Immigration of Thoughts

A plane sets its course up against the massive azure sky. Facing the limitless horizon, people in the aircraft readily await their destination. They seek either a typical tour, as tourists; a business meeting, as commercial travelers; or to shift permanently, as immigrants. Under this plane, a ferry swims its way to its predestined coast. In it, too, are sightseers, explorers and immigrants. But beneath the same sky, at some parts, there are few unfortunate people who are forcibly deporting their land to survive - the chief struggle of human beings - normally known as "refugees".

First of all, my aim is to pinpoint the general causes of immigration. Afterwards, I reveal the bitter reality relating to immigration that lies before us, induced by none other than ourselves. The same reality is gradually instigating disarray among people and acts as an impediment to the progress of human civilization. Every menace, no matter how threatening, has a way out, certainly. By the same token, in the end, you'll find me providing a humble solution to avoid the negative aftermath of immigration phenomenon. Now, as proposed, we begin with expounding the basic reasons for immigration; personal, academic, economic and oppressive.

Human nature is innately attracted towards remarkable paraphernalia of life. Who knows her next desire may be to seek a superlative milieu or magnificent abode? These longings, obviously, require better environs. Better environs are found at wonderful, but limited, places of the world. A person normally pursues what his or her heart craves. Accordingly, moving becomes an individual's dream, the bull's-eye of his or her dart. This can be construed as the personal reason for immigration. The decision to shift for mere fulfillment of one's yearnings, however, can be misjudged and may create deplorable consequences. So before committing to such a resolve, it would be a wise approach to carefully reconsider, over and over, the possibilities of such an action.

Academic goals are students' objectives, short-term or long-term, related to educational success. The eventual success in academic career means strength and ease in financial career. A student with long-term scholastic ambitions may, oftentimes, endeavor for superior education or enrollment in a particular graduate or post-graduate institution. The probability of presence of such institute in the vicinity of one's residence is usually meager, and so, the learner is obliged to move. The idea to relocate for the actualization of academic goals frames the academic reason for immigration. It is noteworthy, knowledge is power and acquiring it is the basic aspiration of a knowledge-seeker. Thus, adults who are knowledge-seekers might also decide to travel in quest of a river of knowledge to quench their thirst.

Economists and governments are concerned with the betterment of their economy and people, now more than ever. The economic benefits are the outcome of right economic struggle. An economic struggle is like plantation of a tree. The ecology of a land is sometimes not suitable for a specific plant or vice versa. The same is with livelihood struggle. A specific economic struggle may fail due to multiple reasons, both personal and collective. The wise solution is to shift the environs. It is the economic reason for immigration to avoid scarce provisions. There is, however, possibility of a wrong decision. So the immigration demands a thorough analysis of ground realities of present and destined regions. Life may become a financial pell-mell on account of a wrong migration.

Humans have existed interdependently since their emergence. Individuals have duties that are associated with their rights. Those observing their duties, justly, deserve concomitant rights. Malfunctioning in a society means overlooking of social duties by some people and, thus, unjust apportion of due rights. Disequilibrium in duties and rights inevitably gives rise to societal turmoil. Disorder in a society, triggered by power-hungry people, and mayhem, engendered due to intergroup conflicts, results in chronic oppression towards common and straightforward masses. Consequently, the oppressed ones venture elsewhere to sustain their social status and live life with sense of security and freedom of will. Sometimes, when situation is out of hand, these people are forced to exile from their own land. This constitutes the oppressive, and our final, reason for immigration.

We have discussed the phase before immigration, that is, reasons for immigration. Now let us observe what happens after migration. Immigration is the most difficult struggle of human beings. After the course of moving, immigrants confront exacting challenges at the destined region, both individual and collective. It is responsibility of residents of a nation to create supportive conditions for every human being in their native region. Such treatment, of course, is expected for immigrants as well. Unfortunately, the current facts and figures are demonstrating the opposite. Treatment of immigrants by governments, employers, and native population is a subject of continual debate and criticism, and violation of their human rights is an ongoing human crisis.

The human history illustrates that the process of immigration has been of great social, economic, and cultural benefit to states. For instance, the intellectual strength of America/Europe is due to brain drain from many less privileged or backward societies of the world. More than 100 immigrants have been awarded a Nobel Prize in the field of Chemistry, Medicine and Physics (1). Moreover, the economic growth of America/Europe is due to synergistic approach among immigrants and residents. In the United States alone, immigrants have founded or co-founded companies such as Google, Intel, WhatsApp, PayPal, eBay, Tesla and Yahoo! Although they make up less than 15 percent of the population, skilled immigrants account for over half of Silicon Valley start-ups and over half of patents (2). Likewise, the strength of Arab economy is due to labor class, skilled or semi-skilled or unskilled, of Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh.

If this is spot-on, then why is immigration phenomenon producing the said "ongoing human crisis" rather than convincing everyone to deem it as a blessing? The opponents of immigration argue that continual dwindling of material resources and ever mounting growth of local population are paramount reasons for strict immigration rules. They suggest it is the right of already settled people of a region to enjoy native resources. The argument is valid only if it gets an endorsement from global bodies such as UN and International Organization for Migration (IOM). A biased or micro approach towards migration is against basic human rights. Moreover, it gives an impetus to human trafficking and massive exploitation of immigrants by natives.

Historically, due to the ever-flying and incessant time, human race, period after period, branched into multiple ethnic and topographical groups. Also, till there developed the principle of religious tolerance, time steadily introduced religions which played the role of directing people. But by no means, shall we comprehend "differences", be they racial, regional, or religious, as a stimulus to criticism and disintegration. The slant of believing that a particular group is superior to the other is against the concept of right civilization. Egotistic thoughts inclined to one's group refer to ethnocentricity. The very narcissistic way of evaluating or looking down upon other groups is, unfortunately, getting commonplace day by day. Ethnocentricity by natives, victimizing the immigrants, also induces violation of the latter's human rights.

The point here is to ask ourselves a question: if we all, at least at some point in our lives, believe in humanitarian thoughts of equality, integrity, and openness then why should we submit our thoughts to anthropological disparity over mere geographical, topographical and ethnic differences?

Mass opposition to immigration phenomenon hinders skilled immigrants to show their full potential, and so, hampers their productive struggle. To fully perceive the positive aspects of immigration, and to realize its social, economic and cultural benefits, let us shift our thoughts to modestly accept and appraise immigration phenomenon with a somewhat humble viewpoint. We can also establish open dialogues and activities between natives and immigrants more frequently. Hopefully, this will bring about growth to the civilization by integrating the divided populace!

People traveling in the air and propelling on the ocean, or those roaming forcefully in crisis, are, at heart, looking ahead to their new land and hoping a change for the better. Let us, individually and collectively, welcome them to our native region with open arms. Show the avid dreamers, who were once wishing to shift personally, that their choice was no mistake at all. Offer the young knowledge-seekers optimum education and training facilities at their long desired institute. Prove the individuals in search of prolific economic environments that they were wise at their decision to travel. And lastly, take the pain off the oppressed shoulders which moved only because there was no other option.

In a nutshell, human ego and uncorroborated presumptions have led some to establish an intolerant standpoint against the whole idea of immigration. This is, technically, holding on to the idols of bigotry. Let us, for the sake of our fellow immigrants, also carry out immigration. Unlike theirs, our immigration will be subjective but, to our surprise, beneficial to the whole civilization, if not more. This will be our humble immigration of thoughts: from bigotry to openness!

References
1. Anderson, Stuart. "Immigrants Flooding America With Nobel Prizes". Forbes. October 16, 2016.
2. Thompson, Laura. "A World on the Move: The Benefits of Migration." International Organization for Migration. September 25, 2014.