Given how anyone in the world can legally work in Svalbard without needing any work visa, why is it that Svalbard doesn't suffer mass immigration?
it is about midway between continental Norway and the North Pole. The islands of the group range from 74° to 81° north latitude, and from 10° to 35° east longitude.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svalbard
oh..I dunno
Given how anyone in the world can legally work in Svalbard without needing any work visa, why is it that Svalbard doesn't suffer mass immigration?
Because it's like this:
Norway is a funny case because, even though it's not in the EU, it accepts EU free movement of people, which is something Britain won't be doing when it leaves.
Svalbard follows different rules from Mainland Norway. Mainland Norway accepts the free movement of EU citizens, but Svalbard is essentially a free economic zone open to the world. Unlike on the mainland though, migrants to Svalbard must support themselves and do not get to apply for social assistance. Inability to support oneself and committing a crime are the only two ways to get kicked out of Svalbard.
From what I'd read, failed refugee claimants do have the option to go to Svalbard if they want to, except that they have to pay their own way there. I get the impression though that most turn that opportunity down, presumably because they have to be able to support themselves there.
So it's like the EUSSR's free movement rule but with a bit of commonsense added to it.
That and that it's open to the world and to global trade. I'm not sure though if it can freely trade with the rest of the EU since if it's open to trade with the rest of the world, it might violate European content rules and such. My guess is that those products that fulfill EU content rules can sell to the EU tariff free, otherwise not. Not sure how that works.
That said, it appears that mining and arctic research are its main industries, so not much if anything by way of manufacturing.
I've found this:
"When Norway ratified the EEA Agreement, Svalbard was excluded from its application pursuant to Protocol 40 to the agreement. However, the Free Trade Agreements between Norway and the European Economic Community and the Convention establishing the European Free Trade Association continue to apply to Svalbard. Free trade in goods is of great significance for Norway's export of coal from Svalbard to Europe."
https://www.regjeringen.no/en/find-...2000/report-no-9-to-the-storting-/4/id456892/
Svalbard is currently part of EFTA (European Free Trade Association), along with three non-EU countries - Iceland, Liechtenstein and Swtitzerland.
Austria, Denmark, Portugal, Sweden and the UK were also once part of EFTA before they joined what is now the EU (the UK was a co-founder of it in 1960 and ceased to be a member when it joined what is now the EU on 1st January 1973).
I thought all EU member states are obligatorily members of the EFTA too. That would mean that the UK continues to be a member of the EFTA.
I don't know how many EU nationals will move to the UK to work if they can't collect social assistance though.
No. It's just those four that are members of it.
Hopefully it'll be a lot less than it is now.
And if you don't adopt Svalbard's policy but rather Trump's, then even those who can find work in the UK would not be allowed to work in the UK anyway however qualified they are. I imagine Brexiters will eventually face disagreement over the degree to which the UK ought to be open outside of the EU. After all, both Svalbard and the US of Trump are outside the EU, yet both have radically different immigration policies. The UK could pretty much choose anything in between.
In many respects, I'd say Svalbard's policy is more open than the EU's in spite of its lack of social assistance for foreign nationals. If anything, I'd like to see Canada follow Svalbard's lead on this. Open borders, but you support yourself and obey the law. Simple, really.