dependence
Sanctions. For the second time in 1997, a first-time offender in Singapore has been sentenced to eight months in prison for hiring illegal

Asia: Affluent Emigrate?
A survey of 400 affluent people in each of 13 Asia-Pacific countries in December 1996 by Mastercard International found that 16 percent of them hoped

Japan: Chinese Boat People
After apprehending as many illegal Chinese immigrants in January-February 1997 as in all of 1996, a delegation of Japanese officials met with the

Malaysia Targets Foreign Professionals
After cracking down on illegal unskilled foreign workers, the Malaysian government in March 1997 announced plans to go after illegal foreign

Thailand: Illegals to Guest Workers?
Thailand in September 1996 launched programs to turn illegal alien workers into legal guest workers. Thai employers had until November 30, 1996 to

Taiwan's Foreign Laborers
Taiwan reported that, as of January 31, 1997, there were 249,000 foreign laborers in the country. Taoyuan county in northern Taiwan recorded the

Korea Simplifies Rules on Skilled Foreign Workers
Beginning July 1, 1997, Korea plans to simplify procedures for skilled foreigners to work in the country. Instead of getting work visas from Korean

Singapore's Foreign Workers
In Singapore, which has issued 400,000 employment passes to foreigners, foreign workers comprise almost 20 per cent of the work force. Some 2,148

Japan: Foreigners in Government?
Beginning April 1, 1997, the start of Japan's fiscal year, local governments in Kobe and Yokohama will eliminate nationality clauses on many exams

China: Vietnamese, Deng Dies
Vietnam promised to cooperate with China to reduce illegal immigration into southern Chinese provinces. According to China Daily, nearly 50,000

Malaysia: New Law Prompts Exits
Malaysia's new immigration law went into effect on February 1, 1997, when 1,900 illegal workers were detained and many illegal Bangladeshis attempted

South Korea's Foreign Workers
Foreign workers in South Korea earn an average monthly salary of US$740, of which about 30 percent is spent on living expenses and the rest is sent

Minorities in Hong Kong Get British Citizenship
The British government decided on February 4 that it would grant citizenship to 8,000 persons in Hong Kong who were likely to be left stateless when

Japan: Nikkei Come to Stay
Brazilians and Peruvians of Japanese ancestry, known as nikkei, are continuing to migrate to Japan despite their mixed reception and the Japanese

China and Hong Kong
China is gearing up for heavy travel over the Lunar New Year, which begins on February 7, 1997. The holiday period runs from January 18 to March 8,

Malaysian Crackdown on Illegal Aliens
Malaysia's Immigration Act (Amendment) of 1996 went into effect on January 1, 1997, but enforcement was delayed until February 1, 1997. The

Korea: Trainees and Strike
In October, 1996, there were an estimated 194,000 foreign workers in Korea, including 120,000 illegal overstayers, 61,000 trainees and 13,000

Taiwan Develops Immigration Laws
The Taiwan government continues to work on immigration laws that would grant permanent residence to foreign nationals who have lived in Taiwan for at

Singapore Steps up Enforcement
A Korean joint venture firm, Ssangyong-Guan Ho Joint Venture, was fined a record S$1.56 million for employing illegal foreign workers. After a 3.5

Indonesia: Substitute Natives for Foreigners
Beginning in 1997, all foreign workers in Indonesia will have to pay a levy of US$100 per month. The money will be deposited in a skills development

Korea To Increase Foreign Trainees
On December 6, 1996, Korea announced that it would increase the number of Chinese trainees in the country. About 12,0000 of the 80,000 foreign

Japan: Boat People and Citizenship
A group of 24 Pakistanis arrived in Kagoshima on a freighter and received transit visas and then were detained on suspicion that they were attempting

Hong Kong and China
After the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, the UK adopted the British Nationality Selection Scheme to anchor 50,000 key people and their families in

Philippines: Regulating Migrant Conditions
There are an estimated 4.2 to 4.5 million Filipinos from a population of 70 million working abroad. Most of them are women, including 95 percent of

Malaysia: New Agency and Crackdown
The Malaysian government plans to establish a new agency in 1997 to handle all matters pertaining to foreign workers. There have been allegations

Asian Labor Migration
Asian countries received $75 billion in remittances from workers abroad in 1995 compared with $54 billion in official foreign aid, according to the

Japan Copes with Illegal Foreigners
On November 18, the Japanese government said it will grant Japanese citizenship to a child born out of wedlock to a Filipina woman and a Japanese

China-Hong Kong Border
In mid-November, some 2,000 police and border troops in China's Guangdong province launched their second drill to prevent a sudden storming of the

APEC Meets in Manila
The 18-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) met in Manila on November 20-25, 1996 to discuss ways to achieve free trade between the

Foreign Workers in Singapore
There are now 350,000 foreign workers employed in Singapore, nearly 12 percent of the population. Most of the foreign workers in Singapore are from

South Korea Contends with Foreign Workers
The South Korean government plans to import 1,500 skilled foreign workers from Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines in 1997 for the construction

Taiwan Struggles to Control Foreign Workers
The Council of Labor Affairs on November 14, 1996 announced that it was reducing the maximum percentage of foreign workers in a company or factory

Migration between Two Koreas
China and South Korea are reportedly building refugee camps to handle what some expect to be a hunger-induced mass emigration from North Korea of up

Singapore: Foreign Workers and Productivity
In September 1996, Singapore reached its highest-ever level of foreign worker employment, when the 350,000 foreign workers reached 20 percent of the

Malaysia: Recruitment Ban Continues
Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced on October 12 that the government would continue the ban on permits to import unskilled foreign workers

Thailand: From Illegals to Guest Workers
Foreign Workers. According to the Interior Ministry, of the 590,000 illegal immigrants in Thailand in mid-1995, about 300,000 came from Burma,

Vietnam Restricts Foreigner Workers
Vietnam in October 1996 announced new rules for the employment of foreigners. Foreigners working in joint venture and wholly foreign-owned companies

Internal Migration and Stability in China
China's population hit 1.2 billion at the end of 1995, so that China had 21 percent of the world's 5.8 billion residents. About 45 percent of China's

Singapore: Illegals in Construction
Singapore employs about 350,000 foreign workers, and foreign workers are 20 percent of the island nation's labor force. Singapore is

Foreign Workers in Malaysia
A Malaysian cabinet committee on foreign workers will conduct a study of foreign workers following complaints by Bangladeshi workers of harassment in

Taiwan Considering Freeze on Foreign Worker Permits
Taiwan's Council for Economic Planning and Development on August 15, 1996 asked the Council for Labor Affairs to freeze new approvals for foreign

Thailand To Legalize Illegal Foreign Workers
Thailand in August announced regulations to implement the legalization program it announced on June 25, 1996 for an estimated 700,000 illegal

Japan: No to Unskilled Workers
In December 1995, the Japanese government agreed to accept more skilled foreign workers, but announced that it would continue to ban the admission of

Hong Kong: Crime and Airport Workers
Illegal immigrants from China are blamed for a rash of violent crimes in Hong Kong. Most of the crimes committed by illegal immigrants are in the New

Philippines Maid Returns Home
Philippine maid Sarah Balabagan came home to a hero's welcome in August, after being jailed in the United Arab Emirates for nearly two years for

Singapore: Managing Migration
Singapore is widely regarded as a controlled society that can manage with precision the foreign workers who are about one-sixth of the island's labor

Malaysian Economic Growth and Foreign Workers
The Seventh Malaysia Plan (1996-2000) projects continued growth in one of East Asia's miracle economies, led manufactured exports produced with the

Taiwan Freezes Worker Imports
Taiwan's Council for Economic Planning and Development, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and the Council of Labor Affairs moved on August 11, 1996

Thailand Offers Amnesty
The Thai Cabinet approved new regulations that will allow currently illegal workers from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia who entered Thailand before June

Camps for Vietnamese Close
On June 30, 1996, most of the camps for boat people from Vietnam were closed, ending a 20-year saga--the camps were originally supposed to be closed

Female Migrants in Asia
The International Labor Office (ILO) estimates there are at least 1.5 million female workers from Asia employed outside their country of citizenship,

Japan: Foreign Residents, Opposition Up
The Japanese Justice Ministry announced on July 7 that the number of foreign residents registered in Japan reached a record high of 1.36 million in

Foreigners in Japan at Record High
The Japanese government reported that the number of registered alien residents in Japan was over 1.3 million at the end of 1995, accounting for a

Filipino Overseas Workers
The Philippines, the major emigration nation in Asia, believes that there are at least 5,000 illegal aliens living in the country who were granted

Foreigners in Hong Kong Face Uncertainty
Foreigners working in Hong Kong face uncertainty despite Chinese promises to permit them to live and work in the future Special Autonomous region

Taiwan Calls for Limits on Foreign Workers
The Council for Economic Planning and Development called for a limit on the number of foreign laborers in Taiwan. The CEPD reported that imported

Malaysia Has Skilled Labor Shortages
One electronics industry estimate predicts that an additional 50,000 qualified engineers will be needed by 2000 in order to sustain the country's

Migration at Asian Summits
The Asean Trade Union Council (ATUC) in mid-May announced at an International Labour Organisation-ATUC symposium that it would urge governments and

Japan: Accept More Refugees?
Sadako Ogata, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, urged Japan to accept more refugees in May 1996. Japan signed the 1951 Refugee Convention in

Thailand: Two Million Illegals?
Thailand's security forces estimate that there may be over two million unauthorized foreign workers in the country, four times the mid-1995 estimate

Singapore: Reduce Dependence
Singapore's Labor Minister warned the construction industry to improve its productivity rather than rely on foreign workers. According to

Vietnamese Boat People: Repatriation and Rioting
Hong Kong and other places in southeast Asia that house the 33,000 Vietnamese "boat people" remaining in camps stepped up their efforts to return

China Restricts Foreign Workers
On May 1, 1996, China introduced new restrictions on foreigners working in the country, and on internal migrants, in a bid to preserve "social

Malaysia: Detained Foreigners Can Work in Ag
The Malaysian government in mid-May announced that the 11,000 illegal workers being detained could obtain an "amnesty" or legal work permit if they

Hong Kong Cuts Age Restrictions on Chinese Children
The Hong Kong government announced on May 18 that it will eliminated the age restriction on children entering Hong Kong on one-way permits from China

Taiwan: Maximum Foreigners
The Council of Labor Affairs announced on May 22 that there were 212,800 foreign workers in Taiwan, and that this was the "maximum limit." The CLA

Vietnamese Boat People
Over one million Vietnamese "boat people" have been resettled since 1975, including 823,000 in the US, 137,000 each in Australia and Canada, 96,000

Chinese Crackdown on Migrants
China began a nationwide crackdown on illegal overseas workers on May 1. Under new regulations, foreigners must obtain work permits from their local

Malaysia Foreign Workers Are Security Threat
The Malaysian government is calling foreign workers a national security threat. One Malaysian official said Malaysia needs to learn from the

Japan to Train Foreign Workers
The Japanese government plans to extend the maximum length of "training" for foreign workers from two to three years in order to encourage the

Hong Kong Prepares Residents for 1997
Some 160,000 Hong Kong residents lined up before the March 31, 1996 deadline to apply for British National Overseas (BNO) passports that give them

Taiwan: Foreign Workers and Illegal Immigration
On April 10, some 550 Chinese illegal immigrants in Taiwan staged a demonstration at a detention center after being held as long as seven months. The

Philippines Remittances Up
The Philippine Central Bank reported that remittances from Filipino overseas contract workers increased over 63 percent to US $4.93 billion in 1995

Japan: Managing Migration
On March 6-8, 1996, Nihon University hosted a conference on the Dynamics of Labor Migration in Asia. Selected papers on labor recruitment and the

Singapore: Debate on Foreign Workers
During a debate on the budget on March 20, several members of the Singapore House of Representatives raised the issue of deregulating the employment

Hong Kong and the UK
British Prime Minister John Major announced on March 4 that Hong Kong residents with blue-covered Chinese Special Administrative Region (SAR) travel

Korea's Foreign Trainees
In February 1996, the quota for foreign trainees in South Korea increased to 70,000. By the end of February, some 50,000 foreign trainees were in

China Experiences Immigration
Some of North Korea's 22 million residents are reportedly crossing the Yalu river into China because of food shortages. China's Jilin province

Thailand: Foreign Worker Zones
The Federation of Thai Industries proposed the creation of a special economic zone which would allow foreigners to work without a minimum wage

Indonesia: Too Many Foreigners?
Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous nation with a labor force growing by almost two million per year, is worried that too many "good jobs"

ILO Report on Migrant Workers
The International Labour Office in Geneva released a report on March 6 about the deteriorating working conditions of migrant workers in East Asia and

Thailand Proposes Guest Workers
Thailand's interior ministry has proposed a plan to permit employers in 35 of the country's 76 provinces to import foreign workers. The provinces in

Indonesian Workers in Malaysia
Malaysia's "easy exit" for illegal aliens, which began February 3, 1996 during the Hari Raya festival week, attracted few takers. In response, the

Taiwan: Foreign Workers
Taiwan has approved the entry of 290,000 foreign workers, and at the end of October, 1995, there were about 193,000 foreign workers in Taiwan,

Hong Kong Emigration Drops
In February 1996, the number of days until the Chinese takeover of Hong Kong became less than 500. Unexpectedly, in 1995, emigration dropped to its

Filipino Recruitment
Under Philippine law, agencies that arrange for Filipinos to work abroad cannot charge the workers more than 5,000 pesos ($200). Most workers pay far

Japan: Unemployment and Foreign Workers
Japan's unemployment rate hit its highest level on November 1995 since 1953, 3.4 percent, meaning that 3.3 million of Japan's 64 million workers are

APEC Tackles Migration
Human resource ministers from the 18-APEC member nations approved a draft statement January 11 that calls for sharing labor market information,

China's Internal Migrants
Are migrant workers China's answer to inequality or a threat to its stability? There are 70 million (Ministry of Agriculture estimate) to 100 million

Vietnamese Refugees
Vietnam said in January that it was ready to accept up to 9,000 of the 37,000 Vietnamese in camps in southeast Asia, including 21,000 in Hong Kong.

Indonesia Foreign Work force Grows
The number of foreign workers in Indonesia grew by 38 percent in 1995 to 57,159. Their total salaries amounted to about $200 million. By nationality,

Korea: Foreign Workers and Mail-Order Brides
Korea considered and rejected a license system for foreign workers, and instead will improve the current system in a manner that increases the cost

Foreign Workers in Hong Kong
"Being sold as pigs" is how the Chinese referred to labor recruitment in the 19th century. Today, with Hong Kong booming, and many Chinese migrating

Professional and Skilled Migrants in Asia
Many commentators expect Asia's rapid economic growth to be threatened by too few professional and skilled workers. Instead of deriving comparative

Thailand: Immigration Controls Not Working
The Thai government has requested recommendations from the Thailand Development and Research Institute and the National Economic and Social

Vietnamese Refugee Resettlement
The US in December made another effort to return the 37,000 Vietnamese still languishing in camps in Asia to Vietnam, despite plans by one US

APEC, ASEAN, and FDI
The Pacific Business Forum, 36 representatives from large and small to medium-sized business from each of APEC's 18-member countries, recommended

China: Foreigners Employment
China is developing legislation to regulate the employment of foreigners in the country. The current Law of the People's Republic of China on Entry

Malaysia: Foreigners and Politics
The government advised the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) to take their labor concerns to the government's National Labour Advisory Council

Japan Continues Fingerprints
On December 15, the Japanese Supreme Court upheld the law that requires foreigners living legally in Japan to be fingerprinted. The fingerprinting

Labor Exporters Plan for Emigration
Indonesia plans to increase the number of Indonesians working abroad from the current 1.2 million to two million by year 2000, when they are expected

Taiwan To Import More Foreign Workers
Despite concerns about the social impacts of foreign workers, the Taiwan government plans to allow 30,000 more foreign workers to fill manufacturing

Japan's Foreign Population
There were 1.4 million foreign residents of Japan at the end of 1994, the most ever recorded, and almost double the 800,000 in 1974. As in the past,

Malaysia Issues Guidelines on Foreign Workers
The Cabinet Committee on Foreign Workers has completed its proposed law on the recruitment and protection of foreign workers and it has been

Singapore Passes Foreign Worker Bills
The Singapore Parliament approved on November 1, 1995 an Employment of Foreign Workers Act to deter the employment of illegal alien workers in

Thailand's Immigrant Workers
On October 31, the Thai Labour and Social Welfare secretary called for a clear policy on foreign workers. The ministry currently does not have the

Hong Kong Residency
Britain will accept Chinese demands to stop granting Hong Kong permanent residency to returning migrants after July 1, 1997. This is in major change

Chinese Migrants
Zhejiang Village, Beijing's clothing market, is dominated by migrants from other parts of China, leading the government to announce a

Hong Kongto Reduce Foreign Workers
In mid-October, Hong Kong cut its foreign worker quota from 25,000 to 5,000 because of an unemployment rate that hit a 10-year high of 3.5 percent of

Migrant Workers and Growth in Asia
Estimates of the number of migrant workers in Asia range from two million to 13 million. Whatever the exact amount, the number of migrants is up

Taiwan Fights Illegal Workers, Increases Foreign Workers
Taiwan's Council of Labor Affairs has launched an aggressive campaign to enforce the nation's immigration laws against illegal foreign workers and

Singapore Sees Rise in Illegal Alien Employment
Singapore has about 300,000 foreign workers employed under one of the strictest guest worker programs in the world, but illegal alien employment in

Migration within China
China is the world's most populous country, with 1.2 billion residents, and one of the fastest growing countries--growth averaged 10 percent or more

Hong Kong Residents Want UK Passports
Hong Kong Governor Chris Patten on September 25 said that 3.3 million of Hong Kong's 6.2 million residents should have the right to immigrate to the

Korea Becomes the Land of Opportunity
During the 1980s, Korea was the third leading source of Asian immigrants to the US--only the Philippines (549,000) and China-including Taiwan

Taiwan Concerned About Guest Workers
The first guest workers arrived in Taiwan in 1990. By 1995, there were 315,919 foreign workers, and they comprise about three percent of the labor

Vietnamese Returnees Find Little Persecution
Stories about Vietnamese boat people who have been repatriated to Vietnam tell of returning to a changed Vietnam. Political freedom is nonexistent,

Another Filipino Maid Sentenced to Death
A United Arab Emirates court condemned a 16-year Filipina maid to death for stabbing her employer to death. The maid was originally sentenced to

Foreign Residents in Japan
A Justice Ministry report released on August 17 reported a record 1.35 million foreign residents registered in Japan in December 1994, up 2.5 percent

Malaysia: Detentions and Foreign Workers
A Malaysian non-governmental organization found after a year-long study that illegal immigrants detained in the country often live in deplorable

Thailand Debates Foreign Workers
A committee of public and private businesses called on the Thai government to ease restrictions on foreign workers to help solve the labor shortage.

Philippines Tries to Protect Overseas Workers
The Philippine government is fighting the exploitation of its overseas workers on several fronts. On July 16, the Migrant Worker and Overseas

Taiwan: Foreign Workers to Get Equal Pay
Taiwan's Council of Labor Affairs announced that, after the country joins the World Trade Organization, foreign workers will be put on the same

Malaysia Loses Foreign Workers Remittances
The Malaysian government says it is losing about US $960 million dollars a year in foreign exchange because of remittances by foreign workers. The

Surplus of Chinese Farmers
The Chinese vice premier says that China will face major social and political problems if it does not find work for the nearly 200 million farmers

Hong Kong Unemployment
High rent and labor costs are driving many unskilled jobs to China. Hong Kong officials, accustomed to full employment, were shocked when

Singapore: Foreign Workers and Pensions
The Singapore government announced that, after August 1, white-collar foreign workers and their employers could no longer contribute to the country's

Illegal Workers in Korea
There were 78,852 foreign workers in Korea in April 1995, including 54,300 illegal workers who arrived with tourist visas and failed to depart,

Vietnamese Riot in Asia
Some of the 40,000 Vietnamese boat people who are still in camps in Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia are rioting to protest plans to

Philippines Approves New Migrant Worker Act
On June 7, Philippines President Fidel Ramos signed into law the Migrant Workers and Overseas Act. The new law calls for stricter monitoring of the

Countries Lure Hong Kong Migrants
Singapore and Taiwan are trying to lure Hong Kong residents who want to leave the territory prior to 1997. Singapore is running a

Hong Kong Debates Migrant Workers
A labor summit on June 6 in Hong Kong with government officials, employers, labor leaders and legislators was unable to agree upon the issue of labor

Japanese Migrants
There are an estimated 300,000 illegal migrant workers in Japan, prompting a study of how to provide them with health care. A panel convened by the

Chinese Migrants
There are estimated to be 80 to 100 million migrant workers within China, and the disruptions associated with migration are showing up in broken

Malaysia Considers Fewer Migrants
Malaysia's Human Resources Ministry in June outlined strategies to increase the supply of local workers and to reduce dependence on foreign workers.

Asian Maids
There are between one million and 1.7 million women employed as foreign maids throughout Asia and Middle East. The largest number are

Foreign Workers in Singapore
On Sunday evenings thousands of Indians and Bangladeshis descend upon vacant lots in the City Center of Singapore to talk with friends. About 30,000

More Foreign Workers for Taiwan
The Taiwan Council of Labor Affairs started accepting applications from employers for 8,200 foreign workers. The workers will come from Thailand, the

Japan's Worker Training Program
The Japan International Training Cooperation Organization was set up by the Ministries of Trade and Industry, Labour, Construction and Justice in

Malaysian Reliance on /a>Foreign Workers
Malaysia's booming economy has drawn more than a million migrants from Indonesia, the Philippines and Bangladesh, among others, in search of jobs.

Philippine Economics and Migration
The Philippines, sometimes called "the sick man of Asia", grew by 5.1 percent in 1994, giving the country a GDP of about $50 billion, and exports of

Vietnamese Refugees Riot in Hong Kong/a>
Over the weekend of May 20-21, 1995, several thousand Vietnamese boat people rioted while being transferred from one camp to another in Hong Kong,

Philippines to Protect Migrants
After Singapore hanged a maid convicted of murdering a child and another maid on March 17, the Philippine government came under strong domestic

South Korea Increases Industrial Trainees
There are currently about between 35,000 and 80,000 legal foreign workers, and another 50,000 illegal workers in South Korea. About 23,000 work as

Chinese Fear Weak Economy Will Lead to Migration
Growing inequality within China is causing worries that more of China's 450 million peasants, and 900 million urban residents, might migrate to the

Hong Kong: Domestic Workers to Vote, Fraudulent Passports
Over 30,000 overseas domestic workers are expected to vote in September's election in Hong Kong. The vote is expected to raise the issues of violence

Vietnamese Protest Return
Southeast Asian governments have set an end of 1995 deadline to return all Vietnamese living in camps inside their countries to Vietnam. The UNHCR is

Foreign Workers in Taiwan
Taiwanese employers have been urged to treat their foreign workers better. Most of the 210,000 foreign workers currently in the country are from

Indonesian Workers Complain of Extortion< a>
The Indonesian government will crack down on the illegal smuggling of workers out of the country, and has threatened employment agencies involved in

Philippines to Restrict Overseas Workers
The Philippines has instituted rules to limit the numbers of workers overseas because of mistreatment of Filipino workers abroad. The Philippines is

Korean Guest Workers
The Korean government has launched a program to 'internationalize' Korea's insular and homogeneous society. However, its attempts to use foreign

US Taiwanese Return to Homeland
A profile of Asian professionals in the US who are returning to Taiwan, Korea, India, and other Asian countries of citizenship suggests that a

Vietnamese Linger in Camps
More than 800,000 Vietnamese have been housed at least temporarily in camps in southeast Asian camps since 1975, and 46,000 remain there. Half are in

Vietnamese Refugees To Be Repatriated
Vietnam agreed during a February 23, 1995 meeting of 31 nations in Kuala Lumpur to permit the repatriation of up to 3,600 Vietnamese boat people each

Foreign Worker Rights in South Korea
After a protest by Nepalese workers in Seoul last month, the South Korean government announced reforms to protect the rights of foreign workers. The

Hong Kong Fears Mass Immigration after 1997
Hong Kong officials worry that there will be a flood of Chinese immigrants after the colony reverts to Chinese rule after 1997. Although Hong Kong

Chinese Unemployment and Migration
China has a labor force of about 600 million, with 440 million peasants, 109 million in the state sector, 36 million in the collective sector, and 15

Earthquake forces Japan to deal with Illegals
The January 17, 1995 Kobe earthquake that killed 5,300 people and left 300,000 homeless also prompted more than 350 illegal aliens to seek exit visas

Malaysia Tackles Illegal Immigration Again
Malaysia announced in February 1995 plans to impose sanctions of up to RM50,000 ($20,000) on employers for each illegal alien hired under a proposed

Chinese Migration
China is hoping to expand its labor exports to find jobs for its estimated 120 to 125 million unemployed rural workers. Beginning in the 1950s as

Malaysian Foreign Workers
Malaysia is a fast growing country of 20 million people that both exports and imports labor. It has one of the highest immigrant worker shares in the

Thai Concern About Influx of Foreign Workers
The president of the National Congress of Private Employees in Thailand reports that the government cannot control the influx of illegal foreign

Hong Kong Emigrants Return from Canada
Over the past two years there has been a noticeable increase in the number of Hong Kong citizens returning to Hong Kong after emigrating to Canada.

South Korea Sets Up Court for Foreign Workers
In March 1995, South Korea will create a court to deal exclusively with the problems of foreign workers, such as wage issues and severance pay. One

Taiwan Steps Up Anti-Smuggling Efforts
Taiwan announced plans to begin checking the passports of arriving foreign workers more carefully to detect forged passports and work visas as part

Managing Migration in Japan
The 15th Nihon University International Symposium brought together 70 researchers and policy makers from December 5-7, 1994 to discuss the problems

Foreigners in Japan
A private panel on December 26 recommended to the Justice Ministry that Japan increase the number of foreign workers with specialized skills, and

Planters--Open Malaysia to Foreign Workers
A leading planter on December 6 argued that Malaysia should allow a free flow of workers among the six ASEAN countries to resolve labor shortages and

Singapore Levies on Foreign Workers
Singapore announced in early December that it would reduce its dependence on unskilled foreign workers by raising monthly levies for some categories

Export and Import of Workers in Thailand
Dr. Amara Pongsapich of Chulalongkorn University has called for a Thai immigration policy that recognizes reality: Thailand both imports and export

Chinese Migrants
According to some estimates, one-third of China's peasants are idle most of the year, urban unemployment is between 16 to 20 percent, rural

200,000 Foreign Workers Needed in S. Korea
Thousands of ethnic Chinese Koreans who speak Korean have moved from nearby Jilin province into Korea. There are an estimated 31,000 Chinese citizens

Migrants Return to Vietnam
The US trade embargo on Vietnam was lifted in February, 1994, and as many as 10,000 Vietnamese each month are returning for visits to the country

Striking Filipinos Deported from Taiwan
Taiwan deported 14 Filipino workers on December 27 for leading a strike at the Far Eastern Textile factory in Chungli, which was a violation of their

Laotian Work Permits for Foreigners
Beginning November 1, 1994, the Laotian Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare will issue one-year work permits to foreigners. The Lao People's

Foreign Workers in Japan
The Japanese Labor Ministry released a report on the legal half of the estimated 600,000 foreign workers in the country. In the year ending June 1,

Philippines Protests Malaysian Deportations
On October 23, Malaysian authorities rounded up 300 Filipino maids in a shopping mall, and determined that 62 were working illegally and should be

Education and Migration in Asia
There are fears throughout Asia that rapid economic growth is leaving them short of educated manpower--in Thailand, for example, there are

Foreign Workers in Taiwan
In mid-November, Taiwan approved major investment projects proposed by 11 firms, and announced that they would be allowed to employ up 1,276 foreign

Immigration Advice on Internet
The Canadian immigration office in Hong Kong attracted 650 immigration applications on one day after it was announced that the number of immigrants

Cambodian-Vietnamese Dispute
Vietnam and Cambodia held talks to resolve the issue of Vietnam interfering with ships headed up the Mekong River to Phnom Penh. The interference is

Taiwan Allows More Foreign Workers
Manufacturing firms in Taiwan have been given the green light by the Council of Labor Affairs to submit applications to import foreign workers. The

Malaysia to Continue Import of Bangladeshi Workers
Malaysia agreed to import 50,000 skilled and semi-skilled workers from Bangladesh each year. There are currently 100,000 Bangladeshi workers in

Labor Shortages in Asia
Some four million Asians work in an Asian country other than their own. Foreign workers are drawn to South Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and

Philippine Overseas Workers
Between 1990 and 1993, the number of Filipinos abroad has increased from five to six million, a 20 percent increase over the previous three-year

Cambodia- No Expulsions of Vietnamese
Cambodia continues to insist that a new immigration law effective September 22 will not lead to the expulsion of thousands of Vietnamese who live in

Asian Games Draw Illegal Immigrants to Japan
Foreign workers took advantage of relaxed immigration controls during the 12th Asian Games in Hiroshima during the first two weeks of October to

Hong Kong Prepares to Face Post-1997
Some 400,000 of Hong Kong's six million residents are believed to have foreign passports, and thousands more could move to another country (such as

Singapore Reviews Need for Foreign Workers
The construction industry in Singapore has been allowed a ratio of five foreigners to every one local worker. The government has said that if

Illegals in Korea
South Korea's Justice Ministry announced that there were 50,600 illegal aliens in the country in September, 1994, including 42 percent who were

Thailand Cracks down on Illegal Aliens
There are an estimated 600,000 illegal aliens in Thailand, including 480,000 Burmese and 100,000 Chinese. Henceforth, illegal aliens who cannot pay

Illegal Foreigners Decline in Japan
A crackdown on foreigners living illegally in Japan has resulted in a decline in the number of foreigners overstaying their visas. As of May 1,

Malaysia Recruits 17,000 Indonesian Workers
The Development Minister of Malaysia has requested that Indonesia provide 17,000 agricultural workers for the oil palm plantations. The Development

South Korea Assists Illegal Foreign Workers
Illegal foreign workers deported from South Korea without being paid back wages or worker's compensation will be offered government assistance. The

Taiwan Deports Filipinos
Taiwan announced that 5,000 illegal Filipino workers will be returned at the end 1994 with the aid of the Philippine government, and that 1,000 young

Migration in China
China has announced that beginning November 1, 1994 Beijing employers will have to pay the equivalent of $11,600 for residence permits for migrant

Foreign Worker Fees in Taiwan
There are 140,000 foreign workers in Taiwan, but employers have applied for and been granted permission to import 200,000 to 300,000. About 100,000

Japan Cracks Down on Illegal Foreigners
The Japanese Justice Ministry's Immigration Bureau reports that 2,893 foreigners--over 60 percent of them men-- were repatriated in May and June,

Development and Migration in Asia
Does freer trade increase, decrease, or have no effect on unwanted migration? The U.S. Commission for the Study of International Migration and

Malaysia Proposes Fines for Employers Hiring Illegal Workers
Under the proposed Recruitment of Foreign Workers Act, employers could be fined up to RM 50,000 for each illegal worker employed, imprisoned for five

Domestic Workers in Hong Kong
There are almost 130,000 foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong, a sharp increase from the 24,600 of 10 years ago. Most are Filipinos--they are

More Foreign Workers in Korea
On late July, the South Korean government announced that an additional 15,000 to 20,000 foreign workers could be employed in labor-short textile and

No Foreign Workers in Singapore Retail
The Singapore Labour Ministry has rejected a request by retailers to allow foreign workers to fill service jobs. The ministry said that allowing

Cambodian Immigration Law Under Consideration
A law which would provide for the deportation and expulsion of aliens is currently being considered by the National Assembly in Phnom Penh. The law

Illegal Immigration To and Through Thailand
The Thai police bureau commissioner reports that approximately 500,000 illegal aliens currently live in Thailand. Most are believed to be Burmese

China's Great Migration
According to Chinese authorities, there are 130 million surplus workers in the rural areas of China, and their number is projected to increase to 200

Foreigners and Labor Shortages in Japan
The number of foreigners living legally in Japan rose to a record level of 1.3 million on December 31, 1993 --up 40 percent since 1988-- making

Housing Foreign Workers in Malaysia
Malaysian employers who hire foreign workers must show proof that they can provide satisfactory housing for them. If an employer cannot provide

Hong Kong Residents Rush for Foreign Citizenship
The residents of Hong Kong made a last-minute rush to obtain foreign citizenship before China takes back the British colony in 1997. About 42,000

Taiwan Threatens to Halt Importation of Filipino Workers
Taiwan is threatening to halt the importation of Filipino workers because of new employment requirements placed on the workers and their Taiwanese

Japan: Chinese Illegal Immigrants and Guestworkers
Over 4,000 Chinese entered Japan illegally, primarily to work, in the past five and one-half years, according the Justice Ministry's Immigration

Bangladeshis and Indonesians in Malaysia
There are over 200,000 Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia, half of whom are there illegally. Most of the Bangladeshis work in plantations and

South Korean Guestworkers
South Korea has experienced one of the world's fastest migration transitions: in 1982, over 200,000 Korean workers emigrated, and in 1994, the South

China Loosens Internal Migration Controls
China is planning to change its decades-old rules that restrict internal migration. The government will, as soon as June 1, 1994, relax rules which

Effects of 1997 Vary
With China preparing for its takeover of Hong Kong in 1997, there is a debate about whether the increased availability of low-wage mainlanders will

Taiwan Changes its Foreign Worker Program--Again
The Taiwan Council of Labor Affairs announced that foreign workers should have the same benefits as native staff in businesses with more than 50

Malaysia: Mixed Signals on Immigration
Malaysia stopped the recruitment of unskilled and semi-skilled foreign workers on January 7, 1994 in order to give the government time to reassert

Illegal Immigration Arrests Up in Japan
The Japanese Justice Ministry reported that the number of foreigners deported for violating Japanese immigration laws increased 3.8 percent in 1993

Foreign Workers Protest in Japan
On March 14, 1994, 150 foreign workers held a rally in Tokyo to protest the practice of some employers refusing to pay wages owed to foreign workers.

Taiwan Evaluates Guestworkers
The Taiwanese Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) has identified six major problems associated with the foreign workers that have been brought into the

Filipina Maids in Malaysia
On Palm Sunday (March 27, 1994), Malaysian authorities detained 1,200 Filipina maids inside and outside St. John's Church in Kuala Lumpur. The

Malaysia Grapples with Labor Shortages
The Manpower Department's January 1994 Employment Trend report reviewed labor market trends in 1993 and noted that employers were adopting a variety

100 Million Migrants within China
Labor Minister Li Botong, warned that China faced "unprecedented challenges in deploying all the jobless," primarily rural workers who are moving to

Foreign Workers in South Korea
There are an estimated 150,000 foreigners working in small-and medium-size companies in South Korea. These mostly illegal workers face penalties

Chinese Professionals in Demand in Hong Kong
Demand by employers to import 1,000 Chinese mainland management professionals to Hong Kong was overwhelming. More than 4,000 employers paid the

Japan and Foreign Worker Pensions
Japanese law requires employers and employees to each contribute 7.25 percent of their salary to the pension system. In October 1995, the

Taiwan: New Limits on Foreign Workers
Taiwan's Council of Labour Affairs [COLA] announced that after March 16, 1994, no more than 65 percent of the workers on major construction projects

Rural-Urban Migration in China
The Chinese agriculture minister reported that in 1993 the average rural income was 921 yuan ($77) versus 2337 yuan ($195) in urban areas. Urban

Hong Kong and the Migration Transition
Cornell Economist Gary Fields in 1993 wrote an influential paper which argued that both the rate and the distribution of economic growth influence a

Illegal Immigrants in Thailand
Thailand has more than 500,000 illegal immigrants, described by the Thai government as foreign workers and gangsters. Most (300,000) are believed to

Philippine Immigration Crackdown
The Philippine government has ordered a crackdown on the estimated 100,000 foreigners who have been living illegally in the country for more than

Malaysia: A Special Report
The Malaysian government estimated that 50,000 mostly illegal Indonesians left the country during the March 14-15 Hari Raya festival that marks the

Technical Jobs Increase for Foreigners in Japan
In 1992, about 8,682 foreigners were hired in Japan to fill technical or cultural jobs, about 2.6 times the 3,336 admited in 1988, according to the

Taiwan Revises Guestworker Program
Taiwan's Council of Labor Affairs announced that foreign workers would be allowed to remain three rather than the current two years, and to switch

False Document Seller Arrested in Singapore
Singapore, where foreigners are about 10 percent of the workforce, operates what is often considered the world's most efficient guestworker program.

Philippines Proposes Labor Agreement
Filipino National Security Adviser Jose Almonte proposed that labor migration be formally included in the agenda of the Asian Free Trade Area(AFTA)

South Korea Compensates Injured Foreign Workers
South Korea's Labor Ministry announced that illegal foreign workers injured while working will receive the same workers' compensation benefits as

Vietnam: A Changing Picture for Emigrants
Last year, fewer than 100 boat people were reported leaving Vietnam, and 58,000 Vietnamese have since 1989 left refugee camps to return to Vietnam. A

Thailand Considers Legitimizing Illegal Immigrants
The Thai Interior Ministry is gathering information on the estimated 10 million illegal immigrants in the country and will consider the possibility

Massive Internal Migration Expected in China
Some 10 million migrants are expected to migrate to China's coastal cities during the Lunar New Year on February 10, 1994, and governments in

Rise of Foreign Workers in Malaysia
In January, 1994, Malaysia launched a crackdown against the foreigners who are working illegally in the country. The federal government issued a

Philippines 2000 and Filipino Migrants
'Philippines 2000'', is an ambitious new vision for the future proposed by Philippine President Fidel Ramos, who believes that most Filipinos working

Taiwan Restricts Foreign Workers, Allows Some Vietnamese
Taiwan has set strict limits on the categories and numbers of foreign workers. According the chairman of the Council of Labor Affairs, the country

EU: Stockholm, Population, Discrimination
Sweden passed the six-month rotating presidency of the EU to Spain on January 1, 2010. The EU's Lisbon treaty came into force on December 1, 2009,

UK: Migrants
Prime Minister Gordon Brown made his first major speech on immigration on November 11, 2009, promising to reduce non-EU immigration by tightening the

Benelux, France, Germany
France. President Nicolas Sarkozy launched a "national identity debate" in November 2009, encouraging French residents to think about what it means

Southern Europe
Spain. Spain has the EU's highest unemployment rate, over 19 percent, including 30 percent for foreigners (35 percent for Moroccans) in Fall 2009.

Northern, Eastern Europe
Sweden. Sweden on December 15, 2008 made it easier for employers to hire non-EU foreigners, and 14,000 were admitted in the first year of the new

EU: Unemployment, Muslims
Unemployment in the 27-nation EU reached 22 million or nine percent in July 2009; in the 16-nation Euro region, the unemployment rate was 9.5

France, Germany, Benelux
France. Immigration Minister Eric Besson ordered the so-called "jungle" that housed Iraqis and Afghanis seeking entry to the UK near the entrance to

UK: Migrant Restrictions; Ireland
The British unemployment rate was 7.8 percent in the second quarter of 2009, meaning that 2.4 million workers were jobless, including over 900,000

Spain, Italy, Balkans
Spain. Spain's economy expanded at an average annual rate of 3.8 percent between 1997 and 2007, attracting over four million migrants. The number of

Northern Europe, Russia
Norway. Norwegians on September 14, 2009 re-elected the ruling Labor-led coalition government. The Progress Party, which wants to reduce immigration

EU: Economy, Migrants
The EU economy shrank by 2.5 percent in the first quarter of 2009; the US economy shrank by 6.1 percent. The unemployment rate of 9.5 percent in the

France, Germany, Switzerland
France. Over 500 French police rounded up 200 of the estimated 800 migrants attempting to smuggle themselves into the UK via the Eurotunnel at

UK: Migrants, Ireland
Immigration is looming as an election issue in Britain. Between 2004 and 2008, over a million nationals of the so-called Accession 8 nations— the

Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey
Spain was Europe's leading country of immigration between 2000 and 2007, adding about 4.5 million immigrants to bring the total to 5.2 million

Eastern Europe
Czech Republic. The Czech Republic had 362,000 foreign workers at the end of 2008, including about 30 percent each from neighboring Slovakia and

EU: Recession, Sanctions
Leading EU nations are in recession. The unemployment rate in the 15-member Euro area was 8.5 percent in February 2009, and ranged from less than

France, Germany, Switzerland
France. Up to 1,000 migrants, many from Iraq and Afghanistan, were camping near the entrance to the Euro Tunnel in Calais in January-February 2009.

UK: Migrant Backlash, Ireland
Under Labor governments in power since 1998, immigration to the UK has reached record levels. Reacting to unease about migrant workers, Prime

Southern Europe
Spain. The number of unemployed workers rose to 3.3 million in December 2008, 13.9 percent of the labor force and the highest in the EU. The

Sweden, Russia, Eastern Europe
Sweden. Sweden received 101,200 immigrants in 2008, up from 99,500 in 2007; the Swedish population rose to 9.3 million. Over 85 percent of the

EU: A8, Pact, Blue Cards
Unemployment rose in Europe in Fall 2008, and is expected to increase further in 2009. Countries with recent influxes of migrant construction

Spain, Italy, Turkey
Spain. Spain had an extraordinary economic boom until 2007 centered on construction. The share of foreigners in the Spanish work force rose from

UK, Ireland
Net immigration added 237,000 people to the UK in 2007, up from 191,000 in 2006; immigration peaked at 244,000 in 2004. Most immigrants who remain

France, Germany, Sweden
France. Police in October 2008 cleared a camp near Calais of up to 1,000 migrants hoping to board trains, travel to the UK, and apply for asylum.

Russia, Mongolia
A migrant worker from Tajikistan was beheaded in Moscow in December 2008, and the Militant Organization of Russian Nationalists claimed

EU: Blue Card, Marriage, Pensions
Blue Card. EU interior ministers agreed on September 25, 2008 to implement the Blue Card program to fast-track the entry of skilled non-EU

Germany, France, Benelux
Germany. When Germany in July 2008 announced that it would maintain restrictions until 2011 on workers from the so-called A8 countries that joined

UK, Five Tiers; Ireland
Between May 2004 and May 2008, over 875,000 workers from the so-called A8 Eastern European countries that joined the EU on May 1, 2004 applied for

Spain, Italy, Turkey
Spain. Over 11 percent of Spain's 46 million residents are foreigners; three-fourths arrived since 2000. Many found jobs in Spain's booming

Northern, Eastern Europe
Norway. The Norwegian Farmers Union, which demonstrated against increased food imports in July 2008, admitted that 70 percent of Norwegian farms hire

EU: Unauthorized, Irish "No," Blue Card
Unauthorized. The EU has been trying to develop a common migration policy since 1999. In June 2008, EU home affairs commissioner Jacques Barrot

UK Tiers, Ireland
Five Tiers. The UK continued to implement its new five-tier migrant selection system in spring-summer 2008. The Tier one point selection system went

Germany, France, Switzerland
Some 165,200 German citizens emigrated in 2007, while 111,300 returned, for a net emigration of 54,000. There were 825,000 deaths in 2007 and

Greece, Turkey
Greece. UNHCR (http://www.unhcr.org) in April 2008 asked EU countries not to send asylum seekers who passed through Greece en route to Germany or another

Italy, Arrests; Spain, Slowdown
Italy. In mid-May 2008, Italian police arrested over 400 unauthorized foreigners, implementing the pledge of recently re-elected Prime Minister

Northern, Eastern Europe, Russia
Norway and Sweden in 2008 simplified the procedures that employers must follow to hire foreign workers. The Swedish government in May 2008 proposed

EU: Blue Cards
Blue Card. The EU plans to introduce a blue-card immigrant visa for non-EU professionals who are offered jobs lasting at least one year. They could

UK, Ireland
Tiers. The UK on February 29, 2008 began phasing in its five-tier immigration system. Tier one, for highly skilled non-EU foreigners and investors,

Germany, France, Austria
Germany. Roland Koch, the Christian Democrat Union governor of the state of Hesse, rekindled debate over the integration of foreigners in the

Eastern Europe, Sweden, Russia
An estimated five million workers have left the Eastern European countries from the Baltics to Bulgaria for western Europe between 2004 and 2007 (the

Italy, Spain
Italy. Italians went to the polls on April 13-14, 2008. Silvio Berlusconi, who was prime minister between 2002 and 2006, defeated former Rome mayor

Greece, Turkey
Greece. Greece recognizes asylum seekers as refugees at a low rate, less than one percent in recent years. According to NGOs, most asylum seekers

EU: Schengen, Labor
Schengen. The Schengen border-free zone, launched by five countries in 1985 and incorporated into the EU in 1997, allows free travel within 13 EU

UK, Ireland: Migrants
The Home Office in October 2007 estimated that migrants expanded the British economy by L6 billion ($12 billion) in 2006. It emphasized that an

France, Switzerland, Germany
France. In November 2007, riots broke out in the northern suburbs of Paris, as second- and third-generation youth from immigrant families burned

Northern Europe, Benelux
Denmark. The New York Times on November 10, 2007 profiled Karen Jespersen, Denmark's newly appointed minister of social affairs who advocates

Italy, Spain, Greece
Italy. Italy in Fall 2007 experienced a backlash against Romanian immigrants accused of committing crimes. Near Rome, a 47-year old woman died

Eastern Europe
Poland. The New York Times reported that 1.1 million Poles arrived in the UK between May 2004 and May 2007. Enough stayed in Britain to make Poles

EU: Blue Cards, Turkey, Air Travelers
EU Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security Franco Frattini is pushing a Blue EU Labor Card program that would admit non-EU professionals and

UK, Ireland
The UK reported that, by June 2007, some 683,000 foreigners from the 10 countries that joined the EU on May 1, 2004 (plus Bulgaria and Romania) had

France, Germany, Switzerland
The French Parliament in September 2007 debated a bill that would require non-French speakers joining family members in France to study French at

Turkey, Spain, Italy
Turkey. Turks went to the polls on July 22, 2007 and gave the Islamic-influenced Justice and Development Party (AK) 47 percent of the vote. The AK

Eastern Europe, Russia
Nine of the 10 countries that became EU members on May 1, 2004 will join the so-called Schengen zone on December 31, 2007 (Cyprus will keep some

EU: Air Passengers, Sanctions, Turkey
Air Passengers. Most European countries do far more to protect personal data than does the US, in part because of a history that includes

UK: A8, Immigration
About half of the eastern European migrants in Britain plan to stay there, according to a survey released in May 2007. Over 600,000 people from the

France, Germany, Switzerland
Nicolas Sarkozy became the first president of France born after World War II, winning 53 percent of the vote on May 6, 2007. Sarkozy promised to be

Spain, Malta, Frattini
About 4.5 million, 10 percent, of Spain's 45 million residents in 2006 were born abroad, including three million who arrived in the past decade;

Other EU States, Russia
Poland. Wages are rising rapidly, up 10 percent between 2005 and 2006, and more than that average in construction. Unemployment remains high, at

EU at 50: East-West, Services
The European Union celebrated the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome on March 25, 2007. What began as a free-trade area between

UK: Migrants
Numbers. The UK's International Passenger Survey found that over six million visitors have arrived from the so-called A8 countries that joined the EU

France, Germany
France. As the April 22, 2007 vote for president approaches, immigrants and their children in the suburbs have emerged as an important voting block.

Spain: Migrants, Canaries, Economy
Spain, a country of 44.4 million, had 4.6 million foreign residents in January 2006, including 580,000 Moroccans, 396,000 Ecuadorians, 373,000

Sweden, Netherlands
Sweden. The New York Times on January 13, 2007 profiled Nyamko Sabuni, the minister for integration and gender equality. Sabuni, a refugee from the

Russia, Eastern Europe
Russia. A Russian law effective January 1, 2007 will make it easier for migrant workers to register for six or 12 months of work, but also ban the

EU Enlarges, Discourages Turkey
Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU on January 1, 2007, giving the EU 27 members. Incomes in the so-called A2 countries are about 25 percent of the

UK: Migrants, Integration
Another 59,000 EU-8 migrants registered to work in the UK in summer 2006, bringing the total to 510,000 since May 1, 2004 (these worker registration

Netherlands: Muslims, Removals
Just before Dutch voters went to the polls on November 22, 2006, the center-right government announced that it planned to introduce legislation to

France: Suburbs; Spain
The New York Times reported on October 21, 2006 that tensions between police and youth of Arab and African immigrants remain high in Paris suburbs a

Germany: Migration, Poland
Germany's immigration law went into effect on January 1, 2005, and in July 2006, a first evaluation was published

Russia: Migrants, China
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that beginning January 15, 2007, foreigners will find it easier to obtain work and residence permits, and

EU: Turkey, Labor, Migrants
Turkey. Support among Turks for EU entry is declining. In 2003, 74 percent of Turks favored EU entry; in 2006, only 58 percent did. Cultural

Germany, Austria
The German government held an "integration summit" on July 14, 2006 to develop a National Integration Plan, which is expected to be unveiled in

UK: Muslims, Migrants
In August 2006, British police arrested over 20 Muslim men, mostly British-born citizens with Pakistani roots, and charged 11 of them with planning

France, Benelux
The national statistics office INSEE reported in August 2006 that the number of foreign-born residents in France rose from 4.3 million in 1999 to 4.9

Southern Europe
The EU launched its first joint border patrols in August 2006, aimed at stopping African migrants from reaching the Canary Islands. The EU said that

Russia, Sweden
Workers from the ex-USSR are employed on many construction sites in Moscow, earning $300 to $400 a month. As citizens of former Soviet republics,

EU: EU-8, Aging
The EU added 10 new members May 1, 2004, raising the total from 15 to 25. Eight eastern and central European states had significant populations and

France, Germany, Benelux
France. As in the US, about 75 percent of the immigrants arriving in France each year join family members already settled there. In an effort to

UK: EU-8, EU-2, Ireland
Some 161,780 foreigners became British citizens in 2005; 70 percent were from Africa and Asia. About 29,300 foreigners and their dependents applied

Russia: CIS Migrants
There are about 10 illegal foreign workers in Russia for every legal migrant. Russia had about 460,000 legal foreign workers in 2004, including 48

Southern Europe
Spain. During the first five months of 2006, over a thousand African migrants a month arrived in the Canary Islands from Senegal, usually coming in

EU: EU 10 Migrants, Services, Data
The European Commission in February 2006 released a report on EU-10 migrants in the EU-15 states, pronouncing their impacts beneficial and urging the

France, Germany
France. The French government unveiled a bill in April 2006 that would require newly arrived immigrants to sign "reception and integration contracts"

UK, Ireland
UK. The House of Commons in February 2006 approved on a 310-279 vote a plan to introduce mandatory national identification cards; Britons would get

Demark: Cartoons
The Jyllands-Posten, Denmark's largest newspaper, published 12 cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in September 2005, including one in which he is shown

Southern Europe
Italy. The Italian government every year allows a certain number of unauthorized foreigners to become legal workers by having their employers confirm

Russia, Eastern Europe
Russia's Federal Migration Service (FMS) issued 650,000 work permits to foreigners in 2005 and estimated there may be 14 million illegal foreign

EU: Migrants, Immigration
When the 10 mostly Eastern European countries joined the EU on May 1, 2004, the existing EU-15 countries were allowed to prevent EU-10 nationals from

France: Riots, Benelux
Two teens of North African origin died in October 2005 in a Paris suburb while trying to evade a police checkpoint, setting off three weeks of

Germany: Coalition, Labor
Angela Merkel became Germany's first female and first East German chancellor in November 2005, but the Grand Coalition of the two largest political

UK, Ireland
The British government welcomed the continued influx of Poles and other EU-10 migrants, pointing to an unemployment rate of 4.7 percent and what it

Russia, Slovakia
Russia in November 2005 announced a legalization program that could allow up to 15 million persons from non-Russian ex-USSR countries to legalize

Southern Europe
Spain has two enclaves on the Moroccan coast, Ceuta (since 1580) and Melilla (since 1497), that are attracting both Moroccan and sub-Saharan migrants

EU: Turkey, Integration, EU-10 Migrants
The EU opened accession talks with Turkey on October 3, 2005, with the EU saying they are likely to last until 2014. Turkey has been an associate

Germany: Election, Asylum, Labor
Some 60 million Germans were eligible to vote on September 18, 2005. In inconclusive voting, Christian Democratic Union Angela Merkel replaced Social

UK: Bombings, Migrants, Ireland
Four bombs planted by British-born South Asians killed 52 people in London tubes and buses in July 7, 2005. Two weeks later, four more bombs went

France, Benelux, Northern Europe
Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin in June 2005 asked a committee to study how "to ensure immigration is more closely tailored to France's economic

Southern Europe
Spain had a three-month legalization ending in May 2005 that drew 690,679 applications from unauthorized foreign workers, its fifth and largest

EU 10-Migrants, Services, Seasonals
There were fears that, if nationals of the EU-10 countries that joined on May 1, 2004 had freedom of movement rights upon accession, some 355,000

Germany: Services, Migrants
The Social Democratic Party lost elections in Germany's largest state, North Rhine-Westphalia, in May 2005, prompting Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to

UK, Ireland
Britons went to the polls on May 5, 2005 and re-elected the ruling Labor Party of Prime Minister Tony Blair to a third successive term; Labor ended

France, Italy, Benelux
A mid-April 2005 fire in a Paris hotel left 24 asylum seekers dead and highlighted the growing number of asylum applicants, some 65,600 in 2004, and

Spain: Legalization
Some 3.7 million foreigners were 8.4 percent of Spain's 44 million residents in 2004, when 650,000 immigrants arrived. The foreigners include

Eastern Europe, Turkey
The Czech Republic and most other Eastern European countries have "special schools" for the mentally disabled; 90 percent of those enrolled in

EU: Migration, Services, Employment
EU Justice, Freedom and Security Commissioner Franco Frattini on January 12, 2005 recommended that the EU rather than national governments regulate

Germany: Visas, Labor, Asylum
Visas. There were calls for Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, leader of the Green Party and the most popular German politician in most polls, to

UK: Elections, Admissions, Ireland
Elections. Immigration became a major issue in elections slated for May 5, 2005. In some polls, a quarter of likely voters said that immigration was

Spain, Portugal, Italy
Spain reported that 450,000 foreigners moved into the country in 2004, bringing the immigrant population to 3.5 million, eight percent of residents.

France, Benelux
French interior minister Dominique de Villepin released a report in February 2005 that concluded that France needed immigrants and also needed to

Russia, Northern, Eastern Europe
Russia. Russia had 129,000 registered migrant workers in 1994, and 378,000 in 2003. There are an estimated three to four million unauthorized

EU: Turkey, Camps
In mid-December 2004 EU leaders endorsed eventual Turkish entry into the EU, but said that there could be permanent restrictions on freedom of

Germany: New Law, Labor
Germany's new immigration law went into effect on January 1, 2005 (http://www.bmi.bund.de). There are now two residence permits, limited and unlimited

UK: Migration, Enlargement
Some 513,000 persons arrived to stay more than a year in 2003 in the UK, including 236,000 foreigners. About 362,000 long-term residents left,

Spain, Portugal, Greece
Spain intercepted an average of 1,000 migrants a month trying to slip into southern Spain or the Canary Islands in 2004, but the new socialist

France, Benelux
A third of the immigrants in France (including those born in France to immigrant parents) have become naturalized French citizens. About 120,000

Northern, Eastern Europe
Sweden. The Washington Post reported that immigration is changing "old concepts of what it means to be French or German or Swedish" by profiling the

EU: Turkey, Demography
The EU gave Turkey a conditional yes to EU membership in October 2004, saying that Turkey had fulfilled the political criteria to start accession

Italy, Spain: Boat People
Thousands of migrants traveled by boat from North Africa to Italy's southern islands in Summer and Fall 2004. After 2,600 arrived in Lampedusa -

France, Germany, Switzerland
Two French journalists were kidnapped in Iraq in August 2004, and they urged the French government to give in to their captors' demand by revoking a

UK: Tories, Asylum, Students
Conservative Party leader Michael Howard announced that, if the Tories return to power, there will be a major overhaul of British immigration policy,

Northern Europe, Benelux
New Danish laws have led about 1,000 mixed Danish-foreign couples to live in Sweden, with the Danish partner commuting to Copenhagen to work or

Russia, Eastern Europe
Russia. The US gave asylum to a leader of Chechen rebels in August 2004, prompting protests from Russia that the US was not cooperating in the war

EU: Enlargement, Muslims
On May 1, 2004, 10 countries and 75 million people, half in Poland, joined the EU, bringing it to 25 countries and 455 million residents. About 35

Germany: New Law, Labor
A compromise migration law approved July 9, 2004 (effective January 1, 2005) acknowledges for the first time that Germany is a country of immigration

Dutch, Spain, Turkey
Netherlands. The Dutch, who took over presidency of the expanded EU on July 1, 2004, called for tough new EU-wide immigration laws that would speed

UK: Migration Crunch
In April 2004, Prime Minister Tony Blair said that Britain had reached a "crunch point" in its dealing with migrants and promised a "top-to-bottom"

Eastern Europe, ex-USSR
Hungary had 116,000 foreign residents in January 2002, including 45,000 Romanians, 10,000 Ukrainians, and 8,500 Yugoslavs. Some 8,400 foreigners

EU: Enlargement, Asylum
Enlargement. The EU will grow from 15 to 25 countries on May 1, 2004, as Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia,

Germany: Labor
The number of ethnic Germans born abroad who moved to Germany dropped from 90,000 in 2002 to 72,000 in 2003. Ethnic German arrivals peaked at

Austria, Slovak Republic
Austria is a country of 8.1 million with a $24,000 per capita GDP; the Slovak Republic has 5.4 million residents and a $4,000 per capita GDP. After

UK: Gangmasters, Ireland
To prevent "benefits abuse," the UK announced that Eastern Europeans would not need work permits to seek employment in the UK after May 1, 2004, but

France, Benelux, Scandinavia
The French National Assembly voted 494-36 (with 31 abstentions) to ban head scarves in public schools in February 2004, implementing a recommendation

Spain, Italy
Spain. Some 202 people were killed and 1,700 wounded in March 2004 when suspected Islamic terrorists- Moroccans living in Spain- detonated a series

Russia, Moldova
President Vladimir Putin in January 2004 said that Russia "is in need of inflow of migrants [but] order should be established" in managing migration.

EU: BMA, Expansion, Labor
Ireland assumed the EU Presidency in January 2004, and pledged to urge EU member nations to enact common immigration and asylum rules. Eight EU

Germany: Immigration, Courts, Labor
In May 2003, the German SPD-Green government re-introduced its migration bill unchanged. The opposition CDU-CSU proposed 128 amendments, the

UK: Immigration, Labor, Asylum
Net migration to the UK rose from about 50,000 a year in the early 1990s to 172,000 in 2002- some 479,000 people entered the UK for more than a year

France, Benelux
In November 2003, France revised its asylum system, promising that the agency OFPRA will make decisions on applications within two months, down from

Eastern Europe, Russia
The Czech Republic, with 10 million residents, has 230,000 foreigners, two-thirds of whom are Slovaks. The 15 current EU member nations can restrict

Southern Europe
Spain. Spain is a magnet for migrants from Africa, especially Morocco. A Moroccan Arabic word is often used to describe the effort to get into

Southern Europe
Spain. Spanish police apprehended 600 illegal immigrants near the southern city of Tarifa in just five days. Most were North and sub-Saharan

Eastern Europe
Russia. The Interior Ministry in September 2003 estimated that there are five million foreigners with an unclear legal status in the country, and

France, Benelux, N. Europe
France has an estimated five to six million Muslims and 500,000 to 600,000 Jews, the largest number of both groups in Europe. Several

Germany: Integration, Labor
The CDU-led Lower Saxony state government in July 2003 proposed that immigrants receiving welfare and unemployment benefits must learn German at

UK, Ireland: Migrants, Asylum
Migrants. A government report, "Prevention of Illegal Working," estimated in July 2003 that "several hundred thousand" migrants were working

EU: Asylum, Immigration, Guest Workers
With the rotation of the presidency of the EU Council of ministers, Italy's center-right prime minister Silvio Berlusconi assumed that position

EU: Enlargement, Migrants
The January-June 2003 president of the EU, Prime Minister Costas Simitis of Greece, renewed the call for a common EU immigration policy, and recommended that the EU produce an annual report on immigration.

UK: Asylum, Sanctions, Migrants
Home Secretary David Blunkett has proposed a national identity or "entitlement" card for all adults as part of a package of measures to tackle illegal working by migrants.

Germany, Austria
On May 9, 2003, the German Parliament once again approved the immigration bill that was originally approved in 2002, and then not implemented because of a disputed vote in the upper house.

France, Benelux
France in April 2003 allowed Muslims to elect their first council to represent the five million Muslims, seven percent of the population, and to act as "official Islam" when dealing with the French government.

Northern Europe
The Nordic countries are changing, in part because immigration is making them less homogeneous and thus more willing to roll back their defining feature, the welfare state.

Southern Europe
Spain has about 39 million residents, almost 11 percent of the European Union's population and 10 percent of its GDP, but accounted for 22 percent of Europe's immigration in 2002.

Eastern Europe
Over a quarter of the residents of the town of Simiatycze in eastern Poland have worked in Brussels over the past decade, reducing unemployment in the city of 16,000 to eight percent

Spain, Portugal
Ships from five European nations began patrolling the Mediterranean in January 28-February 8, 2003 to prevent migrant smuggling

Eastern Europe
Russia reported 300,000 legal foreign workers from 119 countries in 2002, including 100,000 from Ukraine

EU: Asylum, Aid
The European Union in January 2003 launched the Euro 3.7 billion Eurodac system to fingerprint asylum applicants over age 14

France, Benelux, Scandinavia
The French government is requiring applicants for three-month tourist visas to be fingerprinted in a bid to stop the practice of destroying documents after arrival

Ireland: Foreign Workers
Ireland is considering a new system for admitting foreign workers, based on occupation-specific labor shortages.

Germany, Austria, Switzerland
The SPD-Green re-introduced the 2002 immigration law (Zuwanderungsgesetz) unchanged in the Parliament.

UK: Asylees, Safe Havens, Workers
A record 110,700 foreigners applied for asylum in the UK in 2002, compared with 71,100 applicants in Germany and 58,100 in France.

Germany: No New Law, Labor
The Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe blocked Germany's new migration law in December 2002

EU: Enlargement, Turkey, Morocco
The 15-nation EU agreed to add 10 new members on May 1, 2004: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Northern Europe
Norway, a country of 4.5 million, is one of the world's richest and most generous countries in granting foreign aid

France, Benelux
In most European countries, unemployment rates for foreigners are twice the rates of natives.

UK, Ireland
Britain agreed to accept 1,200 Kurds from the Sangatte Red Cross center at the French end of the Euro-Tunnel in exchange for the closing

EU: Enlargement, Turkey, Morocco
The 15-nation EU agreed to add 10 new members on May 1, 2004: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia

UK, Ireland
Britain's Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill went into effect on November 8, 2002. The new law requires applicants for British citizenship

France, Netherlands, Belgium
On November 5, 2002, 10 days ahead of schedule, French officials closed the three-year old Sangatte Red Cross migrant center to new arrivals;

Germany, Austria, Switzerland
A 30-year-old Turkish-born woman wants to wear a headscarf at work selling perfume in a department store near Frankfurt. On her return from

Turkey, Spain
Turkey. Turks went to the polls on November 3, 2002, and the Justice and Development Party (AKP in Turkish) won 34 percent of the vote, or 363 (64

Russia, Ukraine
An estimated three to 3.5 million illegal migrants live in Russia. The quota for employment of foreign workers will be 583,000 in 2003, and the

EU: Enlargement, Asylum
Irish voters in October 2002 voted 65-37 percent to approve the constitutional basis of the EU, the Treaty of Nice, paving the way for EU

UK: Asylum; Ireland
Britain in October 2002 announced that the 10 states expected to join the EU in 2004, including Poland and the Czech Republic, are presumed to be

Germany: New Law, Integration
Germany's new immigration law is scheduled to go into effect January 1, 2003. However, Germany's major opposition parties have asked the

France, Benelux
On October 19, more than 5,000 people marched through Paris to demand residency permits for illegal migrants. Similar marches occurred in

Portugal, Italy, Turkey
Portugal has an estimated 200,000 migrants from the ex-USSR, chiefly from Ukraine, Romania, Moldavia; they are half of the 400,000 migrants in

Eastern Europe
Russia's Foreign Ministry in October 2002 stopped issuing invitations for multi -entry visas as it transfers part of its visa duties to the

Northern Europe
Sweden's Social Democrats won 40 percent of the vote in September 2002 elections and retained control of the coalition government. However, the

Germany, Austria, Switzerland
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and the Social Democratic Party won 38 percent of the vote in September 2002 elections. In the new 601-member

UK: Blunkett and Controversy
Home Secretary David Blunkett asked experts to draw up a "Britishness" test for applicants for British citizenship on "UK society and civic

France, Italy, Spain
On September 25, 2002, the French government announced proposed reforms to its asylum policies aimed at speeding up decision-making. By January

Northern Europe
Denmark. Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen reported that the number of asylum seekers fell by 52 percent in 2002 compared to 2001, from

Eastern Europe
Poland has a 700-mile eastern border, and the Polish government agreed to add border agents, bringing the total to 18,000, and technology to

Turkey: Migrants, Elections, EU
On September 11, 2001, Greece accused Turkey of ignoring a stranded sailboat with 80 migrants headed for Greek islands. Turkey responded that the

EU: Population, Enlargement
The European Union's population rose by 1.6 million to 380 million in 2001, with 75 percent of the growth due to "net migration." Only in France,

Germany: Campaign, Foreigners, Labor
Germany goes to the polls on September 22, 2002, and the conservative coalition of CDU-CSU-FDP led the governing SPD-Green coalition in opinion

UK: Asylum, Economics
Some 92,000 people applied for asylum in the UK in 2001 (71,365 applications plus children), including 3,500 children who arrived and applied for

France, Italy: Migrants
The Washington Post on August 3, 2002 reported that there may be three million unauthorized workers in the 15-nation EU; the US has an estimated

Spain-Morocco, Turkey
Spain-Morocco. Relations between Spain and Morocco remained tense in August 2002, after Morocco briefly occupied an uninhabited island 200 yards

Russia, Eastern Europe
Russia. Russian migration officials say that by 2010, Russia could have as many as eight million to 10 million Chinese residents, and that the

Northern Europe
Denmark implemented tougher asylum and immigration laws on July 1, 2002, and in August 2002 estimated that the savings would be E200 million a

EU: Danes, Immigration, Enlargement
Denmark, which assumed the six-month EU presidency on July 1, 2002, also began implementing tough new immigration and asylum rules on July 1. The new

UK: Sangatte, Labor
Sangatte. In mid-July, 2002, France and the UK agreed that the Red Cross-operated center in Sangatte would be closed by April 2003. Since

Germany: Schily, Labor
Interior Minister Otto Schily said that Germany's new immigration law would enter into force January 1 ,2003, and that it is already having effects

Benelux, Northern Europe
Netherlands. The new center-right government, the first in 25 years, promises to be stricter on immigration, tougher on crime and less

Spain, Italy, Portugal
Spain-Morocco. Tensions between Spain and Morocco increased after Morocco on July 11,2002 occupied an uninhabited island 200 yards off its

Turkey, Albania, E. Europe
Tsar Nicholas I of Russia dubbed the Ottoman Empire "the sick man of Europe" just before going to war with the Ottomans, Britain and France in the

EU: Seville, Enlargement
European Union leaders held a summit in Seville, Spain in June 2002 that focused on efforts to reduce illegal immigration and to harmonize migration

Germany, Austria
German President Johannes Rau on June 20, 2002 signed into law the new German immigration law, giving Germany its first-ever regulated immigration

UK: Asylum, Labor
The UK moved to enact a new Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill in June 2002 that includes several controversial provisions, including a

Benelux, France
The Dutch Internal Security Agency reported that foreign groups were seeking to recruit Dutch Muslims to be fighters and terrorists. As Dutch

Northern Europe
Denmark. The Danish parliament, the Folketing, on May 31, 2002 approved legislation that restricts the right of foreigners to enter the

Southern Europe
Spain and Italy, with some of the world's lowest fertility rates (1.2 to 1.3 children per woman) have rightist governments that are attempting to

Russia, Eastern Europe
Russia. The European Union, followed by the US, announced in May-June 2002 that Russia was a full-market economy, paving the way for Russia to

EU: Illegal Immigration, Labor
Spain and the UK plan to present a series of proposals at the June 20-21, 2002 EU summit in Seville to step up the fight against illegal migration.

France, Netherlands: Le Pen, Pim Fortuyn
Europeans in May 2002 discussed anti-immigrant extremism; anti-immigrant politicians figured prominently in French and Dutch elections, but did not

UK: Asylum, Labor
Prime Minister Tony Blair outlined a plan to "regain the initiative" on asylum and immigration. First, Blair said the UK will cut off aid to Turkey

Northern Europe
Denmark. An agreement was reached with the right-wing Danish People's Party on a new law to establish stricter rules for obtaining permanent

Southern Europe
Spain/Portugal. Spain has adopted a "hospitality with responsibility" policy. Officials say Spain is "enforcing strict border controls and

Germany: Campaign, Labor
Edmund Stoiber, the Prime Minister of Bavaria, in May 2002 said that Turkey should not be admitted to the EU. Saying that Berlin was the third

Eastern Europe
The 12 million Roma, the Gypsies of Europe, are trying to unite to fight what they see as their increasing marginalization in Eastern Europe after

France: Le Pen
Jean-Marie Le Pen will face President Jacques Chirac in the final round of France's presidential elections May 5, 2002 after winning 17 percent of

EU: Muslims, Asylum, Labor
In a statement issued April 25, 2002, the EU strongly condemned racist attacks on foreigners and immigrants, saying: "Violence of a racist or

UK: Laws, Chunnel, Asylum
Legislation. Home Secretary David Blunkett issued a new package of immigration measures on April 12, 2002, to crack down on illegal migrants

Germany: Law, Labor
German President Johannes Rau is considering the landmark immigration bill approved in March 2002. If he signs it, it is scheduled to go into effect

Spain, Italy
Spain. Some politicians are demanding action on immigration, fearing that a failure to address the issue will fuel extremism in the country.

Benelux, Northern Europe
Netherlands. Party Pim Fortuyn could win 18 of parliament's 150 seats in May 15, 2002 parliamentary elections, according to polls. Party Pim

Russia, Eastern Europe
Russia has 144 million residents, including 10 million foreigners. Most of the foreigners are from ex-USSR republics, and most are not registered

Germany: New Immigration Law
Germany's Bundestag on March 1, 2002 voted 320-225 for the proposed SPD-Green immigration law, sending it to the upper house, the Bundesrat, for a

UK: Blunkett, Labor, London
The Los Angeles Times on March 4, 2002 profiled Home Office David Blunkett, sometimes mentioned as a possible successor to Tony Blair as Labor Party

France: Sangatte, Le Pen
SNCF Channel Tunnel rail freight services were suspended in March 2002 after 200 asylum seekers stormed the freight depot at Frethun, near Calais,

Denmark, Netherlands
Two of the most tolerant countries of Europe may be tightening restrictions on immigration. Denmark's conservative government, elected in November

Italy: Migrants, Labor
The Italian Interior Minister reports that the country has seen a steep rise in illegal immigration since the September 11 terrorists attacks. The

Eastern Europe
Slovakia, formed in 1993 when Czechoslovakia peacefully split, has 5.4 million residents, including Roma who allege they suffer discrimination that

EU: Mobility, Enlargement
The European Commission in February 2002 said that there is too little worker mobility in Europe despite freedom of movement guarantees that require,

Germany: Immigration, Integration
There were 7.3 million foreigners in Germany in 2000, making them 8.9 percent of 82.2 million residents. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in February

UK: Immigration, Sanctions
A February 2002 white paper, "Secure Borders, Safe Haven," outlined new proposed requirements for British citizenship and new guest worker and asylum

Benelux, France
Netherlands. Leefbaar Nederland (Livable Netherlands) is an anti-immigration party that polls suggest could win 10 to 22 seats in the

Russia, Eastern Europe
The Danish People's Party agreed to support the proposed DKK 417 billion budget of the Liberal-Conservative coalition government, which reduces

Southern Europe
Italy. An immigration reform law named for Deputy Prime Minister Gianfranco Fini and Umberto Bossi, head of the Northern League, and backed by

Russia, Eastern Europe
Russia plans to offer $35, three-day tourist visas to nationals of EU Schengen countries entering the country through selected points in a bid to

EU: Trafficking
European Justice Ministers plan to sign an agreement on February 28, 2002 to launch an EU drive against human trafficking. The Framework Decision

Germany: Politics, Asylum
Germany's Edmund Stoiber, who will be the conservative challenger to chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in September 22, 2002 elections, said: "with 4.3

UK: Immigration, Asylum
Home Secretary David Blunkett wants to increase immigration, saying that immigrants contributed L2.5 billion more in taxes than they consumed in

Russia, Eastern Europe
Russia. Deputy Interior Minister Alexander Chekalin estimated that there were 10 million unauthorized migrants in Russia, meaning that almost

Scandinavia: Denmark
Denmark. On January 17, 2002, the new Liberal-Conservative Danish government proposed several restrictive measures aimed at reducing the

Italy, Greece
Italy. The Italian government plans to toughen immigration laws, allowing non-EU migrants to remain in Italy only if they have an employment

Turkey
Turkey is seeking to be the 13th candidate to join the EU. If Turkey joins the EU, it would by 2010 be the most populous and poorest EU member, and a

EU: Terrorism, Enlargement, Euro
Anti-Terrorism. The EU Commission has proposed a common definition of terrorism and an EU-wide arrest warrant, as well as increased

UK: Immigration, Race Relations
In October 2001, Home Secretary David Blunkett announced that foreigners who are professionals would be allowed to enter the UK for one year under

Germany: Immigration Policy
Germany's SPD-Green coalition government wants an immigration law that would permit highly qualified foreigners to enter Germany as immigrants.

Northern Europe
During the 1990s, there were often clashes between neo-nazis and anti-racists over the presence of immigrants in Sweden- 22 percent of Swedish

Southern Europe
Spain. During the summer of 2001, more Africans than usual attempted to cross the Strait of Gibraltar in small boats between Morocco and

EU: Enlargement
The European Union in mid-November 2001 announced that 10 countries-- the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia,

UK, Ireland
The British government declared a "state of public emergency" in November 2001, which gives it power to detain foreigners suspected of terrorism for

Germany: Immigration, Labor
In early November 2001, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and its federal coalition partner Alliance 90/Greens agreed on an immigration proposal that

Denmark, France
Denmark. Danish Social Democratic Prime Minister, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, in power since 1993, was replaced in November 20 elections by a

Russia, Eastern Europe
Russia. Russia seems to have turned an economic corner, becoming a growing, politically stable and hopeful nation. Most experts credit the

Southern Europe
Italy. Italy and its central and eastern European neighbors announced at the Central European Initiative summit that they will work together

EU: Terrorism, Harmonization
Before September 11, most EU members were expected to follow the recommendation of the EU Commission and liberalize immigration policy. Germany and

Germany, Austria
Social Democratic Party (SPD) Interior Minister Otto Schily presented a draft immigration law to the Cabinet on September 26, 2001 despite opposition

UK, Ireland
Home Secretary David Blunkett proposed a package of anti-terrorism laws that would make it a criminal offense to train or provide goods and services

France: Suburbs
France's suburbs, home to many North Africans and their children, were reportedly tense in October 2001, reflecting the French government's support

Eastern Europe, Russia
Poland. PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC) did a poll for the British-based MORI center that found 40 percent of Polish respondents were interested

Italy: 1.7 Million Foreigners
Caritas reported that there were 1.7 million foreigners living legally in Italy, with 25 percent from Eastern Europe, followed by North Africans.

EU: Terrorism, Asylum
European nations reacted to the events of September 11, 2001 individually and collectively by pledging support for US efforts to eradicate terrorism

UK: Sangatte, Asylum
Many asylum applicants from Afghanistan, Iraq and Africa believe they have a better chance of receiving asylum in the UK than in France. Thus, many

Germany, Austria
In the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the US, Germany relaxed its strict privacy laws to help the US investigation. Germany has

France: Chinese, Wine
In 2000, France received 38,590 asylum applications, an increase of 25 percent from 1999. France has a growing Chinese population. Most

Eastern Europe
Hungary. In April 2000, the Hungarian government proposed to give ethnic Hungarians in neighboring countries ID cards that would provide them

Spain, Morocco
During the summer of 2001, more Africans than usual attempted to cross the Strait of Gibralter in small boats between Morocco and Spain. Spain's

Greece, Turkey: Migrants
In the month of September 2001, Greece arrested over 1,200 migrants, and complained that Turkey was not doing enough to help curb the influx. Greece

EU: Enlargement
The 15-nation European Union had a 2000 population of 380 million and a labor force of 170 million. Fertility is below replacement levels in all EU

UK: Czechs, Asylum
Czech Roma. Beginning July 18, 2001, British immigration officers were stationed at the Prague airport to question UK-bound passengers. The

Germany: Schily Proposal
On August 3, 2001, Interior Minister Otto Schily proposed a bill that would give Germany its first-ever regulated immigration system

France, Benelux
In July 2001, France and Algeria signed an agreement that grants Algerians the same rights as other immigrants to France. If ratified by parliaments

Southern Europe
Spain. Spain's 2000 revised immigration law went into effect on August 1, 2001. It permits foreigners who can prove they have been working in

Eastern Europe
Hungary. A new law that grants special rights to ethnic Hungarians living in neighboring states has sparked charges of discrimination from

EU: Immigration, Enlargement
Immigration. The European Commission in July 2001 presented: (1) a draft directive that would give non-EU nationals greater freedom to travel

Germany: 50,000 Immigrants?
On July 4, 2001, a 21-member Immigration Commission appointed by Interior Minister Otto Schilly, and chaired by former CDU Parliament leader Rita

UK: Ethnic Violence
There has been violence between Asian and white youth and police in several northern English cities in summer 2001. Pakistani and Bangladeshi

France, Benelux
Several French cities have ordered night-time curfews for children under the age of 13 in response to a wave of car-burning and attacks on firemen in

Southern Europe
Italy. Italy's new minister of labor and welfare, Roberto Maroni, in July 2001 announced that immigrants must have a work contract/permit if

Russia, Ukraine, Armenia
Russia. The Russian government announced in July 2001 that it will encourage immigration by ethnic Russians in an attempt to counter the

EU: Trafficking, Enlargement
EU Justice and Home Affairs ministers, as part of efforts to set up a joint immigration and asylum policy, in May 2001 agreed: (1) to provide

UK: Elections, Violence, Smuggling
The UK held elections June 7, 2001, and the Labour party won 42 percent of the vote and 413 seats in the 659-seat House of Commons; the opposition

Germany: Policy Recommendations
Germany continues to get recommendations for a new immigration system. The opposition Christian Democratic Union-Christian Social Union released

Greece, Turkey: Smuggling
Turkey and Albania have emerged as the favorite jumping off points for smugglers taking migrants by boat to Greece and Italy. Turkey arrested 850

Italy, Spain
Italy. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi formed Italy's 59th post-World War II government in June 2001; a Forza Italia member, Claudio Scajola,

Eastern Europe
Slovakia. Slovak officials in May 2001 approved a plan that could make it harder for Slovak Roma to obtain passports, thus making it harder

EU: Freedom of Movement
In the continuing discussion of expansion the main sticking points in May 2001 were regional aid and freedom of movement. Freedom of movement means

Italy, UK: Elections
Italians went to the polls on May 13, 2001, and the center-right coalition led by Silvio Berlusconi's House of Freedom alliance won at least 360 of

Germany: New Immigration System?
Several immigration policy proposals were put forward in May 2001. A Christian Democratic Union committee chaired by Saarland Premier Peter Mueller

Eastern Europe, CIS
Hungary. The Hungarian government has proposed a law that would grant special Hungarian identification cards to three to four million ethnic

Benelux, France, Spain
Dutch Integration Minister Roger van Boxtel urged more immigration: "The entire European population is aging, so the demand for labor is rising. The

Greece, Turkey
Greece. There are an estimated 400,000 illegal migrants in Greece. In May, the government announced a May-August 2001 legalization period for

France, Benelux
About half of the 120 security workers who guard the French entrance to the Channel Tunnel went on strike in mid-April, 2001, which led to an

Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey
Italy. Italians are scheduled to go to the polls on May 13, and the center-right opposition led by Silvio Berlusconi is expected to win a

Germany: Immigration, Fertility
Germany's Immigration Commission is expected to release its consensus recommendations by July 2001; the opposition CDU was expected to release

UK: Elections, Asylum, Smuggling
Britain is gearing up for elections in June 2001, and immigration is playing a major role in the campaign. The government's Commission for Racial

EU: Asylum, Enlargement, Welfare
The European Commission in April 2001 unveiled a proposal that would establish minimum standards for the reception of asylum applicants: all

France: Kurds, Roma, Labor
A Cambodian-registered ship carrying 912 Kurds, including 400 children, was deliberately run aground off the French coast near Nice in mid-February

Eastern Europe
Czech. The Czech Labor and Social Affairs Ministry released a new immigration policy proposal modeled on the Canadian point system in February

Sweden: 3-E's
Sweden holds the EU's rotating presidency for the first half of 2001. Sweden announced that it would focus the EU's attention on 3-E's-- employment,

UK, Italy: Elections in May 2001
The UK and Italy (May 13) are expected to have general elections in May 2001, and immigration is expected to play a prominent role in each country.

Germany: Green Cards, Labor
In 2000, crimes aimed against foreigners rose 57 percent over 1999 levels to 3,594. The death of a Mozambican immigrant beaten by skinheads in the

EU: Enlargement and Migration
Enlargement. The European Commission in March 2001 released a report that estimated that the entry of 10 central and east European countries

EU: Immigration, Co-Development, Soccer
European Commission President Romano Prodi in February 2001 said that the EU should open itself to 1.6 million skilled foreign workers. Prodi said

Germany: Green Cards, Economy
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said in February 2001 that there would be a new immigration law before the next national elections, expected in Fall

UK, France, Switzerland
Britain. An election is expected to be held in May 2001, and immigration is expected to be a point of contention between the ruling Labor and

Spain, Portugal, Italy
Spain. A new immigration law took effect January 23, 2001, stepping up penalties on employers who hire illegal workers, and making it easier

Turkey: A Special Report
Turkey, a country of 67 million people, has the world's 25th largest economy, generating goods and services worth $200 billion a year. About 17

EU: Enlargement, Population
The European Commissioner for Enlargement, Guenther Verheugen, is expecting to receive reports on the impact of labor migration from the center and

Spain, Italy, Bosnia, Turkey
Spain. As Spain implemented a new immigration policy in January 2001 that permits the immediate expulsion of unauthorized foreigners- those

Germany: Asylum, Green Cards
Germany's foreign population rose from four million in 1990 to 7.3 million in 2000, primarily because of family unification and births to foreigners

UK, Ireland
The Home Office released a report in January 2001 that estimated that between 150,000 and 175,000 immigrants a year from outside the EU will enter

Belgium, Norway
Belgium. Nearly 1,500 asylum seekers waited overnight outside Belgian government offices to file applications before cash payments were

EU: Enlargement?
The European Union's 15 leaders met in Nice, France in December 2000 to discuss how to share power in an enlarged EU; no new members can be admitted

Southern Europe: Migrants
The New York Times reported on December 25, that illegal immigration into Europe from the south and east is rising sharply: some 500,000 illegal

UK: Migrants, Asylum
Migrants. The UK and France continued to debate how to deal with migrants who attempt to enter Britain by slipping onto UK-bound trucks at the

Germany: Migrants, Asylum
Germany's political parties continued to debate how best to deal with immigration and to integrate foreigners. The major opposition parties, the

Russia, Eastern Europe
Russia. Russia's population is shrinking by 0.5 percent or 750,000 a year, the fastest decline in the world, and the Economic Development and

Austria, Switzerland
The US restored normal relations with Austria in November 2000. The US reduced diplomatic ties in February 2000 after the EU decided to halt official

Benelux, France
Belgium. Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt wants to streamline its asylum processing system to reduce the number of applications- there were

Scandinavia
Sweden will hold the rotating presidency of the EU between January 1, 2001 and June 30, 2001, and announced that it will focus on the three E's:

EU: Common Policies?
Ministers of Interior and Justice continue to negotiate EU-wide rules for asylum processing, family unification and the rights of settled non-EU

Germany: Culture, Immigration
Guiding Culture. There are 7.3 million foreigners among Germany's 82 million residents. In October 2000, Christian Democratic Union

UK: Smuggling
Young and unemployed Britons are among those smuggling illegal migrants from Continental Europe into Britain. As with drug smuggling, enforcement

Southern Europe: Smuggling
Southern European nations such as Greece, Italy and Spain have become the major ports of entry into northern and western Europe for foreigners from

Russia
Russia. The Internal Affairs Visas and Registration Directorate announced that a computerized system will be introduced to register foreigners

EU: Third-Country Migrants
There are 13 million non-EU nationals in the 15-EU member states. European Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner Antonio Vitorino, announced on

Germany: Immigration, Economy
Conservative party leaders disagree about their party's stance on the role of immigration in the expected 2002 general elections. CDU-CSU

UK, Ireland
The Home Office reported that the number of asylum applicants was 71,100 in 1999, including 11,465 from Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro. The backlog of

Benelux: Smugglers
In the wake of the death of 58 Chinese migrants being smuggled into the UK in June 2000, the police in France, Belgium and the Netherlands have

Balkans, Eastern Europe
Balkans. There are an estimated 70,000 Chinese migrants in Belgrade, many of whom paid smugglers to get them into Europe. Many Chinese live in

Spain, Italy
The tensions experienced in Spain over the summer illustrate the difficulty that much of Europe is having in dealing with foreign workers.

EU: Austria, Tourism
The EU in September agreed to establish a special 216 million euro ($191 million) fund to help share out the burden of accepting refugees. Germany

UK, Ireland
The UK Home Office reported on September 25 that more than 6,400 people applied for asylum in August 2000, up from July despite the replacement of

Germany, Austria
Interior Minister Otto Schily said that Germany should overhaul its immigration laws to create a flexible, faster-reacting system that better

Switzerland, Italy, France
Switzerland. On September 24, 2000, Swiss voters defeated a referendum to cap the foreign population at 18 percent of residents by a 64-36

Eastern Europe
Russia. Leaders of the Russian-speaking community in Latvia are urging the Russian minority to protest new language rules that became

EU: Migration Policy?
The EU, as well as national governments and non-governmental organizations, are beginning to debate the need for an immigration policy for Europe for

UK: Asylees, Chinese
Beginning August 2, 2000, the British government is fingerprinting asylum seekers, using automated equipment in immigration and asylum screening

Germany: Green Cards, Violence
The first foreigner issued a green card by Labor Minister Walter Riester (SPD) on July 31, 2000 was a 25-year old Indonesian, Harianto Wijaya, who

Italy: Migrants, Immigration
The Italian government is coming under increasing pressure to allow police to shoot to kill human traffickers after 319 Kurds arrived illegally in

Spain: Immigration Law
Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar's center-right Popular Party, which holds 183 of the 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies, approved legislation in

Eastern Europe
Latvia. Latvian was made the official language in 1999. In 2000, Lativa established six proficiency levels for non-native speakers, mostly

EU: Migration Policy?
The EU's Justice Minister, Antonio Vitorino, has proposed an EU immigration plan that would open a labor migration channel with the goal of reducing

Germany: Immigration Policy
Germany continued to debate the tasks of an Immigration Commission appointed on July 12, 2000 by Interior Minister Otto Schily and chaired by Rita

UK, Ireland
In June 2000, 58 Chinese migrants died in a truck arriving from Belgium. Britain refused to allow Chinese officials to interview the two survivors,

Spain: Record Influx
Spain, in the words of the Independent newspaper, is being "deluged" by migrants in the summer of 2000; a record 325 migrants were apprehended in

Italy: Immigration Up?
Italy. The government of Italy's unemployment rate is 11 percent. Nevertheless, Interior Minister Enzo Bianco said in mid-July 2000 that: "All

Northern Europe
Sweden. Sifo, a market research firm, released a poll in July 2000 that found that 54 percent of Swedes believed there were too many

Austria, Eastern Europe
Austria. In July 2000, 14 European Union governments established a panel of "three wise men" to determine whether Austria is abiding by

EU: Enlargement and Migration
The European Union now has 15-member nations and 370 million residents. It is negotiating accession or membership-entry terms with 12 nations in

Germany: Immigration Law?
Foreign computer specialists in June 2000 were sending in their resumes in the hope that they would be among the first 10,000 foreigners issued green

UK, Ireland
Asylum. Home Secretary Jack Straw in June 2000 called for major changes to the 1951 Geneva convention to reduce trafficking and to prevent

Spain, Portugal
Spain urged Morocco in June 2000 to tighten security controls along its northern borders to prevent more migrants from leaving Morocco in small boats

France: Minorities
France is often described as having three types of people: black, blanc (white), and beur, the common shorthand for North African. An

Austria, Switzerland
Austria. Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen of Denmark said in June 2000 that the EU is set to normalize relations with Austria, which were

Turkey
Turkey became an official candidate for EU admission in December 1999, and the coalition government in Ankara is moving quickly to change laws and

EU: Enlargement, Population
Enlargement. The European Union in May 2000 decided not to specify at the outset of negotiations how long nationals of Poland, the Czech

Germany: "Green Cards"
In May 2000, the German government agreed to offer what officials referred to as "green cards" to foreign computer specialists, paving the way for

UK: Asylum, Labor
Some 71,000 foreigners applied for asylum in the UK in 1999, up from 46,000 in 1998, and immigration, to judge by public opinion surveys, has emerged

France: Migrants
The French Assembly in May 2000 approved a Green party motion to allow non-European foreign residents to vote in local elections in 2001. EU

Spain, Italy
Spain has a generous policy toward immigrants. Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, re-elected in March 2000, said that "nowadays we are the ones who are

Northern Europe
Denmark/Norway. Denmark and Norway are major donors of foreign aid, contributing almost one percent of their GDP in foreign aid each year, far

Germany: "Green Cards"
Germany continued to debate whether to offer what officials referred to as "green cards" to foreign computer specialists; most observers predicted

UK, Ireland: New Asylum Rules
The 1999 Immigration and Asylum Act (IAA) went into effect on April 1, 2000. Its major provisions include the substitution of vouchers for cash

Benelux Asylum and Jobs
Netherlands. The Dutch Central Bureau for Statistics reported in February 2000 that 76 percent of those polled want fewer asylum-seekers to be

Southern Europe
Italy. The government of Italian Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema resigned after suffering a defeat in local elections at the hands of the

Eastern Europe
Czech Republic. On February 2, 2000, the Czech government announced that to harmonize Czech visa policy with EU policies, citizens of Russia,

EU: Demography, Immigration
A United Nations report, "Replacement Migration: Is It a Solution to Declining and Aging Populations," released on March 22, 2000 concluded that, if

Germany: Green Cards?
In February 2000, the industrial association BITKOM (Bundesverband Informationswirtschaft, Telekommunikation und neue Medien) asked the German

Southern Europe
Spain. Spain held parliamentary elections on March 12, 2000, and most of the major parties promoted more immigration as a key to economic

UK, Ireland: Asylum
Among UK voters, immigration and asylum, taken together, have become the third most important issue among voters, after health and education. The

Austria, Switzerland
Austrian border guards apprehended 43,000 migrants attempting illegal entry in 1999, more than double the number caught in 1998. About 3,000

Turkey: Kurds
The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK in Turkish), which has been fighting for self-rule for 12 million Kurds in Turkey since 1984, announced in February

Austria: Haider Resigns
The new coalition government formed in Austria by the People's Party and the Freedom Party took office on February 4, 2000 amid protests in Vienna

EU: Asylum, Expansion
In 1999, the 28 European countries received 437,400 asylum applications, up from 366,200 in 1998. Most of these applications were filed in one of the

Italy and Greece: Legalizations
Many southern European nations have had legalization programs that granted some unauthorized foreigners temporary legal work and residence rights.

Spain and Portugal: Legalization
There were 720,000 legal foreigners in Spain in 1999; 60 percent were EU nationals or relatives of EU nationals and half of the foreigners lived in

UK: Hijacking and Asylum
Of the 164 people on board the Afghani Ariana Airlines domestic flight that was hijacked in February 2000 and eventually landed at Stansted airport

Austria, Switzerland
The Freedom Party headed by Joerg Haider formed a coalition government with the People's Party headed by Wolfgang Schuessel February 4, 2000. Each

Benelux: Amnesty, Soccer
During the first several days of a three-week government amnesty, thousands of illegal migrants who had "lasting social ties," defined as having

Germany: Naturalization, Sanctions
Naturalization. Behjat Moaali, a human rights lawyer from Iran, became the first foreigner to be naturalized under the new naturalization law

UK, Ireland
The number of foreigners applying for asylum in the UK was 71,160 (another source says 89,700) in 1999, compared with 46,015 in 1998. Applications

Turkey, Bulgaria
In 1997, about 3.3 million, the equivalent of five percent of the Turkish population lived in Western Europe, including 2.2 million in Germany;

EU: Turkey
By unanimous vote in December 1999, the European Union's Council of Ministers put Turkey on the short list of countries that can be considered for

Germany: Naturalization
Germany's ruling Social Democratic Party rebuffed SPD Interior Minister Otto Schily during a party convention in December 1999 by passing a

UK, Ireland
On November 6, 1999, the UK began to spread asylum seekers around the country, in a provisional plan scheduled to be made permanent in April 2000.

Eastern Europe
Czech Republic. To save money, the Czech Republic announced in December 1999 that it would begin deporting some of the 100,000 to 200,000

Northern Europe
Norway is the world's second-largest oil exporter. With an unemployment rate of 2.9 percent, employers are complaining of labor shortages, especially

EU: Asylum
The UNHCR reported that between January and September, 1999 some 323,700 foreigners requested asylum in 22 European countries, up 31 percent over the

Germany: Naturalization, Labor
Naturalization. In recent years, 200,000 to 275,000 persons a year have become German citizens each year, 100,000 to 200,000 of them ethnic

Switzerland, Austria
Foreigners—1.5 million—accounted for 21 percent of Switzerland's population in 1998. Most numerous were Italians ,340,000, and Yugoslavs, 233,000.

Czech Republic
A wall put up in mid-October 1999 to separate Gypsies from their Czech neighbors in the city of Usti nad Labem in northern Bohemia was torn down in

UK: Asylum, Guest Workers
The British government's new asylum and immigration bill aims to reduce the number of asylum seekers by: (1) speeding up the decision-making process

Southern Europe
France. Unemployment in September 1999 fell to 11.1 percent, the lowest level of the year. An IMF working paper "Three Million

EU: Tampere Summit
The Schengen effort to harmonize immigration policies moved ahead during the October 15-16, 1999 meeting in Tampere, Finland of EU leaders. They

Austria, Switzerland
Austria's Freedom Party finished second in October 3, 1999 balloting, 415 votes ahead of the third-place Austrian People's Party. Each will have 52

Southern Europe
Italy. Italian naval vessels apprehended 21,000 migrants in the Adriatic Sea in the first eight months of 1999, compared to 20,000 in all of

Czech Republic: Roma
A 65-meter long wall or "concrete fence" was completed around an area that housed Roma in Usti, Czech Republic, just before the Chamber of Deputies

UK, Ireland
The British government's proposed Immigration and Asylum Bill would, among other things, permit asylum seekers to be dispersed around the country,

France: Foreign Legion
French Justice Minister Elizabeth Guigou rejected a request from the French Foreign Legion that would have allowed foreign-born soldiers wounded in

EU: Tampere Summit
The European Union will hold its first summit devoted to policing and judicial issues in Tampere, Finland in October 1999, with immigration and

Germany: Aid and Migration
Germany is pressing for early membership in the EU for Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, a $30 million aid package for the Balkans and a new

Switzerland, Austria
Switzerland received 38,579 asylum applications in the first eight months of 1999, an average of 4,800 a month, almost double year-earlier levels—the

UK: Asylum
Britain continued to debate whether a new asylum law was needed. The research director of the immigration service union that represents immigration

Northern Europe
More than 1,100 Slovak Gypsies sought asylum in Finland in June 1999; most arrived on flights from the Czech Republic or Hungary. In August 1999,

Russia, Eastern Europe
Russia. The State Statistics Committee reported that 5.5 million persons moved to Russia from the other ex-USSR states and that 1.8 million

Southern Europe
Spain. The Spanish Government in October 1999 announced that it would allow 300,000 seasonal foreign workers to enter Spain each year for up

Kosovo: Returns
Kosovo had about 1.8 million Kosovar Albanians and 200,000 Serbs in 1997-98. In 1998-99, Serbs began to drive Kosovars from Kosovo; eventually

UK: Asylum Record
A record 6,600 foreigners applied for asylum in the UK in July 1999, up from 6,230 in June 1999. In July 1999, there were 1,050 asylum applications

Germany: Turks
Turkey suffered a devastating earthquake centered in Izmit in August 1999, which prompted several European countries to offer migration assistance.

Austria, Switzerland
Austria in 1998 had 749,100 foreign residents, including 335,200 from the ex-Yugoslavia. There were also 240,500 foreign workers; foreigners were

Southern Europe
Greece. Greece in August 1999 announced that Albanian migrants with regular jobs would be allowed to remain, and that the government was

Southern Europe
Kosovo. Most of the 860,000 Kosovars who fled to Albania and Macedonia returned to Kosovo by the end of July; the UNHCR put the number of

Germany: Asylum
Asylum. Some 9,600 foreigners applied for asylum in Germany in June 1999, bringing the total number of asylum applicants to 46,457 in the

UK, Ireland
Jamaicans. After a drive-by shooting in mid-July of a radio disc jockey, a Tory spokesman on home affairs said that the British government

EU: Family Unification, Elections
Family Unification. In July 1997, the European Commission proposed a convention to govern the admission of third-country nationals to EU

Russia-China
Russia shares a 2,400-mile border with China and there is widespread fear of Chinese immigration. If migration continues at the current rate,

France: Calais, Jobs
Calais. The British press reported that more than 1,000 Albanians, most claiming to be Kosovars, are camped in parks in Calais, waiting for a

Scandinavia
In July 1999, Finland, joining Great Britain and Ireland, ended visa-free entry for Slovak citizens after 1,140 Slovak Romanies applied for asylum.

Kosovo: Refugees
A peace agreement was reached in June, 1999, 72 days after NATO began to bomb Yugoslavia to prevent Serbians from forcing ethnic Albanians from

Germany: Asylum, IFA
Asylum. There were 6,911 applications for asylum in May 1999, including 2,800 Yugoslavs, most of whom were Kosovo Albanians. In the first five

Switzerland: Asylum
On a per capita basis, Switzerland has the most asylum seekers in Europe: 583 applicants for each 100,000 residents in 1998, or 40,000 applications

UK: Asylum
The UK received a record 46,000 asylum applications in 1998. Half of the applications were filed at ports of entry and half from inside the UK. Some

Turkey: Ocalan
Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan was sentenced to death June 29, 1999 for treason, leading to generally peaceful protests among the estimated 500,000

Eastern Europe
Austria reported that, between January and May 1999, 13,031 persons were apprehended attempting to enter Austria. Kosovo Albanians and nationals of

Kosovar Refugees
As of early May, some 750,000 Kosovars had fled Kosovo, with 425,000 moving to Albania and 250,000 moving to Macedonia. Macedonia urged NATO

EU: Schengen, Asylum
The Amsterdam Treaty became effective on May 1, 1999, which means that responsibility for developing EU-wide migration policies will shift from

Germany: Option Model Approved
In May, 1999, Germany approved the "option model" reform of Germany's citizenship law, which provides dual nationality to persons born of foreign

UK: Legal Aid, Cricket
Legal Aid. The UK government provides L48 million ($77 million) a year to British lawyers to provide legal advice to immigrants. In May 1999,

France: National Front
Charles De Gaulle, grandson of the ex-French president, is running with Jean-Marie Le Pen, leader of the National Front, for a seat in the European

Russia, Eastern Europe
Russia has 147 million residents, and their number is shrinking as deaths exceed births by 700,000 a year. Life expectancy was 68 in 1997, compared

Spain: Migrants, Controls
The Spanish government is planning to allow more non-European Union migrants into the country and extend the contracts of those already in Spain to

Kosovar Refugees
By the end of April 1999, about 600,000 residents of Kosovo had become refugees; another 400,000 were displaced inside Kosovo, meaning that half of

Eastern Europe, Russia
Czech Republic. Police recorded a total of 3,346 illegal crossings of the Czech border in March 1999, an increase of 1,323 over February

France: Aid, Not Kosovars
Prime Minister Lionel Jospin in April 1999 pledged more funds for Albania and Macedonia, but did not welcome Kosovars in France, saying: "Let us not

UK, Ireland: Asylum
The Labor government's "firm but fair" 132-clause Asylum and Immigration Bill remains mired in the House of Commons, with Conservatives questioning

Cyprus: Illegal Immigration
The governments of Cyprus and Syria signed an agreement designed to slow illegal immigration to the east Mediterranean island from its Arab neighbor.

Kosovo Refugees
NATO began bombing Serb positions in Kosovo and Serbia on March 24, 1999, and Yugoslavia launched an ethnic cleansing campaign. Some 140,000 refugees

Germany: Dual Nationality
On March 11, the SPD-Green government unveiled a revised dual nationality proposal that incorporated an earlier FDP proposal to allow children born

Benelux: Asylum Strains
Several individuals and cities have bought or attempted to buy buildings to prevent them from being turned into housing for asylum seekers. In Vught,

UK, Ireland Join Schengen
The UK and Ireland, neither of them signatories of the Schengen agreement, announced in March 1999 that they would participate in the Schengen

Eastern Europe, Russia
Poland. The Polish Ministry of Labor estimates that there are between 150,000 to 200,000 immigrants working illegally in Poland. The NIK

Morocco, Spain, France
A 1998 survey done for Casablanca's Le Journal found that 54 percent of Moroccans would "certainly" leave if given the chance to live in a country of

Turkey-EU Relations Frosty
Turkish-EU relations reached a new low in Spring 1999, as Turks dwelt on the fact that currently imprisoned Kurdish guerrilla leader Abdullah Ocalan

EU: From Schengen to Amsterdam
It has been a decade since the cities of Schengen and Dublin became associated with the evolution of European immigration and refugee policy. The

Germany: Dual Nationality Change
Seven of the German states (Laender) are holding elections in 1999. On February 7 in Hesse, the first of the state elections replaced the eight-year

Italy: Another Legalization
Historically, an amnesty for illegal immigrants is followed by a second amnesty. Italy is no exception. Italy in 1998 launched a two-step amnesty:

UK, Ireland
Asylum. Home Secretary Jack Straw in February 1999 proposed more changes to the UK's immigration and asylum system, including giving the

Turkey, Greece, Cyprus
Turkey. Abdullah Ocalan, the 50-year old leader of the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK), was abducted by Turkish commandos in Kenya on February

Denmark, Sweden
Denmark. Denmark has 363,422 foreign residents, they are 6.8 percent of the population. About half of the foreigners are from other European

EU: Asylum
The UNHCR estimated that 450,000 foreigners applied for asylum in 29 industrial countries in 1998, including 366,000 foreigners or 80 percent who

Germany: Dual Nationality
The SPD-Green government on January 13, 1999 introduced its proposed law to ease naturalization requirements and to permit dual nationality. The

Italy: Immigrants and Crime
The murder of a 78-year old priest by a Moroccan in Ponte Chiasso, Italy on January 20 has stirred up the debate about the relationship of

France: National Front, Headscarves
The National Front split in January 1999, with Bruno Megret (a University of California Berkeley graduate) elected to head a new National

UK: Asylum, Smuggling
There were 46,015 asylum applications in the UK in 1998, up from 32,500 in 1997; the previous record was 44,840 applications in 1991. About 75

Immigration in Eastern Europe
Poland. Some 280 million people entered Poland through land ports in 1998, and Polish border guards detained 3,500 foreigners attempting to

Cyprus, Turkey, Greece
The Cyprus government has reached agreement with Lebanon to stem illegal migration. Cyprus is 200 km, or 125 miles from Lebanon, and in January a

EU: Asylum, Freedom of Movement
The presidency of the EU rotates among the 15-member countries, with each country using its six-month presidency to call attention to issues that it

Germany: New Laws, States
The number of foreigners in Germany fell by 22,000 in 1997 to 7.3 million, due to fewer asylum seekers, Bosnians returning home, and some foreigners

Italy: Amnesty, Ocalan
Foreigners, including Serbs from Kosovo and Iraqi Kurds, continued to land on Italy's southern shores, with almost 300 arriving on Italy's Puglia

Britain: Truck Sanctions, Ireland
Truck Sanctions. On January 1, 1999, trucking firms in the UK were made liable for a L2000 per unauthorized foreigner brought into the UK, as

France: National Front
The National Front in December 1998 splintered into competing factions, leaving the future of Western Europe's largest anti-immigrant party in doubt.

Benelux
Belgium. Voters in Belgium elected an assembly to represent the country's Moslems. About 45,000 Moslems, 64 percent of all those eligible to

Greece: Children
The Metaxourgio area of Athens has attracted 2,000 foreign children who support themselves by washing windshields and selling items to passing

Spain/Morocco
After more than twenty people drowned in late November trying to reach Spain by boat, 14 people were arraigned in Morocco on December 1, 1998,

Eastern Europe, Russia
Czech Republic. German border police have captured more than 28,000 illegal immigrants crossing from the Czech Republic between January and

EU
The European Commission in mid-October 1998 released a report urging EU governments to do more to create jobs to raise the employment rate (the

Germany: Citizenship, Asylum
Germany had a net migration of 750,000 in 1997, according to new Interior Minister Otto Schily, giving Germany about 7.5 million foreigners in late

Italy: Migrants, Amnesty, PKK
Migrants continued to stream into Italy across the Adriatic: 10,000 asylum seekers were processed in the Italian province of Lecce between January

UK: Smuggling, Asylum
Smuggling. Foreigners continue to slip into trucks that are ferried to the UK, and the UK government continues to debate how best to deal with the

France: More Amnesty?
Prime Minister Lionel Jospin in November announced that 80,000 illegal immigrants who had family in France or sought to integrate into French society

Eastern Europe
Czech Republic. The Czech attorney general's office announced on November 12 that it will crack down on organized gangs who smuggle illegal

Belgium: No Amnesty
The Belgian government in November rejected calls to legalize 30,000 to 40,000 illegal migrants, six weeks after the interior minister resigned over

Greece, Cyprus
In November, Greece, a country of 10 million with an estimated 500,000 illegal foreign residents, was rocked by a scandal involving Greek police

Netherlands: Asylum Seekers
The government of the Netherlands announced in mid-November that it will return more than 1,000 rejected asylum seekers to northern Iraq, northern

Germany: Citizenship Changes
In October, the new SPD-Green coalition government announced its first major policy initiative, reforming Germany's 1913 naturalization law, the

UK: Asylum, Enforcement
Asylum. On October 8, the UK began to require Slovak citizens to obtain visas to enter or transit the UK; the move was taken to reduce the

Sweden's Foreigners
About 10 percent of Sweden's nine million residents are non-Nordic foreigners, and Sweden is grappling with their integration. The Swedish government

Eastern Europe, ex-USSR
More and more migrants headed for Germany or France are being arrested in Hungary and the Czech Republic, and some are choosing to stay in Eastern

France: 63,000 Rejected
One of the first actions of the newly elected Socialist government in 1997 was an amnesty some illegal foreigners with ties to France, such as

Spain, Italy: Smuggling
Spain. In an effort to crack down on illegal immigration, Spanish authorities plan to round up foreign-born street children. Many of the

EU: Mobility, Schengen
On September 10, the Yugoslav government suspended bilateral accords with the EU for the repatriation of rejected asylum seekers, including ethnic

Germany: SPD Wins
Election. In elections held September 27, the Social Democratic Party (SPD), led by Gerhard Schroeder, received 41 percent of the vote,

France: Amnesty Controversy
The socialist government elected in France in 1997 promised a new approach to immigration and asylum, and launched an amnesty program for thousands

Britain, Ireland: Asylum
In August 1998, some 4,400 foreigners applied for asylum in the UK, bringing the total for the first eight months of 1998 to 27,000. Many were Czech

Immigration in Benelux
Netherlands. The Netherlands received 109,000 immigrants in 1996 and immigration is expected to remain at about 100,000 a year. The Dutch

Italy, Spain: Illegal Immigrants
Italy. Italian Interior Minister Giorgio Napolitano announced in August 1998 that the government would propose quotas by nationality on

Russia: Emigration?
Russia's economic troubles caused some neighboring countries and Israel to make plans for a wave of emigrants. Russia in 1999 may default on as much

Germany: Immigration in Campaign
Politics. The major German political parties announced tough new anti-crime policy proposals in the run-up to the September 27, 1998

Ireland: Romanian Asylum Seekers
Ireland has traditionally been an emigration country. However, in 1997, 29,000 people left and 44,000 arrived in the country. In 1987, by contrast,

UK: Asylum Reform
The White Paper on asylum reform released July 27, 1998 was discussed in August. One of the major issues is the proposal that asylum applicants be

Italy: North Africans, Kosovo
Some 3,000 North Africans arrived by boat in southern Italy in July, as many as arrived in the first six months of 1998. Many paid $2,000 each to be

Portugal, Spain
Portugal reported that 175,263 foreigners lived legally in the country at the end of 1997; 58 percent were EU nationals. By region of origin, 47

France: Vatican, Politics
Illegal immigrants facing expulsion occupied the Vatican embassy in Paris the first weekend in August. The 12 immigrants were initially welcomed and

EU: Demography, Mobility
Demography. The New York Times on July 10, reported that all European countries have fertility rates that are less than replacement levels,

Germany: CSU Takes Hard Line
Politics. The SPD announced that, if it won the election on September 27, 1998, it would quickly change Germany's foreigners law to provide

France: Expad Legalization?
France received 144,742 applications for legalization in the program implemented by the newly elected Socialist government in June 1997. About 66,500

UK: White Paper on Asylum
On July 27, 1998, the UK issued an Immigration and Asylum White Paper that would give asylum applicants only one appeal against a rejection of their

Italy: New Influx?
The Italian interior minister, Giorgio Napolitano, reported that 2,773 foreigners arrived in southern Italy by boat from Tunisia and Algeria during

Spain: Building Border Fence
Spain is expected to complete building a $35 million, 10-foot high fence around its North African enclave city, Melilla, by the end of 1998, and a

EU: Asylum Seekers Up in 1997
In 1997, some 250,880 foreigners applied for asylum in the EU, up from 231,610 in 1996. Germany had 104,400 asylum applicants or 42 percent of the

Germany: Asylum, Politics
Asylum/Bosnians. On June 25, Germany approved legislation that would reduce benefits to the estimated 10,000 to 30,000 foreigners in Germany

France: 70,000 Get Amnesty
On June 2, France said that it will allow 70,000 of the 150,000 immigrants, known as "sans papiers" because they do not have residence papers, to

UK, Ireland: Asylum
UK. The UK receives the largest number of asylum applicants in Europe after Germany. This is in part because Heathrow airport is the world's

Russia, Eastern Europe
Non-Russian workers in Moscow are reportedly being extorted by police. Some illegal migrant workers keep $50 to $100 in their pockets to be given to

EU: Amsterdam Treaty
In June 1997 in Amsterdam, EU-member nations agreed to cooperate more closely on immigration, asylum and visa matters, but they did not agree to move

Germany: Asylum, Border Control
At the beginning of 1998, there were 7.4 million foreigners in Germany, making them nine percent of Germany's 82 million residents. There were 2.1

France: Removals, Politics
France received 74,000 immigrants in 1997. Over half were from Africa, followed by 30 percent from other EU nations. At the request of

Czech, Russia: Guest Workers
The Czech Republic is under pressure to tighten controls over entries from its eastern neighbors in anticipation of EU entry. The Czech Republic does

Foreigners in Greece, Italy
Greece announced that unauthorized foreigners who register with the Organisation for the Employment of Human Resources (OAED) by the May 31, 1998

Immigration in EU
About one million non-EU foreigners a year enter the EU, mostly to join family members settled in the EU, or to apply for asylum. The countries with

Germany: Bosnians, Politics
Bosnians. About 340,000 Bosnians moved to Germany in the early 1990s, and 220,000 remain; the Bosnian return rate is about 35 percent. Most

France: New Law
The final version of France's new immigration law was approved April 8, 1998. The vote in the National Assembly divided the ruling left-wing

UK/Ireland: Asylum
Both Britain and Ireland are considering more restrictive regulations to deal with an upsurge in asylum applicants. A Home Office report concluded

Benelux, Denmark
Netherlands. In April, 1998, the VVD Liberals, part of the ruling coalition of Labor, Liberals and D66 Democrats, made a pre-election pledge

Hungary, Russia
Hungary. The Wall Street Journal on April 27, 1998 reported that Budapest is joining most German cities in developing a day labor market:

Southern Europe/North Africa
The Statistical Office of the European Communities released a report on April 16 that found that 1.3 percent of European Union residents are

EU: Asylum Down
The EU's Eurostat office reported that 246,000 foreigners applied for asylum in the 15-nation EU in 1996, down 16 percent from 1995. About 29,100

Germany: No Dual Nationality
On March 27, 1998, the German Bundestag rejected on a 338-317 vote an SPD-backed proposal to change Germany's citizenship laws to allow children born

UK and Ireland: Asylum, Integration
Some 32,500 foreigners applied for asylum in the UK in 1997, up from 27,930 in 1996, giving the UK the most asylum applicants in Europe after Germany

France: Law, National Front
On March 4, 1998, the National Assembly gave final approval to a new law that permits children born in France of foreign parents to request French

Denmark: Anti-Immigrant Party
The Danish Peoples Party won 13 seats, up from nine in the previous Parliament, in the 179-seat Parliament in March 1998 elections on an

EU: Asylum, Mobility
On January 30, 1998, European Union interior ministers agreed that EU countries should fingerprint asylum seekers who arrive in the EU, and exchange

Germany: Ethnic Germans, Asylum
Ethnics. The number of ethnic Germans moving to Germany fell from 15,000 in January 1997 to 10,000 in January 1998; a maximum of 220,000

Italy: New Law, Albania
The Italian government, under pressure from its EU partners, is tightening its border and interior controls to avoid being labeled the gateway to

France: Citizenship Law
On February 5, a French Parliamentary Committee rejected amendments proposed in the Senate that would have restricted the Jospin government's ability

Illegal Immigration: Spain/Morocco
Spanish officials estimate that about 1,000 people have drowned attempting to enter Europe by crossing the 10-mile wide Strait of Gibraltar in the

Britain and Ireland: Asylum Protests
There is a backlog of 77,000 asylum cases in the UK; delays in resolving them have permitted many asylum seekers to establish roots in Britain. In

Russia and Eastern Europe
Russia. The International Organization for Migration estimated that, between 1989 and 1996, there were some 870,000 refugees and displaced

Turkey: Emigration and Immigration
Emigration. On February 11, Turkish newspapers reported that Turkish troops had occupied a nine-mile buffer strip inside northern Iraq to

Scandinavia
Norwegian officials reported on February 6 that the number of asylum seekers arriving from the Croatian enclave of eastern Slavonia increased sharply

EU: Kurds, Smuggling
Kurds. The arrival of over 2,500 Kurds in southern Italy in December, 1997 and January, 1998 provoked tensions between Italy and other EU

Germany: Data, Ethnic Germans, Asylum
The German Labor Ministry on January 8, 1998 released the latest "Ausländer in Deutschland" report (http://www.bma.de). As of December 31, 1996, there were

France, Belgium: Suburbs, Algeria
Suburbs. French suburbs were wracked by nighttime violence in December and January with "the vast majority of the perpetrators... of Arab and

Illegal Immigration in Spain/Portugal
A number of North African immigrants living in southern Spain were victims of racially motivated attacks in late December 1997. To avoid serving

EU Promotes Intra-EU Mobility
As part of its Citizens First campaign, the EU operates a Signpost Service that provides informal advice to EU nationals who have problems moving

Germany: Dual Citizenship, Asylum, Enforcement
Dual Citizenship. Germany in December debated whether dual citizenship would accelerate or slow the integration of settled foreigners and

France: Bill Approved; African Tour
After a ten-day debate, the French National Assembly on December 17, 1997 approved on a 276-254 vote a bill that would grant children born in France

UK: Anti-Smuggling
The UK announced the formation of a six-member police task force to combat alien smuggling; some 700 smuggling operations were detected in 1996.

Italy: Kurds, Smuggling
On December 27, 1997, the Italian coast guard brought ashore some 825 Kurds from Iraq and Turkey after their Turkish-registered ship grounded off

Estonia and Russia
When Estonia gained independence from Russia in 1991, it granted automatic citizenship only to those non-national residents who had lived there

Eastern Europe: Poland, Czech
Poland. Poland is emerging as a "second-best" destination for migrants unable to settle in western Europe. Since 1994, about 14,000 foreigners

EU: Mobility, Employment, Smuggling
The EU Commission on November 12, 1997 adopted measures that are expected to increase the mobility of workers within the EU, and make it easier for

Germany: Dual Nationality
Under current German law, most foreigners must live in Germany for 15 years, have no felony convictions, be able to support themselves, and renounce

Italy: Immigration Law
Law. On November 18, Italy's lower house of Parliament approved a draft law that would allow authorities to expel illegal immigrants

Denmark: People's Party
The two-year old anti-immigrant Danish People's Party captured 6.8 percent of the vote in local elections on November 19. The Danish People's Party

French Immigration Bill
The French government will reportedly grant residency to a majority of the 140,000 illegal immigrants who applied. According to a November 1997

Netherlands: Tighten
The Netherlands will tighten enforcement in order to prevent an influx of illegal immigrants, especially from Afghanistan, Iraq and Turkey, by

UK/Ireland Asylum Seekers
The UK announced that it was establishing a task force to deal with alien smuggling, after finding that "asylum kits" were being sold for L3,000 to

Russia: Guest Worker Limits
The Russian government has submitted a draft bill to Parliament which would place a ceiling on the number of foreigners allowed to work in Russia.

Governments Respond to Romanies
Slovak and Czech Romanies, lured by TV programs about "lands of milk and honey," are migrating to Canada, France and the UK and applying for

EU: Fears of Polish Migration
The new Chair of the European Parliament's Joint Parliamentary Committee, Ursula Stenzel, said on October 8 that there are several difficulties about

Germany: Immigration Policy
Germany is expected to hold elections for a new Parliament in September 1998, and many observers think it is possible that the SPD will enter a

Italy: Schengen, Albanians
On October 26, 1997 Italy took its first step toward implementing the Schengen accord by eliminating passport controls on flights arriving from

France: Immigration Proposal
The French cabinet on October 16, 1997 sent a bill to the National Assembly that would make 15 changes to French immigration law, including making it

Russian Migrant Workers
Most of the construction workers in Moscow are migrants, either from distant regions of the Russian Federation, from CIS countries such as Ukraine,

EU: Migrants, Population
Migrants. Austrian Vice-Chancellor Wolfgang Schussel called for an international convention against the smuggling of illegal immigrants in a

Germany: Immigration and Enforcement
An EU decision in July 1997 led Germany to stop the recruitment of Eastern European workers under bilateral agreements; the EU concluded that because

France: Automatic Citizenship?
In September, French Interior Minister Jean-Pierre Chevenement announced a legislative proposal to grant citizenship to French-born children when

Italy: Proposed Immigration Law, Albanians
As Parliament prepares to debate a new Immigration Act that makes it easier to detain and deport apprehended illegal aliens, the cabinet of Italy's

Immigration in Norway and Austria
In mid-September elections in Norway, the 25-year-old anti-immigrant Progress Party captured 15.5 percent of the vote, up from six percent in 1993.

Morocco and Spain
Morocco has pledged to prevent Africans from leaving for Spain illegally and, in return, got a promise of EU help to destroy its cannabis crop.

Eastern Europe and Russia
Migrants from the former USSR are moving to Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, according to a September 25, 1997 story in the Wall Street

Foreign Workers in Ireland
The union representing Dublin area hotel and restaurant workers complained in September that a "new sub-culture of exploited labor" is developing in

Greece: Amnesty?
Greece in September 1997 announced plans to provide legal status for six months to three years for to up to 500,000 illegal immigrants by September

France: Liberalize Immigration Policy?
On August 1, former interior minister Debre called the recommendation of sociologist Patrick Weil to broaden the definition of refugee to include

Germany: Foreign Workers and Refugees
Foreign Workers/Unemployment. Germany is experiencing a new "iron triangle" of labor market conditions in Berlin--high public spending, high

UK: Asylum Policies to Change
On August 21, the British government announced plans to make massive changes to the system dealing with asylum seekers. The Home Office said that

Italy: Crackdown on Immigration?/a>
Italian opposition parties on August 13, 1997 demanded a crackdown on illegal immigration after several violent incidents involving foreigners. In

Guestworkers: Norway and Austria
In the midst of a five-year economic boom and with unemployment at 3.5 percent, Norwegian employers are asking for more foreign workers to fill

Asylum: Ireland, Netherlands and Sweden
Since June 1997, the Irish police check entrants to Ireland at Dromad on the Belfast-Dublin road, and in July 1997, they refused entry to 310

No Visa-Free Travel to US for Central Europeans
Central Europeans who want to vacation in the United States face long lines and rigorous questioning at US consulates. Some nationals of the Czech

EU: Employment, Enlargement and Schengen
The EU has 13 million foreign non-EU residents and 500,000 more non-EU foreigners enter each year as immigrants, students, or asylum seekers. The EU

Germany: Bosnians and Turks
Bosnians. German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel on July 24, 1997 called for a faster return home of Bosnians in Germany, but ruled out forced

France Considers Legalization
Sociologist Patrick Weil presented French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin with a report on July 31, 1997 with 130 recommendations, including simplifying

Russia: Illegal Chinese
Yuri Arkhipov, deputy head of the immigration department of the Federal Migration Service, says illegal immigrants are pouring into the Russian

Italy: Albanians and Chinese
The rush of Albanians to Italy in March 1997 has been labeled "humanitarian blackmail" by commentators in Italy, as more evidence surfaces that shows

Asylum Seekers in Ireland
Ireland received about 3,000 asylum seekers in the past two years and expects 5,000 in 1997. Many enter Ireland from Britain or Northern Ireland, and

EU: Slow Progress on Migration
The Intergovernmental Conference of the European Union was held in Amsterdam June 16-17, 1997, and EU countries agreed to cooperate more closely on

Germany: Bosnians, Smuggling
Bosnians and Asylum. Over 1,500 Bosnian refugees demonstrated in Berlin and Bonn on June 5 against forced repatriation. The protests were held

France: Repeal Immigration Laws
On June 19, France's new Socialist Prime Minister, Lionel Jospin, promised to keep the election pledges made in his first policy speech to the

Eastern Europe: Immigration and Unemployment
Several Czech academics advocate immigration to reduce the average age of the country's population. Dusan Drbohlav of Prague's Charles University

EU: Difficult Negotiations
At the EU summit in Amsterdam on June 16-17, 1997, the Dutch premier will propose that the EU stop pressing Britain to remove its border controls in

French Elections and Immigration
The French socialists and their allies won the June 1, 1997 elections in France, taking at least 268 seats in the 577 member National Assembly. A

UK: Policy Changes and Asylum
The new British government has announced it will eliminate rules under which Britons marrying non-EU citizens must prove the marriage is not an

Italy Deals with Albanians
On May 15, 1997, the Italian government won its 22nd vote of confidence in one year when the lower house of parliament agreed 306-192 to enact into

Irish Asylum Seekers
Eastern European asylum seekers are appearing in Ireland's homeless shelters and welfare offices. More than 100 foreigners apply for asylum in

Germany: Bosnians, Immigration Policy
Bosnians/Asylum. In Germany, states (Laender) have the authority to return foreigners who are not permitted to remain in Germany.

France: New Law, Campaign
On March 26, 1997, the new French immigration law, loi Debre, was approved by Parliament. On the same day, the government announced an 18-point

Italy and Albania
On April 2, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi made a surprise visit to Albania to meet with his Albanian counterpart, Bashkim Fino, in an attempt

Turkey: Future EU Member?
German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel said in Ankara on March 26, 1997 that "It is clear that Turkey will not become a member of the European Union in

Italy Copes with Albanians
The southern half of Albania slipped away from government control in March as Albanians protested the collapse of pyramid investment schemes that

France Amends Immigration Law
On March 25, the lower house of the French National Assembly adopted a slightly modified immigration bill at its second reading. The second reading

Germany: Bosnians, Asylum and Foreign Workers
Bosnians. Berlin city authorities on March 14, 1997 ordered the deportation of two refugees to Sarajevo -- a harbinger of what is planned.

Turkey and EU
EU. During a meeting in Brussels on March, 4, 1997, Wilfred Maartens, the former Belgian prime minister and president of the European People's

EU: Displaced Persons
EU representatives to the Inter-Governmental Conference on the Maastricht Treaty in early March 1997 debated how to promote cooperation on justice

France: Immigration Reform Approved
French opinion about immigration and integration seems to be polarizing, with the National Front gaining power and acceptance and prominent French

Germany: Unemployment and Immigration
For the third time in two months, German Chancellor Kohl on January 31, 1997 referred to the "immigration factor" that affects German unemployment

Italian Immigration Reform
Italy's cabinet on February 14, 1997 approved a draft bill aimed at reducing illegal immigration that would also grant more rights to legal foreign

Greece and Albania
On February 12, Greece announced plans to increase security along its northern border in order to prevent a possible new wave of illegal immigrants

EU Immigration Policy?
The EU is striving to reach agreement on a plan that would phase out border controls between member nations by 2000 or 2001. British Prime Minister

UK: Anti-Discrimination Efforts
Britain began a "Race for Millennium" campaign which urges employers to reduce discrimination in hiring and promotion. Ethnic

Temporary Workers in the Netherlands
Adult foreign residents from outside the European Union may soon be required to participate in a free but compulsory 500-hour assimilation program.

Switzerland to Expel Bosnians in April
On January 29, 1997, the Swiss government announced that Bosnians in Switzerland will have to begin returning in April 1997, and that aid for those