Immigration is both essential and impossible

IN RICH democracies, immigration is fuelling a fierce hostile reaction.

That is not surprising. While a few insist that everybody is entitled to share in the prosperity and freedom of these countries, many of their fellow citizens view those seeking entry as more like invaders. Similarly, economists’ benign view of the economics ignores the fact that immigrants are people whose descendants might live there permanently. Immigration then is about national identity.

In recent European elections, attitudes towards immigrants were instrumental in generating support for nationalist parties. In the US, Donald Trump’s fierce campaign against people pouring across the southern border has been a powerful source of his appeal.