Immigration is one of the new century’s ‘hot button’ issues.
Whether it is Romanians in Milan or Mexicans in Los Angeles, the
concern and the debate has intensified. Political campaigns are
fought and won on the issue in several nations and it has
shifted party politics in many others. Most of the concern and
political backlash focuses on the large and increasing presence
of immigrants in cities – especially low-education immigrants.
This is easy to understand from the facts. In the US and Europe,
immigration is disproportionately directed to cities, especially
large metropolitan areas. In the recent decade immigrant
arrivals – currently around 1.25 million people per year –
accounted for 40% of the US population growth and for 50-75% of
the growth of its largest metropolitan areas. For instance, 27%
of people residing in London are foreign-born, as well as 28% of
people in New York and 17% in Paris, vis-à-vis much lower
national averages (respectively equal to 9%, 12.1% and 10% for
the UK, the US and France)