Posted: August 31st, 2022

How does migration affect world politics?

How does migration affect world politics?
The movement of people and refugees across international borders has, in the past few years, emerged as a powerful political issue. In the United States, immigration has gradually gained significance in matters politics with the two dominating parties taking different stands. While immigration continues slowing down in the past decade, the influence on the political scene continues to become magnified. And when the democratic party (which gets most the votes from immigrants and people of colour) voted in Barrack Obama as president in 2009, this awakened the significance and role of immigration in politics, intensifying the divide surrounding the matter.
The direction that a politician, particularly presidential aspirant, takes regarding immigration determines the number of votes and the crowd they garner. In fact, the political position on immigration is a major factor that determines political success or failure. As seen in the 2016 United States presidential elections, President Donald Trump took a firm stand on illegal immigration, advocating a strong wall built to stop illegal immigration from Syrian refugees. Immigration was also a key factor in the Brexit vote in the United Kingdom. In the recent elections in Germany and Italy, immigration was heavily politicized, and the electoral success relied on the stand regarding anti-immigration.
A close look at the relationship between immigration and vote share of the republican party over time shows the increasing relevance of immigration and political outcomes in the United States. Politicians are able to take advantage by focusing on immigration to gain relevance against their opponents. The question of American identity has always been at the forefront of conversations during any electoral period. Trump and his opponents dwelled heavily on immigration, which remains a relevant matter to both parties to date.
It is believed that citizens in the United States vote in response to the economic and psychological benefits and costs be it fiscal or labor market that immigrants bring to the country. So, if they believe an increase in immigrants, skilled or non-skilled, brings more costs than benefits, they are more likely to vote for the republican party, which is associated with more restrictive immigration policies. Finally, immigration also influences politics by directly adding the number of votes to already existing immigrants. However, this effect is just minimal. The main effect of immigration on politics is based on the indirect influence on how existing voters perceive the matter.

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