Do migrants have a positive effect on the economy?

Frequently the issue of migration raises negative reactions from the adopted country. Often this is due to misconceptions relating to migrants being refugees, of limited education and potentially draining economies. In reality the opposite is actually the case and migrants earn, and so contribute economically, more than they claim in welfare benefits. The contributions they make through employment, benefit not only the economy directly but also by supplying labour and profit to individual companies who, in turn, make their contributions to the economy. Often migrant workers will touch either end of the employment spectrum; by supplying labour for work which does not appeal to the natives of their adopted country, either by its nature or the financial rewards, or they are seen as a desirable knowledge or talent base which helps the country remain competitive in specific fields.

In countries where the population is generally ageing, younger migrant workers are often better educated and so fit a dual niche in that they fill the labour force gap and can also contribute more effectively even compared to the native workers who are nearing retirement age.

In a world which has, in recent decades, become more knowledge and service sector oriented, when it comes to employment, migrants and particularly those where physical labour occupations are still the norm, are acceptable to performing manual labour jobs. Although many countries have switched to knowledge based industry, this has left a gap in the occupational field when it comes to physical and practical occupations and migrants are filling a gap that natives are otherwise disinclined to embark upon or are simply not trained to do.