Fair or unfair?
The immigration policies of individual countries often make global news. Take a look at some of these recent examples.
Many asylum seekers need financial support.
In Germany more cities are moving towards a card-based system for support, rather than bank payments. This is to prevent asylum seekers from transferring the money to others, such as relatives in their country of origin.
President Joe Biden of America tried to pass a new agreement that says the borders can be shut down if too many migrants are trying to enter the country.
This would mean the number of asylum seekers allowed to enter the country would be reduced to a minimum.
After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Poland offered Ukrainian refugees temporary protection.
This included education for children and healthcare - and some people could also request housing.
We want to hear what you think.
Which of these policies feel fair? And which feel unfair? Why?
Challenge: who might think differently to you? Why?
Share your thoughts by reading what other people said and replying to their comments.
Comments (193)
I think that Joe Biden's policies are fair because if too many immigrants come into America, then the population would be too high and the USA won't want to pay all of that money for the education and healthcare that the immigrants need. The refugees would feel differently because their country has become unsafe so they have ran away from it, seeking refuge. If the USA only lets some people in ,then families could be torn apart and each other forced to never see each other again. From an immigrant's perspective this is a really unfair thing to do.
I agree with you and I also think that if there are too many immigrants it also affects, their home country because it causes a lack of human resources the economy of that country will also be affected causing more people to leave their country.
Excellent awareness highspirited_concept, Hans Rosling (A Swedish academic) does a brilliant presentation on immigration and the brain drain it can cause. Some challenges are that poorer countries may put money into educating doctors etc, who then once they pass their exams they move abroad to developed countries so they themselves can live a better life. This therefore causes the 'brain drain' where a country invests in its talent to only go and lose it. I would encourage you to do some research on 'brain drain' and Hans Rosling as it is very interesting and he has some great visual lectures.
Interesting suggestions Ollie.
It is really disheartening that after much energy, resources and attention given to individuals precisely doctors,
The finishing product would not be beneficial to their country.This increases the under developmental standards of the country and thus leading to an hazardous effect.
I believe there should be an awareness program that talks about this issue .
An academic such as hans Rosling are doing a great job in bringing this to the public notice.
Let the people who were invested in,invest in their country also.
Thank you for the suggestion, I really enjoy my new knowledge on the 'brain drain', I am learning a lot and I know it will be able to help me in future discussions.
I personally think that brain drain is not really the fault of the individual, many would choose to use their talents where is is more accepted and profitable for them. So I think the country should not only focus on educating minds but developing the country by providing more job opportunities, infrastructures, innovations and so much more to not only retain good professions but to lure others from other countries, surely the developed countries are doing something right to garner so many individuals of dexterity
So they shouldn’t only invest in their youths but the country as a whole to, or simply building a culture of patriotism that enables a citizen to always fall back to their country no matter what.
I agree because... having too many immigrants in the country can put a strain on resources like water, food etc. When a country cannot fend for the needs of all the citizens because the nation is overpopulated, this countries will not be able to carry the burden of other people who will want to immigrate into their country.
Very true reflective conversation, having lots of immigrant cause over population and it cause problem in a country for example a country like Nigeria where the government are not done taking care of their citizen's when immigrants come and gather in a country the resource will be small and it will not be able to take good care of the immigrants and also the citizen's.
Exactly!
Because the more people in a country or certain place with the limited amount of resources available, will cause serious problems.
Its disappointing to the fact that people leave their country for a safer place because where they were, was not safe enough. But that's the truth. The more people added in a country does not increase the resource to cater for human needs. Which will end up turning citizen needs into insatiable desires. So yes that my point of view and what it actually is.
hello highspirited_concept,
well that may not always be the case. like in my country which is to say to some level 'overcrowded' so it is of benefit to the country when there are immigrants
Yeah, but the immigrants are humans and they need to find a home. In my opinion, it's inhuman to not allow people to enter your country and force them to go somewhere else. Countries should think about this and all make some changes in their decisions about immigrants.
I totally support you steady maths as sometimes immigrants settle in other countries so that they can have a better life and they can financially support their families and everyone has a right to live a happy life Government think that for making their nations a safe place they should not allow immigrants step in their countries but, immigrants are not criminals.
I agree with you highsprited_concept because I think there are too many people in this world that are invading people's homes and countries. It is obvious that Biden's policies are fair because many people on this Earth are doing the wrong things to other people but when it's their turn to get their space invaded they'll be mad just like how other people were.
I agree because if their are no people in a country, there will not be any resources that can be sold for the country and the country will have poor development in the place and they can't be called a federation.
Thank you for sharing, how would you balance supporting refugees whilst also recognising the desires of the population existing within the country. Take the UK for example, what would you suggest?
To begin with.
In oder to balance supporting refugees and my country population desires if i were a president.
I would first of all consider the population of my country before considering the amount of refugees allowed.
This simply means that it depends on my country's population so is the number of refugees let in.
Before letting any refugees in,i believe holding a press conference about the insecurities/situational discomfort the refugees are in and how we could support them.
Futher explaining that all their desires cannot be satisfied and that we should be of great assistance to countrys around us and that any country could be under threat at any time either from wars or natural disasters.
I suggest that in oder to balance supporting refugees and the people's desire .
A limited amount of refugees should be allowed in .
Thus reducing the risk of overpopulation and under resources.
I believe with understanding and tolerance .
The issue of balancing would be reserved.
You are right vivacious engine, because when we have lots of immigrants in a country that country will be over populated and the government will not be able to handle them all this is a disadvantage of immigration, an another disadvantage of immigration is ,when you are coming from a country without training or disciple and you come to a country that trained their citizens to be disciplined you meant likely come and course problems in that particular country, so it will be better if the government reduce the way people come to a country. So, for me what Joe Biden is doing is very fair. Thank you!
I strongly agree with because I think countries are careful so as not to import criminals into their countries. some countries who do not have strong data base may not have adequate information on certain citizens of their countries. These people could be criminals who may likely come in and infiltrate their society and bring crimes.
That's right because for example in Nigeria we have leaders who are corrupt and are giving citizens the mind set of corruption and that is wrong. Lets image leaders like this go to well trained counties they can socialize with citizens of that country and corrupt them.
Knowledgeable_message, thank you for your comment.
You make a good point about immigrants who have committed crimes in their original countries.
Suppose someone has immigrated to country B from country A?
- What incentive does country A have to share its criminal database with country B?
- In what ways could the definitions of 'crimes' be very different in the two countries?
I don't really agree with you because the country minimizing the numbers of the asylum seekers entering their country is with a reason it doesn't really means avoiding the import of criminals into their country. Well in my own opinion, I think the reason why the country is minimizing the numbers of the asylum seekers entering their country is because of:
Residential area: most countries don't have much houses that can accommodate all of them.[the asylum seekers].
Actually I agree with you about your say about the comment the person said and I agree with all you said, that yes the reason why some countries don't allow asylum seekers is because of the lack of residential areas are not much for more asylum seekers to enter. But don't you think that more countries should have connections all over in the world so as to ensure more comdation for those who are asylum seekers any in the world. Thanks 👍
Hi brave reindeer, you made a very good point but I both agree and disagree with you, we should note that everything has it's advantages and disadvantage. I do think that Joe Biden 's policy is both fair and unfair because... In the aspect of fairness it helps to maintain the stability of the government to provide the basic amenities for the government and also to avoid overpopulation which might also lead to hunger issues and food scarcity.
In the aspect of unfairness, some immigrants migrate because of the crisis and wars going on in their country and not allowing immigrants into the country might lead to the risk of lives of individuals therefore making them to live in fear.
THANKS 👍
I agree with you brave_reindeer because you see, there are lot of imigrants in a particular country,the country will be over populated and congested.If you are not a good citizen and go to another country either for a vacation or educational purpose,you should have being trained as if you want to serve a particular country.So I think what Joe Biden said is fair.
THANK YOU 💕 😊
I agree with Joe Biden's policy because he is actually being considerate in his decision. If there are too many immigrants he would not be able to cater for the needs of everyone in the country and the country would become over-populated which in turn would lead to unemployment. Over population can cause a lot of problems such as: increase in crime rate and poor living e.t.c.Well I feel like this policy is the best among all
Yes, I agree with you on what you have said and that Joe Biden's policies are fair. I also think that if too many immigrants come to the country,terrorists can also use that as an advantage to gather themselves to go on with their work there. It will be so devastating to patriotic citizens and can make a nation fall apart.
Can you explain the link that you have made between an increase in immigrants and terrorist activity?
Hello Vivacious_engine,
I agree with your statement on this. Joe Biden's policies are fair because with an overflow of immigrants coming to America, leads to an excessive population which the U.S will be unable to afford the education and healthcare that the immigrants require. However, the refugees will have a different pov from it because they are forced to leave and are seeking new beginnings and help. Now if the USA only lets a limited amount of people in this can cause torn apart families. With torn apart families the people that are restricted will deem it as an unfair policy.
Interesting ideas. Can you tell us where you found your evidence?
My information was found at pewresearch.
It stated that Joe Biden made the rules about immigration. For that point on the information, based on what i seen I made relevant and possible assumptions to why he made this rule.
I strongly agree with you and I will also like to include the fact that when the immigrants are so many other refugees may see the country as a ‘refugee camp’ because so many people will be entering the country and their population will increase by a lot which won’t help because in USA their school fees are free that is if you go to public school.
Well done for giving a reason for your opinion. Are all refugees likely to go to school in the country that they arrive in? What about adults who would like to work?
I absolutely concur with your perspective and I also believe that Joe Biden 's policy is fair as it will achieve social cohension and it will prevent overpopulation from happening.
In my opinion, personally the most fair policy is the one from poland. When a war happens, it is pivotal and essential for the affected country to find support from another countries. Giving educational opportunities to children, household and even housing is a great manner to help and protect local citizens and urge them to be patience until this war comes to an end and that is what Poland tends to implement.
I agree with you because when the number of immigrants increases then it can lead to lots of problem such as overpopulation, crime rates because people who are migrated do not always find employment . Some of them look for means to earn money through illegal ways . This leads to increase in crime rates ; traffic jams, pollution etc.
What measures could be taken to prevent this from happening?
I agree with president Joe Biden ' decision that he passed the policy that the borders can be shut down if too many migrants are trying to enter the country which can lead to alot of of problems.. helping the asylum seekers is on the other side , but too many asylum seekers would enter to the host country then the host country would itself undergo in trouble. So my suggestion would be if you are helping the asylum seekers then the host country should allow limited asylum seekers in their country so that the host country would not become overpopulated .
I disagree because most of the asylum seekers go to America to seek greener pastures, so preventing them from coming just seems a bit inhumane . Also most of the asylum seekers are hardworking and goal-oriented, which really improve America's economy since there are now more people working and spending money
I will have to disagree with you rational_sealion, the reason being is that it is true that most asylum seekers think of America as the land of milk of honey and go there to seek greener pastures, however, USA is not the only developed country in the world. Some examples of developed countries are: Norway, Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, Hong Kong etc.
As you stated, is true that most asylum seekers are hardworking and goal-oriented, but when the numbers of asylum seekers entering a country exceed the limit, the country will face lots of problems such as: Overcrowding, unemployment etc. Thus, the USA is not being inhumane by having a limit to asylum seekers entering the country, they are making sure that their land, their honor, and their home country is well kept and is in a good position, and not facing any crisis.
It will be unfair if the hardworking asylum seekers cannot get their way into the USA, So, I think the USA government should line them all up, and look for what they are good at, and what they do best. If it benefits the USA, they will keep them-but only a certain amount- if they don't benefit them, the USA can contact other countries that need the skills of the other asylum seekers and work something out to have them enter their countries.
What are your thoughts on estimating the 'acceptable' level of immigration? I note you mention 'if too many enter' - how would you quantify that to help policy makers decide on a most appropriate response?
You're right, when there's a large influx of immigrants, it can create challenges like overpopulation, increased crime rates, and traffic congestion. But it is also crucial to recognize the potential challenges that can arise with increased immigration. However, it's also important to remember that immigrants contribute to the economy, cultural diversity, and innovation in many ways. Striking a balance and implementing fair policies can help address these concerns while also benefiting society as a whole.
I agree with you that it can lead to crime rates because as you have said people who have migrated do not always find employment easily because some are not documented. Some go to countries illegally and when they try to find work, it becomes a problem because they are not there with permits which is necessary to get legal job. As a lot of time goes, most of them look for the next faster skim that they can get money to sustain both themselves and their families and so most of them go into illegal jobs. Because of that, the country can turn into something else[bad] and can also be devastating to citizens of the country.
You made a good comment vivacious engine but my question is, if the population of immigrants become to high in America do you really think they will not be any plan for larger market to sustain everybody in the country?
It's understandable to have concerns about immigration and its impact on resources, but it's also important to consider the unselfish aspect. Balancing both perspectives is important. It's a complex issue with no easy solution, and empathy for those seeking refuge is crucial in crafting fair policies.
I totally agree with you because...
Joe Biden made this policy so that the individuals in America won't suffer because of accepting too many immigrants. Accepting immigrants would lead to overpopulation therefore leading to the instability of the government to provide the basic amenities of the people and so they won't want to provide for the refugees. And accepting few immigrants would lead to the separation of families. So, in conclusion, I think Joe Biden 's policy is fair.
Thanks 👍
I agree with you that Joe Biden made those policies so that the citizens of America won't have to suffer for his actions. This is also very good because every leader of a country should be able to protect his/her citizens of the country ,with that the citizens would love appreciate their leader and it will make that country more stronger and firm.
Hello,
I agree with you because it is unfair to the immigrants searching for a better life. After all, I believe everyone should be given the same opportunities. I also understand the worry of overpopulation, as it can cause problems with housing, food, jobs, and other limited resources. As for refugees or asylum seekers, they should be, at least, given access to a safe location, with food, water, clothing, basically the bare minimum to survive. The refugees aren't leaving because they want to, they have to if they want to escape danger.
Interesting ideas. Can you think of reasons why people might leave their home countries?
Good day everyone,
Accourding to my opinion , people leave their home countries for their work or for their economical growth and also for study and business for example, a man started a business in his home country and his product were don't liked by people so, he can shift his business from his home country to another country where his product were liked by people and for maintaining the staff and branches he have to leave his home country . They also leave their home countries during the war for their safety for example, many people from Russia and Ukraine also leave these two countries for their safety . People also leave their countries because of natural disaster or for further environmental factors.
Hello,
There are many reasons why people might leave their home countries. These reasons can be a push or pull factor, where push factors push a person away from their home country, and pull factors pull someone towards another country.
Push factors:
- Increased violence
-corrupt politicians
-unstable economy
-war
-increased poverty
-shortages of important resources
an event in history where people decided to leave their home countries would be the crisis in Venezuela, where millions don't have food or medicine. Increased violence and crime have caused many to fear for their lives and flee their home country.
Pull factors:
-more opportunities
-higher paying jobs
stable economy
-better education
-family
Many people choose to immigrate to another country to be reunited with their families or are just looking for a better life. I know that the Bracero's Program (1942-1964) was a huge pull factor for over 2 million Mexican men to travel to the USA looking for field jobs.
Thank you!
Hi 👋🏻
I think there are many reasons for people to leave their country they maybe forced(they went because their is a war or something like that)or they left by their desires(they wanted better lives)
~Maybe they are forced because
•A war with another country
•earthquakes
•Volcanoes
•tsunamis
•civil wars
•disasters
•The Climate change
~Maybe they left by their desires
•they wanted better jobs
•they wanted better chances of studying
•job opportunities
•reconnecting friends and families
Thanks😌
People may have various reasons for leaving their homes, such as family or personal circumstances, dissatisfaction with their current country, or preference for a different location. Another common reason is education, as some people may seek higher degrees or better opportunities in other places. Moreover, some people may be forced to flee their homes due to war, persecution, or injustice in their countries. Others may simply want to enjoy life and explore new cultures, destinations, or experiences. These are some of the possible motivations for people to relocate. Thank you.
Hello, Chloe, I would like to answer your question
I think that people leave because of necessary things. They leave to find a better life and to have a better future. The parents come to give their children a better education. They come to find jobs so that they can have money to buy necessary things. They also come due to protection because let's say for example there is a war they need to move where it is safe. Also they leave their home country because they want to escape from prison. That's why we have criminals.
I agree with you because to many population will effect the country, the country get over population and also the big amount of money will be spend on the children education and the country get many more problem .
Tranquil_lemon, thank you for your comment.
Although money would be spent on children's education, many of the adult immigrants would work and pay taxes.
What other problems could immigration cause?
I agree with you because if there are to many immigrants in a country, they might not be taken care of well , making them feel unwanted in the country.
There will also be a lack of human resources just as high spirted concept pointed out and this will cause more people to leave the country.
I also agree with the vivacious engine because if a country has so many migrants the GDP per capita also may decrease the country and the inflation can also increase.
I agree because if there are many immigrants in America some of the immigrants may have bad attitudes and corrupt some people in America. and now Joe Biden needs to close the border for safety.
I strongly agree because... It's really hard to take care of a country that has a high population. Which means the government has to work harder and do more of exportation that importation. A high population could lead to families suffering, child abundance, drug abuse and even a higher crime rate. There is going to be a lot of cars accidents because of traffic.
Hello!
I don't fully agree with you, for the following reasons. I believe that for the most part, the law that Joe Biden tried to pass is unfair to people outside of America. Why? because according to the webpage "Understanding the U.S. Immigrant Experience: The 2023 KFF/LA Times Survey of Immigrants" most immigrants come to the USA for better opportunities, regarding financial situations, education, employment situations, or for their safety. Immigrants are people and they deserve to be able to leave a situation in their home country that they don't have control over. Most of them don't have the sole power to change the education system or increase the amount of jobs available, so they choose to leave in search of a place that fits their needs. A lot of immigrants say they are better off in their new country (from the same webpage) but everyone's life isn't perfect, the immigrants who decide to stay just have better pros of living where they are now than in their home country. Look at it this way, if you are stranded on one of two islands, where one island has plenty of food, drinkable water, good hunting gear, and nice hammocks, while the one you are at, has little food, is running out of water, and no places to comfortably lay down, wouldn't you want to travel to the other island? I would, and everyone should be given the chance too. It would be very unfair to be left suffering because that "island's" gates are closed. I do understand that overpopulation will affect everyone negatively as there aren't enough resources to go around, but I still stand by my point. To conclude, countries should not close their doors to immigrants or asylum seekers who need help. Thank you!
I agree with you, vivacious engine but in my own opinion, I think Joe Biden's policies are fair to the disadvantages of the immigrants. When too many immigrants are allowed into the country, it increases the cost of living for both the citizens and the government because the citizens would have to buy food at higher rate while the government would spend much on importation and exportation of goods into the country. Another reason is that it would cause overpopulation.
Well I strongly disagree with you because some people are in need of a safe place to stay either because of a war, an economic crisis in their country or personal reasons. Every human has the right to do anything he could in order to live a better life. Every country can make some changes in order to help the immigrants fix their life. Both the country and the immigrants can benefit from this situation. The immigrants will be able to efficiently find a place that meets all their needs and the country will respond with more money since the citizens will increase and have to pay taxes.
i agree with you because immigrants keep on coming to the U.S and the U.S is already over populated so if all these immigrants the U.S is going to way to many people so it makes sence that joe biden tried to shut down the border because to many people are coming to the U.S.
Hello vivacious_engine ,
I agree because America is a free country and can give you free education, health care, etc, but if there are a lot of immigrants coming citizens and immigrants will get less money or freedom. This could affect everything and there would be less training for everyone. I also agree with what you said that if we look at the perspective of the immigrants this would be horrible. I also think that this would affect their home country, because it may cause a lack of human resources in the economy of their home country which will affect people leave their home country.
I agree because... if more people come to America . The president Joe Biden will have to pay for more property. And also kids will need more supplies . So the government will have to help a little. And they will have less resources to use. Like you need trees to have wood and sometimes you need wood to make houses. So less creatures will have homes like squirrels.
I think Vivacious _engine thinks differently because he or she said because they thought of subjects that did not come to my mind.The reason I disagree is that I think that is wrong to keep other people out of our country .You do not want to go anywhere dangerous why should they?
I agree because too much people in one country can cause multiple issues , for example in need of resources. And like you said, people would have to be torn apart from their families and forced to never see each other again.
I agree also I think if the immigrants increased this will affect the both countries. The country of the immigrants will lose the thinking brains and intellectuals. Also, The country to which they immigrate will face Large population overcrowding, and this may lead to pollution in several things and may change the life systems of some citizens.
I agree because... it wouldn’t at all be fair for the US as they would badly struggle with financial issues and could easily gain a lack in bank interest and income
i agree with because the population would become extremely high if they keep on letting immigrants in the country, but towards a immigrant's perspective this would be an unfair thing to do due to them having to leave their home country to go to the USA, only to have to seek refuge somewhere else.
I totally agree because although some times an increase of population, in this case by immigrants can cause an economic increase and some times decrease, I think so many would affect the culture and the traditions of the country, an example is Spain, in some parts as there are lots of iligal immigrants they are changing some importantes thing that never could be changed.