The Real Economic Cost Of Accepting Refugees (Huffington Post via Refugees Deeply)

From the op-ed:

The arrival of more than a million refugees and migrants in Europe has brought widespread concern they will become an economic drain on the countries that welcome them. As with any large social shift, deep concerns are reasonable.

But these economic effects are not obvious. A newcomer who takes a job washing dishes may prevent a native worker from taking it. But that person also complements natives who wait on tables, manage the restaurant or own it. And a newcomer who receives benefits today can generate tax revenue tomorrow.

No one can understand the economic consequences of large migrations without careful economic research on the ripple effects – subtle, invisible, delayed. When politicians brush this aside they are trying to con you. When economists have studied past influxes of refugees and migrants they have found the labor market effects, while varied, are very limited.

Read full op-ed here.

Read op-ed on Refugees Deeply.