“Tony Smith’s rise through the ranks of the Immigration Service to the top
of the Border Force is the thread weaving together this fascinating memoir-
cum-social history of immigration control, and of London, from the 1970s
to today. It is a trenchant and fair-minded account of a service struggling with
many conflicting pressures and generally dealing with them in a humane manner,
with just a hint of nostalgia for the simplicity and common sense of the
old days.”
Particularly relevant with todays news about appalling conditions in Asylum centres around the UK.
It must be remembered that as for economic effects, research suggests that migration is beneficial both to the receiving and sending countries. Research, with few exceptions, finds that immigration on average has positive economic effects on the native population, but is mixed as to whether low-skilled immigration adversely affects low-skilled natives. Studies show that the elimination of barriers to migration would have profound effects on world GDP, with estimates of gains ranging between 67 and 147 percent for the scenarios in which 37 to 53 percent of the developing countries' workers migrate to more developed countries.
