Moronic Border Vigilantes Scare Off Needed Labor (Malaysia Edition)
Malaysia spent October through February forcing out 380,000 illegal immigrants. Those who wouldn't leave voluntarily were hunted down by vigilantes. The result:
Plantations, construction sites and factories have ground to a halt. The restaurant business has been hit badly too. Illegal migrant workers made up more than 10 percent of Malaysia's workforce. It turns out the Malaysian economy was relying on the immigrants to do menial jobs most Malaysians will not.
The Independent reports that the country is now begging for their return. So far, no such luck:
Of the 380,000 who left, fewer than 40,000 have come back. Stories of mothers clutching their babies in their arms being forced out of their homes by the vigilantes when the amnesty expired may have contributed to their reluctance.