‘Immigration difficult to control’

According to an OECD report, which explores “myths about migration flows,” countries face great difficulties in choosing immigrants. At a time when governments everywhere are hoping to attract the best migrants, who are highly qualified and able to compensate for local labour shortages, “countries are only able to select a tiny proportion of their migrants,” explains Die Presse. For example, in Austria, the daily explains —

… two thirds of immigrants are from the EU — a territory that is not subject to controls because of the free movement of people. Humanitarian immigration, which is subject to the Geneva Convention and thus cannot be controlled either, accounts for 11 per cent. Finally, 21 per cent of immigrants arrive within the framework of family regrouping legislation [...] Only immigrants who come from third countries to seek work can be selected, but they account for just 2 per cent of immigrants who settle in Austria.

This problem is not solely confined to Austria, adds Die Presse, because “even very selective states, like Australia and Canada, only succeed in choosing a quarter of the migrants coming to work in their countries.”