Now, with the arrival of a million white, mainly poor, foreigners, immigration is being analysed in more purely economic terms.There is a sensible argument to be had about immigration and population (see article), and whether this wave of low-paid workers has put pressure on wages.
In South Korea, where increasing numbers of men are finding brides in the Philippines and Vietnam, the metro in Seoul is plastered with a government campaign against the stigma on "multicultural families".Even in Singapore, a city of migrants, where more than a third of the population are foreigners, immigration is the hot political issue.
The latest Italian government came to power two months ago on a platform promising to crack down on illegal foreigners, who immigration opponents here say are associated with crime.
Investment banks, for example, are moving more staff members to hubs like Hong Kong and Singapore, which have more foreigner-friendly immigration and taxation regimes, lower costs of living and local populations that speak better English.
After a wave of complaints about abusive treatment of foreigners by immigration agents that gave Oregon's largest city the unwanted nickname of "Deportland" in some Asian countries, the top immigration official in Portland said today that he was retiring.
With relations with the west starting to thaw, the Iranian government is taking steps to open up the country to foreigners, overhauling immigration rules and promoting its ancient cities, mosques, gardens and ski resorts.
Other parties have also played on fears of foreigners and immigration, including the far-right British National Party, which circulated inaccurate statements that more than 80 million Turkish people will "pour" into Europe as a result of Merkel's EU policies. .
State and local law enforcement officers, on the other hand, ordinarily do not have the power to arrest a foreigner for an immigration violation, except for ignoring a deportation order.
Officials say they are taking steps to avoid deporting foreigners detained for immigration violations, which generally are civil, not criminal, offenses.
And Mr. Bush sought to prove his own compassion by proposing to spend an additional $100 million in federal money every year to expedite foreigners' applications for immigration.
The police in Beijing last week initiated a 100-day campaign to "clean out" foreigners who break immigration, residency or work rules, setting up a special telephone hotline for Beijingers to report suspects.
