France Wants to 'Choose' Its Immigrants. Good Policy?
A little food for thought for your weekend:
After riots in largely immigrant suburbs, the bastion of liberalism that is France is taking a hard look (and perhaps a hard stance) at their immigration policies as the call for limits on those they allow into their country swells:
Though I do not believe that illegal immigrants should be given blanket amnesty, should the process of legalizing those citizens from other countries be based largely on issues related to talent and usefulness? What does that say in regards to issues of justice?
Where do we draw the line between mercy for those who are honestly seeking a better life for themselves and their families, regardless of their standing in the community, and seeking to control the boarders so that the citizens of that nation are not put at risk either through potential threat of violence from those coming in or from a strain on the particular infrastructure of that nation? (ok, breathe...that was a long sentence). Should a country like the United States or France or Britain welcome all who desire to come in or are their limitations at which point the doors are shut? Should their be considerations for talent and usefulness to the host country or is it legitimate enough that it is a "safe-place"? How does your philosophy of life (worldview) speak to these concerns?
After riots in largely immigrant suburbs, the bastion of liberalism that is France is taking a hard look (and perhaps a hard stance) at their immigration policies as the call for limits on those they allow into their country swells:
Sound familiar? France seems to be taking a more narrow approach towards those allowed a stroll down the Champs-Elysées than that of U.S. lawmakers by looking to overtly sift out those who are poor and untalented.The drive toward ''selective'' immigration is inspired by electoral politics, by fears that some immigrants are not integrating and may even be vectors for terrorism and militant Islam, and by widely shared concerns that immigrants overtax welfare systems and compete for scarce jobs.
French Interior Minister and presidential hopeful Nicolas Sarkozy championed a bill that would make it more difficult for poor immigrants with little education and few skills to start a new life in France -- long one of Europe's most coveted destinations for immigrants.Not to be hypocritical, I think it safe to say, whether overtly stated or not, that the U.S. is also more interested in foreign talent that can advance the economy and dominance in particular industry around the world. Think for a moment: between a talented foreigner in the field of medicine or computer science and a poor Mexican migrant seeking a job as a janitor or ditch-digger, which do you think will get preferential treatment? The question is whether or not those are legitimate criteria for a nation to consider.
Though I do not believe that illegal immigrants should be given blanket amnesty, should the process of legalizing those citizens from other countries be based largely on issues related to talent and usefulness? What does that say in regards to issues of justice?
Where do we draw the line between mercy for those who are honestly seeking a better life for themselves and their families, regardless of their standing in the community, and seeking to control the boarders so that the citizens of that nation are not put at risk either through potential threat of violence from those coming in or from a strain on the particular infrastructure of that nation? (ok, breathe...that was a long sentence). Should a country like the United States or France or Britain welcome all who desire to come in or are their limitations at which point the doors are shut? Should their be considerations for talent and usefulness to the host country or is it legitimate enough that it is a "safe-place"? How does your philosophy of life (worldview) speak to these concerns?
Labels: David C. Price
posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 4/07/2006 10:30:00 AM
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1 Comments:
I keep thinking back to the Wall Street Journal supporting open borders and how much things have changed since September 11th.
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