The U.S. Can't Afford to Scrap the Visa Lottery

Two weeks ago, President Obama called on Congress to turn its attention back to immigration reform. Lawmakers have instead found other things to keep themselves occupied–pillorying Kathleen Sebelius and the intelligence services, among them—and the prospects for immigration reform remain dim. For those who believe the U.S. should be encouraging more immigrants, not less, there’s a small silver lining to Congressional inaction. Although the proposed legislation would have had a considerable net benefit, it also might have ended one of the most innovative and economically effective migration policies America has: the diversity lottery. Now that reform efforts are on hold, lawmakers have a chance to preserve it.

The overall benefit of immigration–skilled and unskilled alike—is big. It’s associated with more jobs, more innovation, and more wealth. But in his new book on the topic, Exodus: How Migration Is Changing Our World, Oxford University Professor Paul Collier makes the claim there may be a negative impact of too many immigrants arriving from one particular country–because it makes it easier for even more to come from the same country (they have friends to stay with when they arrive) and because large diaspora communities are slow to integrate. That, in turn, could lead to a weakened social contract, eroding trust and policies of redistribution.