“Our borders are out of control.” “Immigrants are taking jobs from locals.” “Or do we desperately need immigrants to boost economic growth and innovation?” “Climate change will not lead to mass migration.” “Migration primarily benefits the rich, not the workers.” “Border restrictions have paradoxically led to more migration.”

As the debates become increasingly intense, so does the doom-mongering in politics and the media, but what is the truth behind the news headlines?
The data behind the headlines reveals a completely different story from the ones we usually hear. In this groundbreaking and revealing book, based on more than three decades of research, leading sociologist Hein de Haas debunks the myths adopted about migration by politicians, interest groups, and the media, both on the left and the right.
Comparing trends and perceptions from Western “destination countries” (UK, USA, and Europe) as well as “origin countries” in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, de Haas provides readers with essential information on migration, based on the most reliable evidence and data, and presents migration not as a problem to be solved, nor as a solution to some problem, but as it truly is.