The purpose of globalization is the free-flow of goods, capital, communication, ideas and innovations through national borders. Globalization is incomplete without the free-flow of labor. As someone who is part of the global workforce and has worked in Australia and the United States this is an unshocking and completely humdrum conclusion to come to.

The political borders of nationalism are what stops the flow of goods, capital, labor and services and worse; it is becoming harder and harder for labor to compete in the labor market they want to. People are artificially held at home, and artificially excluded from labor markets by nationalism.

Chris Berg argues that the liberal position on immigration is that it is moral to enable and promote the free-flow of immigration.

This is not merely apologetics. I suggest that not only is immigration practically beneficial, but we have a moral obligation to accept into our borders those who want to come. For individuals born in under-developed countries, simply crossing into the developed world can dramatically increase their potential salary, as well as allow them to experience the historically unprecedented living standards that we already enjoy.

The objections to expanded immigration seem nationalistic or economically illiterate at best, and immoral at worst.

There are real issues in the absorbing of large numbers of immigrants into a country in a short time period but not in the manner of 'Fortress Australia' which becomes the politics of isolationism, cultural weakness (Australian culture has to be protected politically through nationalism) and xenophobia.

If anything, Australia, is an outstanding example of the absorption of immigrants and the positives that an increasingly open labor market brings. (reply)
Haneef was detained under the Migration Act for the purposes of indefinite detention when the executive did not get the judicial ruling it wanted. This is classic exception governance which is outside the rule of law. This makes it repugnant to republicanism and liberal democracy; and consequently incompatible with them. Repudiation of the rule of law has follow on effects too. (more)
Dan Deniehy was elected as the member of Argyle to the NSW Parliament at age 28. He ran on a platform as an independent liberal and described himself in his opening speech at the Lyceum Theatre as "the most rabid little democrat" ever to represent the people of Argyle. (more)

With the failure of an immigration bill to get through the Senate at the Federal level in the United States, local government such as counties have started passing similar legislation. Recently Prince William County and Loudoun County in Virginia have passed laws which deny illegal immigrants services and require police to arrest them if discovered during routine stops and enforcement. (more)
Political power in a market-state system comes through economic power; and the latter is heavily dependent upon population. Australia has twenty one million, and if it is to rival the political power of nations such as the UK, Germany and France it is going to have to increase its population. The Imagining Australia folks argue that forty million is easily achievable by 2050. (more)

Reason has an interesting article by Kerry Howley titled: Open Markets, Closed Borders . It cites a study of the Irish Potato famine where Irish immigrants fled to the United States and effectively relieved the pressure of what was a failing Irish economy while feeding the demands of a burgeoning US labor market. (more)

One of the fears of the civil disorder in Iraq was that it would lead to spill-over into the neighbouring countries. This has happened, according to the Washington Post there are approximately two million Iraqi refugees in Syria, Jordon, Lebanon, Iran and Egypt. In addition to the exodus, it is estimated that 1.7 million Iraqis have been displaced and forced to relocate within Iraq. (more)

One of the curious aspects of an open economy is that economic liberty is synonymous with economic integration. In this respect immigrants have taken to Australia with a will and make up a significant proportion of our productive output. According to the 2003/2004 Tax statistics there were 8.8 million income tax payers. (more)

Or so the conservative nationalists would have us believe. Waleed Aly has an interesting article on immigration and how government is doomed to repeat the stereotypes that immigrants have faced in the past. (more)
Cam Riley: South Sea Republic. Freedom, liberty, equity and an Australian Republic.