Comparing the Syrian refugee crisis to migration out of Europe in centuries past

Have you ever wondered why there are more McDonalds living in the U.S. than the entire population of Scotland? Ditto the Frasers, the Campbells and the MacLeods? The same can be said about the Kellys, the O’Neills and the Murphys in relation to the population of Ireland.

Staying in the Americas, but heading south, is it not astonishing that while the entire population of Argentina in 1864 stood at just over 1½ million, within thirty years, in 1894, it had reached 4 million. Then, by 1924, it more than doubled to over 10 million. By 1954, it was hovering at 20 million. What was driving this spectacular demographic growth? Immigrants and refugees! From where? Europe, of course! In the period 1857 to 1940, about 45% came from Italy, another 30% from Spain, at a time when both countries were undergoing traumatic economic and political transformations. There were also quite a few Germans, Poles, Frenchmen, British, as well as some Swiss, Belgians and Dutch. And apart from a handful of Japanese, there weren’t any non-Europeans. After World War II, a fair number of Germans went into exile in Argentina. There was also, of course, widespread European migration to other parts of Latin America, including some 50,000 Spanish civil war refugees to Mexico.

From the late 18th to the mid-20th centuries, Europe was a continent of emigration. There was a good deal of intra-European migration, but so far as the outside world was concerned, it was predominantly Europeans going out, not non-Europeans coming in. These movements reflected often tragic or extremely difficult conditions in the home countries. The first great wave of Irish emigration to the “new world” was caused by the great Irish potato famine (1845-1852). Many Scots were forced to migrate due to the Highlands Clearances, expulsions of small land holders for the benefit of hereditary aristocratic Scottish landowners establishing vast estates, thus paving the way for the agricultural revolution that ensued. Needless to say the Industrial Revolution in north-western Europe caused a great deal of population displacement and hence emigration.

Tommy Monk wrote:And here in UK we have had half a million foreigners arriving every year for near on 20 years, on top of The millions who had already arrived over the previous 50 years.

Tommy Monk wrote:Not wrong at all...

Tommy Monk wrote:I said around half a million arrivals a year, every year for nearly 20 years... obviously some leave too, some die off etc...


The current KNOWN number of foreign born in UK is 8 million... then there are many more here illegally, plus the children of those born here.


This years net immigrant figure was 330,000... around 650,000 arrived while just over 300,000 people left in The last year.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/11822912/Number-of-foreigners-living-in-Britain-will-top-eight-million-for-the-first-time-says-report.html

Vicar Of Dibley wrote:

Tommy Monk wrote:I said around half a million arrivals a year, every year for nearly 20 years... obviously some leave too, some die off etc...


The current KNOWN number of foreign born in UK is 8 million... then there are many more here illegally, plus the children of those born here.


This years net immigrant figure was 330,000... around 650,000 arrived while just over 300,000 people left in The last year.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/11822912/Number-of-foreigners-living-in-Britain-will-top-eight-million-for-the-first-time-says-report.html

a bit off topic here , but in North East Lincolnshire they are 1000 school places short because of all the immigrants .

Vicar Of Dibley wrote:

Tommy Monk wrote:I said around half a million arrivals a year, every year for nearly 20 years... obviously some leave too, some die off etc...


The current KNOWN number of foreign born in UK is 8 million... then there are many more here illegally, plus the children of those born here.


This years net immigrant figure was 330,000... around 650,000 arrived while just over 300,000 people left in The last year.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/11822912/Number-of-foreigners-living-in-Britain-will-top-eight-million-for-the-first-time-says-report.html

a bit off topic here , but in North East Lincolnshire they are 1000 school places short because of all the immigrants .

Vicar Of Dibley wrote:IMMIGRANTS have taken the school places