CENSUS OF ALIENS

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 February 1937, Page 14

CENSUS OF ALIENS

INTERESTING FIGURES According to a study published by the International Labour Office, theie were throughout the world, in 1930, 28,900,000 aliens, or persons living- in another country than their own. This figure represents 1.6 per cent, of the total world population, estimated at some 2000 million persons. The countries with the greatest number of aliens were: The United States, with 6,300,000 (or 21. S per cent, of all aliens recorded in the world); and Argentina, with 2,800,000. Then came the following countries: France, which had 2,400,000 in 1926 and 2,700,000 in 1931; Brazil, with 1,500,000 in 1920; British Malaya, with 1,870,000; Siam, with 1,000,000; and Germany, with 787,000. The countries where the increase in the number of aliens was the greatest were, in ascending order, in Europe: Greece, Italy, France, and the Netherlands; outside Europe: Argentina, Canada, Hong Kong, the Netherlands East Indies, British Malaya and Korea.

However, in order to have a fairer idea of the importance of the problem of aliens in a country, account must be taken of the number of aliens per thousand inhabitants, or the “proportion of aliens.” The average proportion for Europe (not including the U.S.S.R.) was 15.4; but it rose to IS6 in Luxemburg, 87 in Switzerland. 66 in France, 43 in Austria, and 39 in Belgium. The following countries have figures below the average proportion: Germany (12), Bulgaria (10), Hungary (9). Turkey (6), Portugal (5), the British Isles (4), Italy and Finland (3). Important changes have taken place in this field since the war. While in Germany (present territory) the number of aliens decreased, France, which in 1910 had 29 aliens per thousand inhabitants, had 39 per thousand in 1921 and 66 per thousand in 1931. Switzerland, which in 1910 had the highest proportion in Europe (148 per thousand), after that period had a decrease which has continued (104 in 1920 and 87 in 1930). The number of Asiatics in foreign countries increased from five millions in 1910 to nine and a-half millions in 1930. But the number of Europeans abroad, although it slightly decreased from 1910 to 1930. was still much greater—22.4oo,ooo in 1930, or more than double.

The publication prepared by the International Labour Office containing this information is the first international study made of national census figures relating to aliens. It is a comparative study of the censuses of 1910, 1920, and 1930, dealing with 141 territories. It also brings out the difficulties underlying an international comparison of the results of such censuses —because of the lack of comparability of national statistics and the divergences as to the notion and definition of an alien.