Finance & economics | Broken record

The rich world revolts against sky-high immigration

Moderates want to limit numbers. Radicals want mass deportations. What will be the economic consequence?

An attendee holds a sign reading "Mass Deportations Now!" at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, on July 17th 2024
Photograph: Jamie Kelter Davis/New York Times/Redux/eyevine

Migrants are increasingly unwelcome. Over half of Americans favour “deporting all immigrants living in the US illegally back to their home country”, up from a third in 2016. Just 10% of Australians want more immigration, a sharp fall from a few years ago. Sir Keir Starmer, Britain’s new centre-left prime minister, wants his country to be “less reliant on migration by training more UK workers”. Anthony Albanese, Australia’s slightly longer-serving centre-left prime minister, recently said his country’s migration system “wasn’t working properly” and wants to cut net migration in half. And that is before you get to Donald Trump, who pledges mass deportations if he wins America’s presidential election—an example populist parties across Europe may wish to follow.

This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “The anti-immigration revolt”

From the July 27th 2024 edition

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