GLOBAL LEVEL

Blog project for Global Phat cows c/o 2008 It would be nearly impossible to address the broad subject of global immigration in its entirety, so we will instead focus in on three areas of the world, and then three countries in those areas. We will be examining the country of Turkey in the Middle East and Europe, Japan in Asia, and South Africa in Africa. 1) What is the history of the issue? How did the issue get to its current situation? This issue did not just appear one day, so what factors contributed to its emergence? a. Turkey Turkey, formerly known as the Ottoman Empire, has a rich history of immigration of Muslims and Jews. In the 1800s, war, disease, emigration to the US, and birth control vastly depleted the Ottoman population.[1] However, a huge influx of 5 to 7 million Muslim refugees between the seventeen and nineteen hundreds offset that loss.[2] Additionally, many Jews fled to the Ottoman Empire, but the rulers became frightened of it becoming a Zionist state and tried to curb the immigration. Due to a poor and divided economic structure, the Ottoman Empire weakened and was defeated in World War I. It was partitioned into several regions, including Istanbul, which after an overthrow, became Turkey.[3] Turkey was also known as midpoint for immigrants who pass through the nation to get to the United States or other countries in Europe. Its emigration is as prominent as its immigration. In the nineteen hundreds, Turkey became a country of asylum for people fleeing the Balkans and refugees from communist nations.[4] Turkey is now a very diverse country due to the many immigrants who have sought safety there over the centuries. b. Japan The Japanese took great pride in their pure-bloodedness. Historically, they did not condone cross-cultural marriages with other nationalities in Asia. This pure ideal permeates their culture even today, for only someone who is full Japanese and born and raised in Japan may properly call themselves Nihonjin, or Japanese. The fixation on Japanese superiority manifests itself in the isolationist Tokugawa era that ended with the Meiji Restoration of 1868.[5] Emigration from Japan began in the 1800s when emigrants moved to Hawaii to work in the sugar-cane plantations, and then later on the railroads of California. Japan only opened its doors to refugees recently, and they are only opened a crack. Some people believe that since Japan is such a strong nation it should be more accepting of refugees. And Japan may not have a choice on whether to admit immigrants-its aging population is huge compared to its working one. If its economy is to stay strong it needs a strong workforce base-one that could be supplied by immigrants, according to a Newsweek article. c. South Africa Since migrant worker has been cheap over the centuries, the foundation of the South African economy has been built by migrant miners and farmworkers. At the same time, the South African natives express a deep dislike and mistrust for immigrants and newcomers, including legal refugees. Due to the acts that excluded black and Jewish immigrants in 1913 and 1937, respectively, the only worker immigrants that crossed the border did so illegally.[6] The government did not try to enforce the laws, for the illegal migrants provided a very cheap source of labor for companies, and did not need to be paid pensions or welfare. However, the formerly apartheid government has also historically been friendly to white migrants, allowing them easy citizenship from 1960-1980.[7] Since South Africa is economically stronger than most African countries, it is a sought-after destination for migrants looking to improve their economic situations. However, migration is now causing conflict amongst citizens who believe that the migrants are free-loaders and job-stealers. In 1991 the government created an Alien Control Act reminiscent of the acts in 1913 and 1937. It does not allow employers to hire any illegal immigrants. Xenophobia persists in South Africa as it has in Japan. 2) What is the current situation regarding this issue? How bad is it? What economic principles underlie these conditions (gov’t interference or lack thereof, social spending)? Who does it primarily impact (race, gender, class, age, ect.)? a. Turkey Immigration is a currently a huge issue in Turkey as the nation is hoping to join the European Union. Since the EU allows free immigration of citizens across country borders (though new nations have a probationary period), the admittance of Turkey would mean a mass influx of refugees into Western Europe. Some of the reasons why people would want to move to countries like France, Germany, and England are economically based. Those countries have stable economies, a very strong currency, low levels of unemployment, and are tempting places to poor refugees. However, some of the reasons why those richer countries do not want poorer immigrants are also economically based. If they were forced to grant citizenship to these immigrants, they would have to give those citizens rights, which may include welfare-type programs. Additionally, the EU sees the Turkish largely as uneducated and unskilled Muslims who would not contribute greatly to the workforce.[8] Another factor contributing to the EU’s reluctance is the fear that the Kurdish insurgency that exists in Turkey may easily terrorize parts of Europe if Turkey gains admission. Despite the EU’s current strict immigration policy, around 35,000 people make it across the Turkish border into Europe annually.[9] The longer Turkey is forced to wait to find out whether it will be accepted, the higher the likelihood is that it will experience slower economic growth and increased unemployment. This would lead to an increase of Turks crossing the border illegally in search of better lives, jobs, and wages. b. Japan The Japanese currently has one of the lowest birthrates in the world, according to a BBC article entitled: “Japan sounds alarm on birth rate”. This is predicted to cause huge problems in future years as the current working population cannot support the huge elderly population. Japanese officials are trying to encourage immigration to the chagrin of the purist Japanese citizens who culturally mistrust outsiders. However, immigration seems like the necessary solution for this problem, provided that the immigrants will contribute well to the workforce. Illegal immigrants work mainly in construction, but are treated poorly by employers and are often injured on the job. What the UN believes Japan needs are 400,000 new skilled working immigrants every year- something that is very unlikely to happen, especially while the Japanese are so unaccepting of other cultures.[10] Japan has one of the strongest economies in the world but they will not be able to keep it up without a strong workforce. Consumer spending would decrease greatly if a great proportion of the population is elderly, especially if the working will have to be taxed heavily to pay for pensions. Demand for items will decrease since the Japanese will have tighter pocketbooks. Japan not acquiring a strong workforce soon will impact everyone, not just the Japanese. The United States does a good deal of trade with Japan, and the economies of many nations will suffer if one of the strongest economies in the world collapses. Immigration seems vital for Japan. c. South Africa Currently, the migrants consist mostly of males with a decent amount of education, contrary to the disdainful beliefs of the natives.[11] These workers come from countries surrounding South Africa that are in very poor economic situations, and come into South Africa by both push and pull factors. Sometimes they are pushed by the terrible economic conditions of their countries, and sometimes they are lured by employment opportunities in South Africa. The employers take advantage of the migrant worker’s destitution and desperation and often exploit them for all they are worth. At the same time, the natives of South Africa are facing an extraordinary 25% unemployment rate[12] and every job that is taken from the citizens and given to the cheaply paid immigrants increases anti-migrant sentiment. Conditions like this have existed in America before, and erupted in conflicts between the Irish and the citizens(New York), and the Chinese and the citizens (California). Immigrants are an easy scapegoat for people in poor economic situations. And while they do contribute to the economy, they also use resources that the citizens of the country desperately need.[13] Migrants are now trying to fight for healthcare from the government, which is met with majority opposition by the natives. However, most citizens overestimate the negative impact that migrants have on their lives, so the migrants are the ones most affected by this rampant discrimination. The basic economic explanation for this phenomenon is that the migrants are from poor countries with weak economies, and want to seek opportunities in the richer nation of South Africa. South Africa depends on cheap migrant labor to keep prices down and consumer demand up, but at the same time wants to make its citizens happy. If the migrants were naturalized and allowed citizenship, then they could contribute to the economy by paying taxes. However, the current citizens do not like this idea, and indeed, if South Africa began offering widespread citizenship for illegal immigrants they would experience an even larger influx of unskilled migrants looking for a better life. This could hurt their economy, for the unskilled workers do not contribute much to the economy yet would still get pension services later on. 3) As with your service agency, there is a “gap” between what needs to be done and what is actually being done, so what should be done about this issue on a large scale? It is okay to think “big” here-if you had the resources, control, clout what would you want to see done to change the current situation? What are the “powers that be” not doing? What should be done on a governmental or societal level to help alleviate the “problems” this issue is creating? a. Turkey Right now Turkey is trying to curb immigration to increase its chances of becoming accepted to the EU. If we say that what needs to happen is their acceptance into the union, then the Turkish government is going to need even more stringent reforms and stricter immigration policies. The Turkish government would have to crack down upon illegal immigrants, and change policies so that these immigrants would be moved back. However, the morality of doing this would be questionable, since a lot of immigrants to Turkey are refugees who have no where else to go. We do not know enough about foreign policy to truly say what would be the best solution for Turkish acceptance into the EU. Perhaps to make emigrating from Turkey less attractive Turkey could focus on internal reforms. This would make the EU a little less worried about immigration after Turkey is accepted. If the Turkish economy was more stabilized, as it is becoming, then the need for Turkish residents to move would diminish. A main cause for emigration is unemployment, so if the government perhaps mirrored FDR’s New Deal policies and created jobs, Turks would be more motivated to stay in their homeland. b. Japan The Japanese people need to learn tolerance and acceptance-and quick! The government could increase spending on tolerance campaigns, as it is already doing to try to encourage women to have more children (the ‘Angel Plan’).[14] There should be more national awareness for these frightening predictions-the Japanese need to be willing to make some sacrifices now if they are to remain an economic super-power. Basically, the government needs to eliminate racism, which is a very difficult feat in such an insular country, but is something that needs to be done. c. South Africa While there are things that the South African government could do alleviate the problems that come with migration, it would be wiser to target the root of the problem-poverty in neighboring nations. Some of the nations surrounding South Africa are the poorest in the world.[15] Improving the economic and political stability of these nations would be key to decreasing the flow of unskilled and desperate labor into South Africa. The governments of those countries need reforms to create more work opportunities for their citizens. There is no simple way to do this, and we do not know of a panacea plan. In South Africa, the government should have stricter laws regarding immigration, perhaps limiting it to skilled workers and then regulating boundaries more firmly. 4) Realistically, on a smaller scale what can be done about this issue by individuals? What impact could you have to change the current situation? What do you foresee in the future if the solution(s) you’re advocating is/are not implemented or if conditions continue in their present state indefinitely (you may look to what other people have forecasted for society if these issues persist, or you may speculate on your own; both are preferred) a. Turkey As Americans, there is not much that we can do individually to help Turkey get accepted into the EU. However, individuals in Europe and Turkey should start deciding what they want. In Turkey, only 60 to 65% of people say that they want Turkey to join the EU since it is taking so long to decide.[16] Western Europeans need to become more accepting of Muslims if Turkey is to become a peaceful member of the EU, and Turks need to resolve their bitter feelings towards Christianity. If people continue to immigrate to Turkey illegally the economy could be hurt, since joining the EU would strengthen Turkey’s economy greatly (it would make trade easier, since the EU makes up half of Turkey’s export market and 40% of their import market. It would also increase the value of their currency and overall make them more secure[17]). If conditions persist, it is likely that anti-EU sentiment will increase in Turkey over bitterness, and anti-Muslim sentiment will establish itself more firmly in the EU. The longer they take to decide, the harder it will become for Turkey to be a real member. As prime minister Erdogan stated in a New York Times interview : “One could set 2014 or 2015 as a date for our accession to the EU. But above all I am calling on the EU to be honest: If the EU doesn't want us, they should say it now and clearly. If we are not wanted, then both sides don't need to waste their time with negotiations. Is Europe a home for an alliance of civilizations or is it a Christian club? If the former is true, then Turkey should be part of it.” b. Japan On a smaller scale, the Japanese people need to individually assess their values and sacrifice ethnic purity for economic survival. If they become educated on this issue, hopefully they will learn to tolerate other races. If we really wanted to help Japan out on a personal level we could move to Japan and join the workforce. We could write letters to the newspapers in America urging people to move to Japan and work there-but I am not sure how effective this would be. If things continue in the way that they are going, Japan is headed for economic pitfalls. They simply will not have a large enough workforce to support the huge elderly population. By the end of the century, the UN predicts that Japan’s population will go from 120 million to 60 million.[18] That’s pretty scary, and it would be extremely surprising if Japan’s economy did not experience a major decline in that period. c. South Africa On a smaller scale, it would be hard to say what individuals in America could do besides avoiding purchases that were probably made by illegal immigrants. The people in South Africa need to try to stop racial discrimination, which is what a lot of immigration problems come down to in the end. It is hard to say what people who want to migrate illegally should do, simply because they would probably live better lives in South Africa. It is almost inhumane to suggest that people should stay put in their poor economic situations if better lives are attainable, but that is exactly what immigration laws must do. If things continue the way that they are going, racism will probably increase and perhaps lead to rioting if more immigrants are allowed to pass through.