Ferdinando Giugliano, Columnist

Immigrants Will Pay for Your Old Age

Europe’s voters might not want to hear it, but it will be hard to defuse the continent’s demographic time bomb without lots more migrant workers. 

Who pays the taxes?

Photographer: Bloomberg/Bloomberg
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The number of refugees crossing the Mediterranean has fallen sharply since 2015, but the subject of immigration continues to scar public debate in Europe.

Parties of the far right, such as Italy’s League and France’s National Rally, argue that the European Union cannot afford to open its borders because jobs and welfare protection should go to natives first. Many economists argue the opposite, correctly in my view, saying that immigration is essential to helping to solve the EU’s demographic crisis.