Comment: While this may be the last, best chance for a meaningful reform of U.S. immigration law for quite a while, there is always the possibility that the Congress will screw it up, and make the situation still worse. A fixed quota for guest workers, which is too small in all years and much too small in years when the economy is hot, will result in lots of workers and companies resorting to the illegal immigration channels already established. On the other hand, we could make those illegal immigrants hide even more vigorously in our society and be even more outside the law; we could simultaneously waste a lot more money in ineffective efforts to close our borders and track down the illegals.
Charlemagne's column in the same issue of The Economist notes:
Europe has for years struggled to compete with America, Canada and Australia to lure the most sought-after workers. Later this year, the commission is expected to propose its own version of the American green card, an EU “blue card”, which would offer free movement around Europe to skilled migrants.
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