Immigration Policy from 1970 to the Present

This book examines national debates on immigration, asylum seekers and
guest worker programs from 1970 to the present. Over the past 45 years,
contemporary immigration has had a profound impact throughout North
America, Europe and Australasia, yet the admission of ethnically diverse
immigrants was far from inevitable. In the midst of significant social change,
policymakers grappled with fundamental questions: What is the purpose
of immigration in an age of mass mobility? Which immigrants should be
selected and potentially become citizens and who should be excluded? How
should immigration be controlled in an era of universal human rights and
non-discrimination?
Stevens provides an in-depth case study comparison of two settler societies,
Australia and the United States, while drawing parallels with Europe, Canada
and New Zealand. Though contemporary immigration history that focuses
on one national setting is well established, this book is unique because it
actively compares how a number of societies debated vexing immigration
policy challenges. The book also explores the ideas, values and principles that
underpin this contentious area of public policy, and in doing so permits a
broader understanding of contemporary immigration than outlining policies
alone.