Even rightwingers know we need migrants

We are entering the age of migration. Measured in numbers of people, this is likely to be on a scale never known in human history. According to latest UN forecasts, the population of Africa and the Middle East is set to grow by around 320 million by the end of this decade, and 1.17 billion by 2050. We should hope that those vast numbers of young, digitally connected people will prosper in strong economies and stable political systems. But it is only realistic to assume many will be driven by poverty, persecution and accelerating climate change to search for opportunity or safety elsewhere, particularly since they can research the countries that might provide that on their phones. If only one in twenty of the people