Economist Debate: restricting migration hinders the development of both the rich world and the poor

The freer movement of people may be a sure-fire way of reducing global inequality. But does it come at the cost of creating greater inequality within countries?

The past decade has seen global migration rise to record levels, with both the rich and poor increasingly on the move. The phenomenon is becoming increasingly controversial and politically divisive. Most migrants themselves, and certainly their offspring, reap economic benefits from moving. But what of the stories of the abused and the exploited? Migrant workers can bring huge benefits to flexible economies, but what are the damaging effects of the new arrivals on wages, on unemployment, on public services, in the form of overcrowding, in countries such as Britain and America where migration rates are particularly high? The freer movement of people may be a sure-fire way of reducing global inequality, but does it come at the cost of creating more inequality within countries?

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