Because the balance between these effects depends, among other things, on the
nature of tax and spending rules, the selection pressures on immigrant composition
and the stage of the business cycle at which effects are assessed, there are no general
conclusions applicable in all circumstances and to all countries about whether
immigration is favourable for public finances. Nonetheless, evidence is increasingly
emerging on particular cases through studies of immigrant composition and use of
services and also through studies of the effect of immigration on native outcomes. The
applied studies in this volume offer valuable instances of how careful empirical work
can enhance understanding. While it is not surprising that evidence suggests that
answers differ in different circumstances, consideration of the factors identified in the
preceding pages is intended to be helpful in clarifying the source and nature of such
differences.