Global IssuesMIGRATION-US: Broken System Costing Billions
As the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama and Congressional lawmakers prepare to tackle comprehensive immigration reform, a leading immigration advocate says government inaction has 'cost the country billions of dollars, while doing little to impede the flow of unauthorised immigrants.'
According to a new report by the Immigration Policy Centre of the American Immigration Council, 'the current immigration system's structural failures, and the inadequate or misguided responses to these failures, have led to the largest unauthorised population' in U.S. history.
'Meanwhile, the United States continues to spend billions of dollars on enforcing these broken laws,' it says.
'Focusing on the Solutions: The Key Principles of Comprehensive Immigration Reform' summarises the key elements that need to be included in a successful legislative package.
Commenting on recent proposals made by Congressional lawmakers, IPC director Mary Giovagnoli told IPS that statements from Senators Charles Schumer of New York and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina 'mark renewed commitment to providing immigration reform that will bolster the economy and provide for America's future.'
'We encourage the president and Senators Schumer and Graham to go beyond words and produce legislation that will finally fix our broken immigration system once and for all,' she said.
An outline of the lawmakers' ideas appeared in The Washington Post.
The IPC report identifies 10 areas it says lawmakers need to concentrate on.
It notes that insufficient numbers of visas are made available to bring in either high-skilled or less-skilled workers at the levels needed to meet the changing needs of the U.S. economy and labour market. Family members who are eligible for visas must wait up to 20 years to be reunited with family living in the United States.
In addition, wage and workplace violations by unscrupulous employers who exploit immigrant workers are undercutting honest businesses and harming all workers, it says.
On the thorny question of legalisation, it says that, 'Most Americans understand that we cannot deport 10-11 million people or hope that they will choose to 'self-deport.' It is clear that current enforcement-only responses have not been effective and are not a realistic solution to the current crisis.'
'The underlying flaws of the legal immigration system must be addressed in order to create a fair, humane, and practical immigration system for the 21st century - a system that is responsive to the needs of our economy and encourages legal behaviour.'
It says that requiring the 10-11 million unauthorised immigrants residing in the U.S. to register with the government and meet eligibility criteria in order to gain legal status is a key element of comprehensive immigration reform.
The report says it is likely that Congress 'will transform the way employers verify the work authorisation of their workers. Since this will affect immigrants and citizens alike, and because an error in the system can cost a worker his job and paycheck, it is important to make the system effective.'
Comprehensive reform of our broken immigration system will 'necessarily transform the role of immigration enforcement.'
Legalisation of unauthorised immigrants already in the United States 'will result in a significantly smaller unauthorised population, and the creation of flexible legal channels for those immigrants we need will ensure that future flows of illegal immigration are minimal.'
But the report says there will continue to be a need to enforce the nation's immigration laws.
It notes that family-oriented immigration has always been a pillar of the U.S. immigration system. 'However, many close family members of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents are currently waiting years, if not decades, to reunite with their loved ones.'
The report says comprehensive immigration reform must address the future needs of the U.S. economy and create a well-functioning and flexible system of permanent and temporary visas for both high-skilled and low-skilled workers.
'Policymakers must recognise that if we create a legal immigration system that functions well, there will be less pressure on immigrants come to the U.S. illegally and for employers to hire unauthorized workers,' it says.
Last, the report says immigrant integration will benefit everyone because 'it enables immigrants to realize their full potential, contribute more to the U.S. economy, and develop deeper community ties.'
It notes that the U.S. 'has no national strategy for facilitating integration and insufficient infrastructure to facilitate a smooth transition from immigrant to citizen.'
© Inter Press Service (2010) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service