LONDON – Each year, 190,000 immigrants from developing countries migrate to London. Searching for better living conditions, striving for a better education, longing for suitable jobs and hoping to improve English skills are reasons for this large amount of immigration.

With the current global recession, the large number of immigrants flowing into Britain brings up the question: Is this increase in population a benefit or burden to Britain's economy?

Many immigrants come to London to work and make a living for themselves and their families. Immigrants can be found working as cooks in restaurants, street cleaners and bus drivers and make a contribution to the economy.

"The city of London would not exist without immigration," said Michael Harris, director of the Progressive British Muslims. "Menial jobs would not get done if there were no immigrants.”

Massimiliano Marchitelli, a 25-year-old Italian immigrant, is one of the many people who sacrifice schooling in order to work, pay bills and live comfortably. Marchitelli moved to London two years ago and had to learn English by listening to those around him.  His job as waiter only allowed one day off a week, and there was no time for school and studying the English language.

Marchitelli is employed at the Piccolo Diavolo Italian restaurant located in London's Soho district. He keeps customers coming in by creating a true Italian feeling and treating patrons like family. A good number of Piccolo Diavolo's customers are non- Italians who enjoy the reasonably priced cuisine and good customer service.

Despite the millions of immigrants that are working in London, there are still individuals who feel their contribution to the economy is not as significant as their growth to the population.

Alasdair Palmer, a journalist from The Sunday Telegraph in London, argues that immigrants are a burden on Britain's economy and wrote, "The additional income generated by immigrants is not much bigger - and may be, in fact, smaller - than the number of people they have added to the UK's population, so they do not increase prosperity to any significant degree."

The Office for National Statistics said London's population will increase by an additional seven million by 2028 if immigration is not controlled.

The negative views of immigration are a factor in why people who come to live here form their own communities throughout London.

Chinatown, Brixton, Brick Lane and Edgware Road are examples of immigrant communities that were created to provide a sense of home to new arrivals to London. 

Kelli King, a 33-year-old Jamaican immigrant, works in Brixton and sells CDs and DVDs in a closet-sized shop for a living.

"I like working in Brixton even if I don’t make that much profit here because I want to be around black people," he said. "They create a Jamaican atmosphere through music, parties and language. I don’t fit in with white people. They smell like pigs."

Assimilation into Britain values can be difficult when one is living in a community with ideas and cultural traditions of their previous country.

Harris’ job as a director of Progressive British Muslims is to subscribe British Muslims to Democratic beliefs and get involved in politics. The goal is to tackle violent extremists in the Muslim community who negatively represent Muslim immigrants, such as the attackers in the July 7 London bombings in 2005. Harris feels the recession will lead more Muslims to lean toward the extremist side.

There is a perception that Muslims show defiance to Western culture by wearing the hijab and the niqab. Britain schools have completely banned the niqab in schools. Their reasoning behind the ban is that it is difficult to communicate with students clothed in a niqab. It will be difficult and maybe impossible for the London government to ensure immigrants will assimilate to British values.

A similar immigration crisis is occurring in California. There is a sufficient amount of Hispanic immigrants migrating into the state. A study done by Public Policy Institute of California last year stated that 19 million, out of California’s almost 34 million residents, are first-, second- and third-generation immigrants. The study went on to say these immigrants are not well educated. Without education it is hard to get out of poverty.

When immigrants come to developed countries it is hard to succeed when their educational system from their home countries are sub-par.

A burden is put on the government to educated immigrants who are not on the same educational level as natives to the country. More money is needed to fund  special education.

Educational is needed in able to break out of poverty and without it immigrants will be costing the government more money than they produce because they are uneducated residents who can not make a large contribution to the country's economy.

PARIS – Barbés-Rochechouart is a heavily populated migrant neighborhood located northeast from the center of Paris. Barbés, as the locals have nicknamed the area, has developed into a Mecca for North Africans and Arab immigrants.

Boulevard de la Chapelle, the main street that runs through Barbés, is filled with aggressive African street sellers who push tourists into buying Marlboro cigarettes and Eiffel Tower keychains all while trying to pick their pockets, wallets and purses.

Migrants spill out of second-hand thrift shops that sell shoes, purses and sweaters for less than 2 euros. Panhandlers sit at every corner with a cup held out of their worn hands begging for spare change.  Graffiti is plastered on sides of buildings and every other women walking by has a hijab tightly covering her hair or bangles jingling around her wrists. It is a rarity to find someone who is non-African or non-Arab running a store on the boulevard.

Ani Muhammad has owned an Arabic book and calligraphy store on Boulevard de la Chappelle for six years. He was born and raised in France but is of Algerian decent. Muhammad says that business is difficult because people in Barbés don't read. The past three years have been especially hard and fewer customers have the funds to shop. However, the French natives come to the shop and buy Muhammad's calligraphy art.

"The French respect me because they know I am here to work and I have no problems with them", said Muhammad.

Others that work in Barbés do not have the same neutral feelings towards the French.

Mamun Ahmed, an immigrant from Bangladesh, came to Paris five years ago and now works at an Algerian pastry store called Les Delices De Micha in Barbés. The customers that come into the shop are mostly Arab.

"The French wear a mask,” he said. “They pretend to be friendly but on the inside they have an attitude. They don't like foreigners and I hate them,” Ahmed said. “Others that say French are kind to foreigners are lying, but I don't care. I'll tell the truth.”

When Ahmed first came to France, he only spoke English and Arabic. He once attempted to buy a Metro ticket by speaking English to the attendant, but attendant scolded him and said, "If you can't speak French, don't come here."

Ahmed has learned a little French to survive but feels he shouldn't have to. "The French don't want people to speak English because they are jealous that English is an international language," Ahmed said. "Why do I need to learn French? It is not spoken everywhere.”

Ahmed eventually wants to settle in London where he feels foreigners are treated better. "My bones are black," he said in response to how he feels about the French.

Benjamin Collorb, a Parisian, feels it is very difficult for immigrants to succeed in France if they don't speak French. "It Is very important to know French. If (the immigrants’) parents don't speak or write French, it will be difficult for their children," Collorb said.

Collorb mentioned that the French don't integrate with immigrants and they place them in communities outside of the city in ghettos. During this recession, French politicians, like President Nicolas Sarkozy, feel it's too much money to improve the ghettos of the immigrants who are criminals, unemployed and uneducated.

Collorb does not agree with the treatment of immigrants and thinks that since the French brought the Africans over to work and build the city of Paris, politicians should try to integrate them into society.

Ndieye Pape, a Senegal immigrant, came to France ten years ago to study philosophy and political science.

"Africans are excluded because they are black men,” Pape said. “We are trying to be accepted, but it’s not easy to have legal rights here."

Immigrants of Barbés are isolated from the city of Paris and don't have a large amount of support from the French government to prosper financially. The residence of Barbés lack well-paying jobs and can’t afford to splurge on shopping. This affects the businesses that can't gain revenue from the small amount of customers visiting the shops. As a result, many turn to pick-pocketing or selling second-hand clothes to survive through this economic crisis.

"When you come to Barbés, leave your pockets at home," said Pape.