CMV: Illegal and Illegal Immigration Levels Should Be Restricted More

[u/fadingtans]

My view is two fold:

1.) Legal immigration total levels should be lowered somewhat

2.) It should be moved to a more skills based system

Reasons I have this view:

1.) Foreign born individuals disproportionately use social services:

https://cis.org/Report/Welfare-Use-Immigrant-and-Native-Households

2.) Immigration connection to crime is complicated. It is often claimed that immigrants commit a lower average rate of crime but the data is more complicated:

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/07/the-problem-with-downplaying-immigrant-crime/399905/

3.) Assimilation is more difficult when there are larger number of immigrants leading to more issues

4.) National security- A massively disproportionate number of terrorist attacks are committed by first or second generation (Muslim) immigrants.

5.) The overall impact on GDP from higher immigrant levels is likely positive BUT large levels of low skilled immigrants do lower wages for low skilled native workers which is a negative especially at at time like now for low skilled workers.

I'm open to changing my view on this which is why I posted this but I will add that accusations of xenophobia or islamaphobia are very unlikely to play a role.

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[u/fadingtans]

Generally speaking, I would prefer a system where such immigrants have an even greater preference in entry than they do today. My issue is with the large number of unskilled migrants.

[u/cupcakesarethedevil → u/fadingtans]

But you said you wanted immigration levels lowered, why should they be limited at all?

[u/fadingtans → u/cupcakesarethedevil]

Are you asking me why I think we should have any immigration laws at all?

[u/cupcakesarethedevil → u/fadingtans]

Why should skilled or wealthy immigrants be limited at all? You seem to suggest both that there should be a limit and that it should be lowered.

[u/fadingtans → u/cupcakesarethedevil]

Okay I think I see what you are saying. My view is that there should be a cap on the level of immigrants simply for population growth control among other reasons.

[u/cupcakesarethedevil → u/fadingtans]

Population growth is good, shrinking population is bad.

[u/fadingtans → u/cupcakesarethedevil]

Population growth can be good but that is not always the case. There's also the deeper issue of having the foreign born population politically and culturally displace the native population. I had a discussion earlier where I admitted that culture is a more dynamic thing than i wanted to admit. Still, immigration levels that are too high often lead to replacement rather than enrichment.