Immigrants Less Likely to Go on Welfare--Study

Immigrants to the European Union are, for the most part, less likely to live on welfare than the native population, according to academic research to be published soon, which challenges the idea that benefits are a "pull factor" for immigration, reports the UK Guardian. The study, "Unemployment Benefits and Immigration: Evidence from the EU," says there is no correlation between levels of unemployment benefit and immigration. It is based on figures from 18 EU countries plus Switzerland and is due to be published in the International Journal of Manpower. It covers the years between 1999 and 2007.