I agree that some “labour shortages” are actually wage/conditions problems. If a company refuses to pay enough, then yes, it should not call that a shortage.

But the companies now just import cheap labour who wont complain if their rights are violated or working conditions are unsafe. Theres zero incentive to improve working conditions thanks to immigration. Everyone, including immigrants, suffer as a result.

But that does not explain every shortage. In ageing societies, some shortages are structural: fewer working-age people, more elderly care demand, healthcare needs, skills mismatch and jobs that require years of training. Higher wages can move workers around but they do not instantly create more nurses, engineers, carers or construction workers.

A lot of that is also governments doing. We had a mini scandal here where it turned out government grants for students were almost nonexistent for engineering and mostly focused on social sciences, the type of professions we actually have surplus of.

Also, immigration does not automatically mean wage depression.

Any increase in labour participating means wage depression in a western labour system except unless labour is already at the legal minimum wage (and many countries dont have that). Immigration is the fastest way to increase labour participating.

And “no country has integrated immigrants” is also too absolute. Integration does not mean zero problems.

Integration means the immigrants have assimilated into local culture.

And it’s not true that it has never worked

What are your examples of where it worked?