The Immigrant

Immigration is driven by economic opportunities for a better life

The immigrant. The question is, are you an immigrant? Most of us are either first or second generation immigrants. Our parents have come from some place in India or some other town into a main city looking for jobs. Some people are born in the city where they grow up and build their career. Others are born and raised in one city, study elsewhere, and then move to another city or even a different country. The key thing is that we are constantly moving. This has happened over centuries and the movement is driven by a lot of causes. Natural causes such as weather and flooding can also be reasons for relocation to another city or even a different country. Wars also tend to influence large-scale immigration.

A large part of immigration tends to happen also because of economic reasons. This could be looking at opportunities in a city. In Mumbai and other big cities, there are migrants from different states who come to work and send money to their families.

A good example is my father. He was one of eight siblings, and they had some land in Mangalore. But I doubt it would have supported the four brothers (the four sisters got married and moved out, but all remained in Mangalore). But even then I don't think it would have supported a large family. Consequently, one by one, a couple of the brothers moved out. The eldest got a job nearby, a couple of them moved to Mumbai, and the youngest also moved to Mumbai for a job, but later went back to Mangalore to take care of their mother and the house.

More and more today we find that immigration is becoming a hot button. Interestingly, people who are immigrants themselves or children of immigrants are vociferously against immigration per se. Immigration policies in Western countries, including the US, are becoming increasingly unclear, leading to widespread issues. Immigration promises a better quality of life and the risk reward is worth taking. And lastly, especially in the case of the US, immigration is what has really helped the economy and innovation. World War II caused many smart people to move to the US. Since then, the US has been able to attract talented people from all over the world, not only in technology, but also in other fields like arts, literature, and sports.

Most countries lack the political will to create an immigration policy, even when hardliners are in power. Hardliners typically take action but often fail to establish frameworks because they prioritise being associated with the decisions rather than making systemic changes.

There’s no solution on the horizon, nor has there been one for hundreds of years. Elon Musk might encourage immigrants to relocate to Mars, and the UK may assist in relocating some to Rwanda. However, the main cause of immigration, economic inequality, will persist, leading to continued immigration. Acceptance, planning, structural frameworks driven by political will is the best way to manage this on an ongoing basis.

The immigrant

Share this post

Loading...