A billion years ago, green algae moved from aquatic environments to terrestrial ones; birds migrate every year, and fish shift to live a thousand miles away in hopes of building their lives in a state that suits them the best.
Humans tend to interrupt the natural processes to serve themselves, careless of the consequences for every other creature. Building physical and invisible walls are huge stop signs in the face of improvement. These manmade boundaries facilitate the humiliation of human rights. But human rights have no borders.
Not too long ago, a president of the United States executive order attempted to temporarily block the entry of citizens from seven Muslim majority countries, which would effect my own family.
Insulating a nation, although presented to be beneficial, is entirely ill-founded. Immigration helps to develop the host country’s economy. In fact, the more populous a country, the higher demand for service and products. That results in more job opportunities. Some forget, or don’t know that Steve Jobs’ biological father was a Syrian immigrant. If he hadn’t been allowed to settle in the U.S., his son probably would have grown to face the civil war, and the only apple in our world today would have been the one in our fridges.
Policies generally allow immigration merely when it benefits the host country. Even though children 18 and younger are typically consumers, it is worthwhile to note that they are underage and are legally unable to apply for immigration without their parents. The only alternative way for young adults to move to Canada “on their own merits,” as stated by the government of Canada, is “as foreign students or through various economic programs.” Therefore, they are only allowed in the country if their jobs are already affirmed, or if they are continuing their studies; both of these options are sources of income for the government through tax and educational costs. Accordingly, the government usually has strict rules to make sure the migration is beneficial for its nation.
Some try to argue that immigrants and refugees are supported at the expense of citizens, but those arguments are misplaced. Immigration does not require the host to compromise. With today’s knowledge, wealth, and capacity it is very possible for developed nations to shelter refugees and improve the wellbeing of its citizens at the same time. In many ways the poorest and most vulnerable in each group can have aligned interests.
Countries that suffer from the demographic problem of an aging population will be positively affected by accepting new members into their societies. According to a study titled “Immigration and Pension Benefits in the Host Country” by Juan Lacombe and Fransico Lagos, the arrival of immigrants has an unambiguously positive impact on the natives since “the increasing number of contributors due to immigration will result in higher pension benefits for both retirees and older workers.” Thus, new citizens improve the wellbeing of both young and old due to their contributions to the host country.
Refugees and undereducated immigrants are often willing to live in smaller towns and take essential jobs in agriculture, housekeeping, food service, and construction, allowing small communities to survive longer. They often do the jobs that others avoid. Consequently, newcomers do not increase the population in the prisons, according to the American Immigration Council, but they instead have an incredibly positive effect on employment and economy.
Multiculturalism has powerful psychological and social impacts on both the immigrants and natives. A study done by Melody Chao, et al., in the International Journal of Intercultural Relations, revealed that when individuals are exposed to multiple cultures, they “synergize these cultures to produce novel products that transcend cultural boundaries.” People who live in multicultural environments show higher creativity; they are better able to recognize and integrate multiple perspectives and solve problems in an unconventional manner and were more innovative at work, according to Chao. Thus, the existence of diversity in a nation increases social intelligence. Getting people with all different backgrounds and talents who are able to create the best products is a great advantage to the host country.
In the case of students who grow up seeing a variety of skin colours and cultures in their everyday life, diversity will not appear as strange. “In-group” is a psychological concept that indicates the natural categorization of one accepting another due to similarities and as a result having positive feelings towards them. Being familiar and growing up with a wider range of ethnicities makes a broader in-group. Chao believes a multicultural society equips its citizens with “adaptive cultural tools” and “enable[s] them to consider alternative perspectives” and solutions. The more methods and models of living displayed, the more informative and therefore the more options one has in choosing the way of life that suits them the best. People find more common ground and further similarities with the rest of the members of society as they grow up together.
Numerous conflicts and wars across the globe spread corruption and pain. People suffer from fear, malnutrition, and violence on one side the world, while the other side’s democracy drowns in their blood. To say the least, children and innocent people in countries that are at war should not be crushed under the games of politicians. The destruction caused by war is so devastating that sheltering the victims is fundamental. Furthermore, a 2016 study titled “The Effects of War Experiences on Mental and Psychosocial Health of Former Child Soldiers: A Systematic Review” concluded that just witnessing violence caused former child soldiers to have “numerous mental and psychosocial health problems after war/conflict.” Considering all of the bitterness, it is cruel to inhibit immigration and lower the chance of the rescue of refugees.
After all, immigration is an effective method of improving lives of both newcomers and natives. Blocking this path will lead to a regression of the flow of knowledge and skills. In addition, ignoring the demands of desperate people in war brings a sense of superiority of one race over another. Ethically, human rights should be the same and everyone deserves to be sheltered from oppression. Every single human being has potential, can contribute, and more importantly, has the right to live a safe life.
