Migration has increasingly become a hot button issue in the era of globalization. As economics forces countries to become more open, the barriers separating states and their people have lessened, and in some as cases been completely lifted. The European Union pursues a policy of open borders between its member states, while the countries of the NAFTA region restrict border access with varying degrees of success. For free trade to be effective, access to countries has to be fairly easy to gain, although this has raised a number of security concerns in a world threatened by terrorism. Also, migrant workers tend to fill large gaps within their new countries’ workforce populations, making them invaluable. However, the massive influx of migrant workers into Europe have highlighted cultural assimilation problems that open borders are incapable of repairing. The United States with its continuing Mexican immigration issues may see similar issues as low wage immigrant laborers create tension with domestic Americans who view their presence as detrimental to the economic wellbeing of the American-born worker.

The European Union and NAFTA are not exactly similar at their core, but their experience with migrant labor can be compared to a point. The EU, unlike NAFTA, is a confederation of states more similar to a United States of Europe than a a trade bloc. The EU member states are politically and economically cohesive units despite sharing different cultural backgrounds. NAFTA, on the other hand, is a trade zone minus political cohesiveness – the three countries have only agreed to free trade with one another, which has not resulted in completely open borders for the free movement of labor. Completely open borders in the NAFTA region would lead to a massive influx of Mexican workers into the United States since the economic situation and standard of living pales in comparison to the US and Mexico. Despite some border restrictions, Mexican laborers still make their way into the US illegally, and more than doubled in number from 1990 to 2000. The EU also feared similar problems when it admitted the poorer states of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia in 2004. A number of Europeans were concerned that the poor from these new member states would immediately flood into their countries to achieve a better standard of living, or worse – siphon money from their welfare state systems (the Roma, or Gypsies, mainly from Poland and Slovakia were a major concern). Obviously, an open border system in the EU invites such situations, but it exists for a reason – the Europeans have held a historic propensity to welcome migrant labor. Migrants from the Middle East and North Africa were invited into Europe following the second World War to aid in reconstruction, and continued migration is required to fill labor gaps in European states where the retired population has begun to vastly outgrow the labor force. Legalized migration is required so workers can be taxed to pay for continuously growing welfare state policies. The US also sees a need for migrant workers, mainly for construction and manufacturing work that many Americans do not wish to accept themselves. Also, American businesses benefit since they are capable of paying illegal immigrants less money than they otherwise would be required to pay by law. Unlike the EU, these migrant workers do not directly benefit the US welfare state outside of paying sales tax on items consumed. Under the Bush administration’s guest worker program, it seems that taxes will not be taken out of temporary workers’ pay since they are, theoretically, temporary US residents who will never benefit from welfare services after retirement.

Security is a major concern when it comes to migration across borders. While there has yet to be a clear-cut case of cross-border terrorism (there was debate that the 9/11 hijackers entered the US via Canada, but that was proven false) , Canada’s lax standards on amnesty and refugees has created concern in the US. Also, Mexico’s desire to bring in foreign capital via tourism has led it to not pursue a visa policy for a number of countries, including those in the EU. It would be fairly simple for a terrorist to move through Europe and enter Mexico with no more than a passport, and then enter into the US. Such potential problems are inescapable in today’s age of increased global trade and mobility, and it is doubtful that anything short of complete border clampdown can keep the countries of the world completely safe. But what is safety without the ability to grow and experience all the world has to offer, anyway?