Anti-immigration

Anti-immigrant and anti-immigration are labels often applied to those who are opposed to having significant levels of immigration in their countries. Another term of discussion, with generally similar features ,is Nativism.

It is often used as a political epithet and politicians in the Western world generally dislike to use the label to describe themselves. Nevertheless, opinion polls demonstrate that many people across the developed world are uncomfortable with, if not outright opposed to, immigration.

Major anti-immigration arguments

These sentiments may be justified with the arguments that immigrants:

isolate themselves in their own communities and refuse to learn the language/culture
gainfully acquire jobs which would have otherwise been available to native citizens
damage a sense of community and nationality
increase the consumption of scarce resources
make heavy use of social welfare systems

Prominent opinion leaders who oppose immigration blame it for such problems as unemployment, crime, harm to the environment, and detoriating public education. Their critics often argue that while the problems are real, blaming immigration is a form of scapegoating, and that all of these are serious social issues among the native-born population as well. Thus, politicians can suggest reducing immigration as a "magic bullet" when in fact other causes of these problems go unaddressed.

Continental European anti-immigration movements

Current anti-immigration views in Europe seem particularly directed towards the recent influx of Muslims from Turkey and Northern Africa. Prominent European opponents of this migration include Jörg Haider, Jean-Marie Le Pen, and Pim Fortuyn (deceased). Anti-immigration views are held by virtually all neo-Nazi, and ethnic and racial separatist movements in Europe and the US, although the majority of people with anti-immigration views have no connection to such groups.

Popular attitudes include such examples as the majority of Spaniards who currently see immigration into their country as excessive(see article mentioning El Pais survey). Fascist parties, such as Movimiento Social Español, openly campaign using nationalist or anti-immigrant rhetoric. Everyday racial harassment of Africans is sometimes a problem - a notorious incident being the November 2004 Spain-England friendly at Santiago Bernabeu stadium. Popular media sometimes portray American Black culture and music negatively for humor, though there exists also an active following of such music in Spain as well.

In France, the National Front opposes immigration. A major anti-immigrant political organization in Germany is the National Democratic Party.

Opposition to immigration in the United Kingdom

Anti-immigrant perspectives in the United Kingdom have to do with the many South Asians, particularly Pakistanis and Indians, who have moved there in recent decades. Current concerns also involve Africans, Eastern Europeans, East Asians, Middle Easterners, and numerous others have become part of the estimated 4.3 million of the UK's population that is foreign-born (see "Analysis: Britain's Modern Face"). Like other countries, public attention is on their perceived refusal to assimilate, sheer numbers, illegal immigration, and Islamist terrorism. Abuse of asylum policies is also a frequent discussion topic.

During the 2005 election, the Conservative Party's slogan was: "It's time to put a limit on immigration", and the party's leader, Michael Howard, said: "it's not racist to talk about immigration". Critics noted that it indeed seemed racist to focus on public concern over certain groups while ignoring the numerous Canadians, New Zealanders, and Australians who arrive and work illegally, and have been involved in other criminal activities.

As well, areas with largely native-born populations also face similar social problems as places where large numbers of newcomers have settled.

Anti-immigration views in the United States

In the United States, anti-immigration views have a long history, including the American Party of the mid-19th Century (formed by members of the Know-Nothing movement) and the Immigration Reduction League of the early 20th Century. An immigration reductionism movement formed in the 1970s and continues. Prominent members of the movement deny being anti-immigration or anti-immigrant, though they acknowledge pressing for 75-95% reductions in immigration levels and support laws that target illegal immigrants. However, as most Americans are themselves descended from immigrants, many feel that it is hypocritical to criticize those who enter the country through legal means, and neither of the two major parties has proposed curtailing the number of visas given out annually.

Illegal immigration, principally from across the Mexican border, is the more pressing concern for most immigration reductionists. Authors such as Samuel Huntington (famous for the "clash of civilizations" thesis) have also seen recent Hispanic immigration as creating a national identity crises and presenting insurmountable problems for US social institutions. In the Spanish edition of Foreign Affairs, May 2005, he lists the size, illegality, cultural roots, and poverty of this recent wave of migration as most problematic.

The political effects of anti-immigration/immigration reductionism movements have been embodied in the US welfare reform bill of 1996 and initiatives such as Protect Arizona Now in 2004.

Immigration and economics

Another issue concerns free trade; immigrant rights advocates believe it is hypocritical and inhumane to allow goods and money to freely cross borders yet impose numerous requirements on people to do the same thing. It has been argued that this constitutes a form of class warfare against workers, who are not free to move with changing economic conditions in the same manner that businesses can move their capital. (See also capital flight.)

Anti-immigrant rhetoric in the US frequently mentions that foreigners take "American jobs", yet the US Constitution does not guarantee employment for anyone, and free flow of capital means that business owners have no legal obligation to keep jobs in the country. To this end, many immigration opponents/reductionists offer protectionist solutions to economic problems, and there was considerable criticism of NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) among them.

Politicians and commentators have contrasted the developed world's immigration controls with what they see as uncontrolled movement of people throughout the Third World. This is inaccurate; many poor countries do indeed have numerous restrictions on immigration, and there has been little apparent economic gain from these policies.

Anti-immigrant hate crimes

After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, an increase in Islamophobia was perceived by some, directed towards individuals perceived to be either Arab and/or Muslim. An example of this behavior is the murder of Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh Indian living in Mesa, Arizona who was gunned down by native-born US citizen Frank Roque in September 2001. Roque had also shot at several other Sikhs (who were unharmed), apparently because he incorrectly associated their turbans with Islam. The Maricopa County Superior Court sentenced Roque to death in 2003.