Uncertainty and instability unfortunately seem to be the words which most accurately describe the current state of the world. Populism is spreading as a growing number of alarmist politicians appear willing to tout almost any unsubstantiated claims in a bid to win votes, preying on the ill-informed.
Dark skies are gathering across former communist countries from the Baltics across Central Europe down to the Balkans as exploitative politicians blame all manner of domestic woes on immigration. This is fueling xenophobia which is arguably the biggest enemy of sustainable development.
The irony is that there is almost no immigration to these countries. The plain fact is that an astonishing 15 million people have left the Baltics, Central and Eastern Europe since the collapse of communism in the late eighties. This translates to an incredible 10 percent drop in the Czech population in just 25 years.
Since joining the European Union 13 years ago, the Czech Republic has become the richest country in this part of the world, with a higher living standard than older members Portugal and Greece and the lowest unemployment in the 28-member bloc. Slovakia has also blossomed. Families travel freely, students study abroad, and businesses thrive by exporting to other EU countries and beyond.
And yet much of the rhetoric of this year’s Czech election touts the myth that mass immigration is threatening to damage our economy. We’re hearing calls for the EU to set up immigrant detention centers and for NATO to seal the bloc’s borders to keep out immigrants.
Amid this groundswell of alarmism, it may therefore come as a shock to read why the Czech Republic, and the rest of Europe, really needs more immigrants.
If we are to maintain social benefits, the countries of the EU are going to require more workers. No place in the world has an older population than Europe. The Czech Republic’s median age is now 40.3 making this nation unsustainably old. And with fertility rates expected to hit zero by the next decade, surely the only way to combat the challenge of elderly poverty and maintain living standards is to increase immigration.
Maybe it’s easier to call it a humanitarian crisis. This way, the likes of the more enlightened politicians like Angela Merkel are able to convince apolitical voters that supporting migrants is a kind thing to do. Certainly, there is an ethical argument for helping wretched people fleeing from failed states like Libya and Syria.
But there’s also a compellingly strong mathematical argument, with the truth being far more complicated that some soothsayers would have us believe. Despite the fear mongering, the Czech and Slovak Republics haven’t taken any immigrants since the refugee crisis started. So, as our populations continue to age and shrink, from where are the people needed to fill the jobs to fuel our economy going to come?
The intelligent debate about immigration is about lackluster income growth among low to medium-skilled Europeans, and how to absorb the new wave of immigrants from poor countries, who are needed to make up for our near-zero fertility rates now and in the future.
The much-heralded world population growth towards 2050 and beyond is occurring only because of the least developed regions on Earth, namely Africa. Many human rights organizations will point out how poor countries in Africa, like Ethiopia and the Congo, are taking in more refugees than the whole of Europe. That’s because we are making it hard, if not impossible for them to get in, and so refugees are basically walking across African borders with everything they own on their backs. It only the lucky ones that make it to Europe.
But in our neck of the woods, if we don’t have enough working-aged people paying taxes, there will be insufficient money to pay for social security. Either taxes must go higher to make up for that, or we will need to find a way to expand our tax base.
The mathematics points to the fact that we need all the young it can get. The demographic picture for Europe, meanwhile, with an average age of 42.7, is not looking good. Immigration is surely an important part of the solution.
Multiculturalism doesn’t have to undermine our society, it can enrich it. In spite of coming from such a different culture, the Vietnamese have certainly been successful in integrating into our communities. They have contributed hugely across many walks of Czech life. We are actively encouraging foreign companies to invest in our countries which represents the lifeblood of our economic growth.
As mature nations in the free world, we must live up to our responsibilities as global citizens in offering refuge to those in need, not only because of a moral duty, but also because it is imperative for our prosperity.
If we want a sustainable future for the Czech and Slovak Republics, it’s important that we consider the facts with cool heads. Of course, it is important for all immigrants to respect our cultures and our laws. But we cannot allow populist dogma and scaremongering to falsely persuade the public that immigration is dangerous.
On the contrary, for our economies to flourish, it needs to be understood that controlled immigration can be a major asset to our nations, and not to listen the populist rhetoric, look at the facts and do the arithmetic. Diminished birthrates and no immigration doesn’t add up.
We cannot forget that during the dark days of communism, more than a million Czechs and Slovaks were welcomed by Western countries who were willing to offer them safe havens. Those immigrants made significant contributions to their host nations which have been enriched by their presence. Now it’s our turn to welcome people in need, for which we will truly benefit.
For the sake of our moral and economic wellbeing, let’s not permit the politics of fear to prevail.
By Jonathan Wootliff