Exodus Quotes

“Nature abhors a vacuum, and so do political opportunists.”
― Paul Collier, Exodus: How Migration is Changing Our World

“the Arab Spring, which has transformed Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and, as I write, shortly Syria. These transformations each demonstrate the potency of the idea of democratic institutions.”
― Paul Collier, Exodus: Immigration and Multiculturalism in the 21st Century

“But in virtually all societies with more inclusive voting systems, single-issue anti-immigrant parties now attract a remarkably high share of the vote. Far from forcing sane debate on immigration policy by the mainstream parties, the emergence of extremists has further frightened them away from the issue. Either you regard this outcome as a shocking condemnation of ordinary people, or as a shocking condemnation of the mainstream political parties: I view it as the latter.”
― Paul Collier, Exodus: How Migration is Changing Our World

“A refusal to countenance racially based differences in behavior is a manifestation of human decency. A refusal to countenance culturally based differences in behavior would be a manifestation of blinkered denial of the obvious.”
― Paul Collier, Exodus: How Migration is Changing Our World

“Very recently, economists have gained a better understanding of the structure of taboos. Their purpose is to protect a sense of identity by shielding people from evidence that might challenge it.2 Taboos save you from the need to cover your ears by constraining what is said.”
― Paul Collier, Exodus: How Migration is Changing Our World

“CONTRARY TO THE PREJUDICES OF XENOPHOBES, the evidence does not suggest that migration to date has had significantly adverse effects on the indigenous populations of host societies. Contrary to self-perceived “progressives,” the evidence does suggest that without effective controls migration would rapidly accelerate to the point at which additional migration would have adverse effects, both on the indigenous populations of host societies and on those left behind in the poorest countries.”
― Paul Collier, Exodus: How Migration is Changing Our World

“Whether or not migrants realize it, the impetus for their emigration is to escape from those aspects of their countries of origin that have condemned people to low productivity.”
― Paul Collier, Exodus: How Migration is Changing Our World