1. Key Issue #3: Why Do Migrants Face Obstacles?
Immigration Policies of Host Countries
U.S. Quota Laws
Acts of Congress – Quota Act of 1921 & National Origins Act of 1924
Set quotas (max limits) of people allowed to immigrate into U.S. from each country during a 1-year period
3% of 1910 census #’s from given countries & 2% of 1890 census
Designed to keep most immigrants European
Immigration Act of 1965 – quotas based on hemispheres not countries (170,000 east & 120,000 west)
Global quota of 290,000 in 1978 – now 620,000 with no more than 7% per country
Exceptions alter limits – 480,000 family-sponsored & 140,000 job-related
Reuniting of families (5 year wait); No limit of family of US citizens
Quotas do not apply to refugees
Asians use job-related then family-sponsored (chain migration)
Brain Drain – loss of quality workers from home country

2. Key Issue #3: Why Do Migrants Face Obstacles?
Temporary Migration for Work
More common in Middle East (oil-related work) & Europe
Guest workers – protected by wage laws, unions
Make up much of workforce in many European countries (1/2 of Luxembourg, 1/6 of Switzerland)
Europe in Stage 3-5 of DT – low pop. growth or on decline
700,000 legal & 500,000 illegal annually in Europe
Take low status, low skill jobs (taxi, garbage, road crews, cleaning, etc.)
Low pay but better than home country – reduces unemployment in home country; send money back
U.K. very restrictive guest worker laws
Mostly from Middle East, N. Africa, Eastern Europe, & Asia
Turkey to Germany
Algeria & Morocco to France

3. Key Issue #3: Why Do Migrants Face Obstacles?
Time Contract Work
Recruited for fixed time – many stay permanently after contract expired
Indians to Burma/Myanmar, Malaysia, Guyana, S. Africa, Fiji, Mauritius, Trinidad
Japanese & Filipinos to Hawaii, Japanese to Brazil, Chinese to U.S. (1869 trans-continental railroad)
33 million Chinese live in other countries (3/4 of Singapore, 1/3 of Malaysia, 1/10 of Thailand)
Many illegal Asian immigrants in Taiwan (Filipinos, Thai, Malaysians)

4. Key Issue #3: Why Do Migrants Face Obstacles?
Difference in Economic Migrants & Refugees
Migrants – limited; Refugees – special priority
From Cuba
U.S. considers as refugees since 1959 (Fidel Castro)
Communist government
600,000 fled to U.S. after revolution, mostly to FL
1980 – Castro allowed prisoners, criminals, & mental patients to leave (took back about 2,500)
125,000 in Mariel boatlift
20,000 per year since 1987
miles from Cuba to FL

5. Key Issue #3: Why Do Migrants Face Obstacles?
Difference in Economic Migrants & Refugees
From Haiti
Francois “Papa Doc” & Jean-Claude “Baby Doc Duvalier dictatorship – U.S. does not consider as refugees
Haitians admitted in lawsuit after 1980 Mariel boatlift
1991 coup of Jean-Bertrand Aristide – many fled but were rejected as refugees (considered economic migrants)
1994 – U.S. & UN peacekeeping invasion to reinstate Aristide & democratic elections
Haiti – poorest country in Western Hemisphere
From Vietnam
1975 – communist N. Vietnam captures Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City)
Many tried to flee to U.S on boats (boat people)
Some considered refugees but not all (economic vs. political)
800,000 to U.S. & 1 million to other countries

6. Key Issue #3: Why Do Migrants Face Obstacles?
Cultural Problems Faced While Living in Other Countries
U.S. Attitudes
19th century – suspicious but viewed as important to settle frontier & extend U.S. control across continent
Opposition grew when immigrants came mainly from southern & eastern Europe (Russia, Italy, Poland, etc.)
Viewed as criminals, inferior, resistant to assimilation
Asians viewed suspiciously – language, religion
Hispanics prejudiced against – all assumed illegal; language
CA voters denied access to public services (education, healthcare, etc.) for undocumented immigrants – not constitutional & hard to enforce

7. Key Issue #3: Why Do Migrants Face Obstacles?
Cultural Problems Faced While Living in Other Countries
Attitudes Towards Guest Workers
In Europe (Typically young, single males who send money home):
Suffer from poor social conditions
Little money, food, housing, entertainment
Lonely, unfamiliar with language & culture
Regarded as temporary but actually permanent – often joined by families later
Suspicions, dislike, political restrictions, attacks increasing
In Middle East:
Fear political unrest & abandoning of traditional Islam
Force return to marry, prevent return with spouse or children
Reduced # of guest workers due to reduced economic growth
Anti-immigration policies – somewhat racist, claim to reduce unemployment & taxes