In a new interview with The Telegraph, the Nobel economist Gary Becker offers an economist’s solution to immigration reform: charge immigrants for citizenship – $50,000 per immigrant to start. “A lot of people don’t want to talk about it because you look like you’re discriminating,” says Becker. “But people feel very strongly about immigration. So I think it’s a good time now to be proposing a more sensible policy than what we’ve seen in any country.” Becker also suggests raising the retirement age (to reduce entitlement spending) and believes that “the center of economic gravity is gradually moving to Asia.”[%comments]
Gary Becker: Immigrants Should Pay
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Why don’t we just take them in and let them work off the charge? Sort of Indentured Servitude.
Eric,
I assume there is sarcasm in your statement. However, it happens everyday in the US (just without the benefit of citizenship in the end).
David
Give us your rich … Lady Liberty would be appalled.
And you think we have a problem with illegal immigrants now. I thought we lived in a free country built on immigrants.
Already most workers on non-immigrant visas pay for your social security and medicare without really getting the benefits. Way to alienate them!
This is actually very reasonable. The biggest problem with illegals isn’t that just that they broke the law to get here. The problem is that they come here and work under the table and take advantage of the American social safety net. Charge them for green cards and split the money between the state and the federal governments. Everyone wins. Still doesn’t solve the problem of our home grown leaches.
I believe that went out, although not explicitly in those words, with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution…
This is something I’ve been saying for years. The current cash price of a Coyote to run a migrant illegally across the Mexican border is well over $10,000. Factor in the cost of risk of death, injury, or theft, and factor in the income and status lost by being illegal. Immigrants are already paying a high price, but it’s mostly going to middlemen, criminals, and deadweight losses. Transfer it as a fee to the US government, and immigrants could walk across the border in dignity and safety.