Wall Street Journal praises Irish immigration policies

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The Wall Street Journal  has stated that foreign workers departing Ireland prove that emigration within Europe can work and Ireland is the best example despite its harsh economic times.

“The Irish exodus (of foreign workers) is a grim indicator of just how far the Irish economy has fallen. But it's also instructive on how immigrants generally behave when free to come and go as they please: They show up when there's work to be had, and move on if their opportunities dry up.

“In Ireland's case, both before and after the crash, the result of open borders has been a more flexible and productive labor force. That's an achievement all Europeans can celebrate.”

Ireland’s refusal to put a cap on numbers allowed from other European countries into Ireland was praised by the Wall Street Journal.

“A look at Ireland's experience, however, suggests these fears about too many immigrants) are largely unfounded. Following the EU's 2004 expansion, Ireland, along with the U.K. and Sweden, was one of the few countries not to put restrictions on the free movement of citizens of the EU's 10 new members.

“The result was a 13% increase in Ireland's work force between 2004 and 2008. That's hardly a population explosion, given that Irish GDP increased by some 17% in that period. While countries like Germany struggled to meet rising demand for both skilled and unskilled labor, Ireland was able to power its boom years in part with ambitious immigrants.”

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