Fear of immigration
The fear of immigration is explained by Ricardo’s Law of Rent, which nobody understands any more. Incomers create a land shortage which tends towards higher rents and drives down wages. This is not a problem if a system of land value taxation (LVT) is in place, because
- the rising rents become buoyant source of public revenue to pay for infrastructure and services
- the immigrants add to the stock of wealth being produced.
- land and premises are always available at competitive rents, so that there is never a shortage of work opportunities or places to live.
Otherwise, immigration becomes a source of conflict, as the newcomers are competing for homes and jobs.
Here is a video which explains Ricardo’s Law of Rent.
The EU should have required both Freedom of Movement and LVT. The first without the second is a recipe for failure.