Leaving the world you know behind you and moving to a new country can be both scary and exciting, however things are easier in these 10 countries with the least strict immigration laws.
Of course, things are never extremely easy when it comes to uprooting your life and moving to the other end of the world, such as it happens with these Hardest Countries to Immigrate Into. Regardless of the difficulties, you shouldn’t let yourself be overcome by the prospect of leaving if you really want to make a change for the better for yourself and your family.
Almost all countries in the world have some sort of cap when it comes to how many new people they let cross their borders. Some countries, of course, will appeal more to you than others, which is reflected in the number of immigrants they have on their territories.
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We wanted to create a list of top 10 countries with the least strict immigration laws, so we took into consideration multiple criteria. On one hand, we took a look at the numbers of immigrants each country has, based on a 2015 United Nations report.
Then, we took a look at the Migrant Integration Policy Index, which takes into consideration a country’s willingness to accept migrants from the developing world, how well those migrants are integrated and whether the country participates in a raft of international conventions on migrations.
We also mixed in results from immigration consulting firm IMMIgroup from Canada, which took a look at multiple aspects regarding each country, aside from the number of immigrants, such as economic growth, crime and literacy rates, education accessibility and so on. All countries received points depending on their positions in these three lists, the higher, the better. It all got added up, and we came up with the final list.
That being said, here are the countries with the least strict immigration laws.
10. United Kingdom
Score: 18
According to the United Nations’ 2015 report, the United Kingdom was home to over. 8.5 million immigrants. Of course, in the meantime, the number has risen quite a bit given the influx of people looking to live the dream. Taking into consideration that the entire UK has a population of about 65 million people, the number of immigrants is quite impressive.
In the Migrant Integration Policy Index report for 2015, the UK ranked 15 out of 38 countries, with a score of 57. The country scored quite high when it comes to anti-discrimination laws and healthcare, with the added mention that it’s not too hard, nor too easy to earn your nationality here or permanent residence.
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9. Russia
Score: 18
Next up on our list of countries with the least strict immigration laws is Russia, a country that is home to over 11.6 million immigrants. Russia has a population of over 144 million people, making the immigrant population quite an important part of daily life.
According to official government data, the most immigrants to Russia come from nearby countries: Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, and Moldova.
In recent years, Russia has been quite open to immigrants, welcoming everyone with open arms. This happens mostly because the country went through a rather nasty recession and the immigrant economy has ended up playing an important part to getting back on its feet. Local journalists describe anti-immigrant stances as “an unacceptable form of nationalism.”
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8. France
Score: 18
The United Nations’ report says that France, the next one on the list of countries with the least strict immigration laws has some 7.8 million immigrants. With over 66.8 million people living in France, that’s well 11.6% of the country’s population.
In the Migrant Integration Policy Index, France ranks 17th out of 38 nations, with a score of 54. The areas where France scored the highest are anti-discrimination policies and those giving immigrants access to nationality.
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7. Italy
Score: 19
Up next on our list of countries with the least strict immigration laws is another European nation – Italy. According to the United Nations, Italy has about 5.8 million immigrants living within its borders, which means that almost 10% of the country’s population were not born there.
The Mediterranean country ranked 13 out of 38 on the Migrant Integration Policy Index, with a score of 59. Overall, the nation scored quite well on multiple criteria, including those regarding policies that help immigrant families reunite, offering them healthcare coverage and permanent residence.
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6. United Arab Emirates
Score: 20
The United Arab Emirates is home to over 8.1 million immigrants. Given how the country barely has a population of over 9.1 million people, it means that most are expatriates. This makes the UAE one of the most interesting states on the globe as it has the highest proportion of foreign-born residents. Despite the extremely large number of migrants compared to nationals, many of the workers have been known to be treated in what is called “modern-day slavery.”
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5. Spain
Score: 22
Spain ranks next on our list, with 5.8 million migrants, which makes over 12.5% of the country’s 46.5 million population. The nation ranked quite well on the Migrant Integration Policy Index, landing the 11th spot. The reasons for this are the high scores it managed to get for its policies regarding family reunions for migrants, as well as the opportunities these people find on the labor market. Spain is definitely one of the countries with the least strict immigration laws.
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4. USA
Score: 32
Up next is the United States of America. Before we say anything more, we’d like to say that the only reason the USA still ranks this high and hasn’t been penalized is that President Trump’s “Travel Ban” and anti-immigration policies have been blocked by the local courts and have not taken effect.
The United States has the highest number of immigrants in the entire world, namely over 46.6 million, which means over 14.5% of the country’s population wasn’t born there. Of course, historically, it makes sense, since the USA is, at its roots, a nation built by immigrants.
Ranking 9th on the Migrant Integration Policy Index, the US managed to get a score of 63, with its best marks being for its anti-discrimination policies, as well as for access to healthcare and the labor market.
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3. Australia
Score: 39
Australia is home to over 6.7 million migrants, nearly 30% of the country’s population of 24 million.
Not only is Australia a major magnet for immigrants, especially for countries such as the United Kingdom, but it also managed to get quite a high score in the Migrant Integration Policy Index, where it landed on the 8th spot. Local policies regarding education opportunities for immigrants and anti-discrimination laws brought Australia the highest points. Access to nationality, healthcare, and the legislation regarding family reunion also brought the nation extra points.
IMMIgroup points out that Australia is a great place to be in, not just for the awesome beaches, wonderful weather and cuddly wildlife (we’re going to ignore the number of creatures that could kill you), but also for other things. For instance, it ranks 13th in Transparency International’s ranking, and it has a very low murder rate.
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2. Canada
Score: 41
At number 2 on our list of countries with the least strict immigration laws, we have Canada that is another lovely place that’s a magnet for immigrants. The United Nations says the country has some 7.8 million immigrants, making up nearly 22% of the country’s population of 36 million.
On the Migrant Integration Policy Index, Canada scored 68 points and the 6th place. The top scores the country received were for its policies regarding discrimination, the labor market mobility and the possibility for family reunions for immigrants.
IMMIgroup ranks Canada as the number 1 destination for those looking to immigrate, but they might be biased since the company itself resides in Canada. Nonetheless, they make some great points, such as the vast space left unoccupied, the ethnic diversity, and the economic stability. The social services offered here, high standard of living and great healthcare benefits should also be mentioned. Furthermore, Canada ranks 9th in Transparency International’s report on corruption.
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1. Germany
Score: 1
The United Nation’s report places Germany on the second spot when it comes to the number of immigrants that call it home – 12 million. This means nearly 15% of the country’s 81 million residents are not nationals.
While being a refugee is a completely different thing than being a migrant, it should also at least be mentioned that Germany has opened its doors to millions of refugees in the past few years, as the crisis in the Middle East and Africa intensified.
In the 2015 Migrant Integration Policy Index, Germany scored 10th, with the highest points being awarded for its labor market mobility, as well as access to nationality, political participation, and permanent residence.
Germany is also one of the leading countries in the world, having a heavy influence on the shape the European Union is in today. The country’s economy is one of the strongest in the world, while the murder rate is lower than in New Zealand. German education is world-renowned, and university is mostly tuition-free.
The country also ranks 10th in Transparency International’s corruption ranking, making it one of the least “dirty” nations in the world.
Tha being said, there are many reasons to move to any of these 10 countries with the least strict immigration laws, but you need to make sure you’re going to pick what’s best for you, regardless of how they rank. Nowadays, language barriers are slowly fading away, but, as they say, the best way to learn a new language is to live there.
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