Monday, July 8, 2019

Migrant Refugee Smuggler Savior

Smuggling humans across borders is big business. The harder governments make it to cross a given border, the more criminal elements become involved. After all, demand is still present. But the price, the danger, and the requirements all increase. Migrant, Refugee, Smuggler, Savior is all about this industry.

I loved the examples provided. Various immigrants are described, including where they came from, why they felt the need to leave, and how they migrated. The process is often complex, involving several countries, modes of transport, documents, and crime syndicates!

Like every other industry, this one is subject to economic forces. The demand and supply dictate the size of the industry. The market concentration of the suppliers and the complexity of the job dictates the cost/danger. All of the elements that contribute to shaping these forces are thoroughly discussed.

The book was very Euro-centric. It was all about how migrants are trying to get into various places in Europe from places like Africa or The Middle East. I would have also liked to learn about the migrant flows through the Americas, but that was not on the menu.

The book was also short of solutions, posting a few general ideas only in the conclusion. Trends driving international migration appear to continue to be strong, so how do we deal with them? I don't know if there is a good answer, but I'd like to learn more about it.

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