Why do people risk their lives to move to another country?
This post was written by a student. It has not been fact checked or edited.
Millions every year immigrate to a different country. Some immigrate because they are asylum seekers attempting to escape the danger in their home country. Others move for job opportunites or to reunite with family. Many people take the safe route and immigrate legally, to do this one must get an immigration visa for the country they want to immigrate to. Even more people immigrate illegally, which happens is many way but mainly when one is not authorized prior to entering the country.
To regulate immigration, many countries set policies regarding immigration. Many of these polices are fair and reasonable, while others are grounds for heated moral and political debates. One of these heated debates is surrounding the UK's proposed policy for asylum seekers. In 2022, Rishi Sunak proposed the UK Rwanda bill, but it was later classified as unconstitutional and ultimately denied. The UK Rwanda bill stated that they would send asylum seekers coming to the UK to Rwanda. This was proposed to deter people from crossing the English Channel. Some could make the argument that it was to stop a major increase in population, which affects the economy and resources, but the majority of public opinions were against this new policy as Rwanda is about as safe as the countries these asylum seekers were fleeing from. Rwanda does not have a great reputation when it comes to human rights and safety making it less dangerous than asylum seekers' home countries but still not safe. People risking their lives to leave their hazardous home country just to be sent to another country with severe issues is not morally correct.
This may lead people to ask questions such as "Why would someone risk their life to live in a different country?". Surprisingly, many people are willing to take chances if it could possibly lead to a better life, even if failing in that endeavor could lead to death. Another reason people risk their lives to move to another country is because they may not have access to a safer way to immigrate. Immigration is a very lengthy and expensive process which give people who urgently need to leave their country no other choice. Because of this, I feel that in certain situations people should be allowed to immigrate to another country regardless of legality and specific policies that may stop them from doing such. It would be unethical to deny entry to people in search and need of safety.
Comments (1)
hi guys!
people move to other countries to avoid conflict and hope for a better future. Its not right to take to that from them and should battle over population in countries by limiting the amount of children people have. Some countries might take human rights from people and make them feel unsafe so the only possible solution for them is to move to another country and start a new future for them and their children and future generations.
I agree with you, immigration is very important to many people even those who live in the country which immigrants travel to. First of all, it opens many doors for social mobility through classes which brings more opportunities to the immigrant and their future descendants. I'm sure a few people can relate to their parents travelling abroad from various countries to live in a country where they believe you will be able to become successful. Secondly, immigrants occupy many job positions which are crucial in our society for example in healthcare, education, technology and public services which allow them to earn money and make a living to provide for themselves and their families. Lastly, immigration is often used as a means of escape for people living in war torn countries, places suffering from famine, natural disasters and dictators and so although it can be risky and dangerous travelling in these small sized boats illegally, they do have good intentions and find it worth the danger.