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Migration is a hot topic worldwide, especially in the economically developed world. We know that migration is as old as humankind. Everyone is a migrant if we trace our human roots. If humans are used to migration and everyone is a migrant, why does the tension with migration exist? Migration can be within a country or between countries. People migrate for various reasons such as economic, social, cultural, fleeing war etc. and the reason is individualistic, and we cannot say one reason is better than another. Then the question comes who migrates and where, if we look from a narrow perspective migrating in our own country sometimes can be like migrating between countries. There is diversity within countries as well in terms of language, dialects, culture, ethnicity, food, behaviour etc. If a person looks like a host state/ country person, then there are chances that there will be fewer challenges compared to a person migrating to another country where people鈥檚 physical, linguistic, and cultural characteristics are different. Even if there is only one race i.e., the human race, people divide themselves in terms of ethnicity, territories, culture, language etc. This division is the root cause of fear or lack of trust.

If migration is a problem, then who is allowing it and why it happens?
Migration can be voluntary or forced migration, furthermore, it can be legal or illegal migration. If legal migration happens where proper processes have been followed and the host country government which is elected by the people of the host country have granted permission for the migrants to migrate, then tensions between the host country and the migrants should not exist. Then the question comes, who migrated or from where? The person who migrated which have some similarities with the host country which may be physical or cultural etc. Another scenario is that the migrated person is different in terms of physical and cultural characteristics. The next evaluation comes, whether the person migrated from an economically developed world or not. After evaluating all these parameters, the host country experience for the migrated person will be decided. If we look at this scenario, the migrated person got approval because there is a need or space for that person. The need is in both ways i.e., host country needs and migrant needs and when both needs are met, migration happens. So, then migration is a problem, or its people鈥檚 culture, or physical characteristics that are a problem for a host society because people are different (i.e., different ethnic groups) but we should always remember that there is only one race i.e., the human race.

Then the question comes what about illegal migration, news is generally filled with migrants crossing the sea and coming to invade the country especially migrants from Global South. Generally, the country鈥檚 territories are guarded by heavily militarized patrol forces and the invader鈥檚 migrants on boats come barehanded. Even then after so much propaganda on news about invaders migrants, they are later allowed to enter the host country. These illegal migrants often face abuse and a lot of challenges because they entered a country or are allowed to enter a country without proper documentation. Is it deliberate that the host countries create these conditions or scenes for illegal migration? Because it is very easy to exploit a person without proper documentation and it allows the host country to fill their low-skilled job needs. It may be the host country which allows illegal migration and portrays a negative image of certain groups projecting that they are forcefully coming to a country.

Then if both legal and illegal migrants work for the host country, then why do they face challenges, particularly those who are different from the host country鈥檚 population?
In today鈥檚 context where the world is facing complex problems or emergencies such as climate change and the world is trying to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a constant exchange of knowledge and manpower is needed to implement it. Nothing exists in isolation, in current times where most of the developed world population is ageing, migration is a requirement to achieve what humankind strives to achieve i.e., the highest form of human civilization. Humans are curious and adventurous; this leads to exploration which can never be stopped at least in human civilization. The capitalistic world is the forerunner in exploring the different dimensions of the world to achieve the highest form of human civilisation. If we look from a macro level perspective, it does not matter what ethnicity or nationality you belong to or what are your cultural or physical characteristics, the only thing that matters is your contribution to the journey of human civilisation. At last, I would say that migration is needed, and it cannot be stopped. So, if something cannot be stopped then we should try to exist as a socially cohesive society by enabling a proper living environment for the whole human race.

The migrants are needed to sustain the needs of the host society鈥檚 ageing population and to meet the labour needs of the host society. Especially in welfare states where the ageing population and unemployed youth depend upon the benefits of the migrant鈥檚 taxes. Illegal migration when allowed through the backdoor of the host society and then a negative narrative has been made by the host society which has a negative impact on the migrants as a whole including those who are here in the host country legally. This negative narrative leads to protests or anger or violence against the migrants from the local population, but if the local population do not want migrants, then they should pressure their elected government rather than creating a bad living environment for migrants. This is hypocrisy when you want them for your benefit and pretend that migrants are only in need. Sometimes, this negative narrative or stereotype is created based on the history of colonialism and the way the local population has been raised.

Sometimes people equate migration with modern slavery, and this is quite a simplified thesis. As we are aware from previous studies and mentioned by Marx and Engels that the history of all existing societies is the history of class struggles i.e., freeman and slave, basically about oppressors and oppressed. Modern capitalist society has established new conditions of oppression in place of old ones. Modern working class i.e., a class of labourers who live only so long as they find work and so long as their labour increases capital (Engels & Marx, 2002). The industry becomes more modern and developed, and the labour of men is superseded by that of women. All are instruments of labour whether it is man or woman i.e., slaves of the capitalist class.

If this is the case, then not only the so-called migrants (we all are migrants if we look at our history) are slaves but the local population is also the slave of capitalistic society. Yes, the locals may not be in the same class of slaves, for example, we may classify slavery as high-class slaves, middle-class slaves, and lower-class slaves. The high-class slaves are mostly the host society population (in the case of the economically developed world) who are at the top of the slavery of capitalistic society, then the middle class and then the lower-class slaves doing the semi-skilled and low-skilled jobs respectively. So, high-class slaves pretend they are better than middle-class and lower-class slaves and so on. But the truth is all are slaves if we equate migration with slavery. This perception of slavery comes particularly when the migrants are not from the host country or look different from the host country in terms of their physical, cultural, and economic characteristics. It鈥檚 like a general saying that the migrant from the West is an 鈥渆x-pat鈥� because he comes from an economically developed world, and he/ she is migrating to help or to make things better whereas the general perception of migrants from developing countries is that they are migrating to help themselves i.e., for their own benefit and they are considered sometimes the problem in the economically developed world. But like I said above, migration happens when demand and supply meet in most cases and individuals are different and cannot be considered as one homogenous group in either case.

Now, one may argue that slavery is different from being an employee or labour. The reason one may give is that employees or labourers have free will to leave and are not subject to physical punishments in contrast to slaves. Now the next thought is about modern slavery where people have an education and enters the so-called 鈥渞eal world鈥� and buy house or vehicles or any other assets to raise the social ladder of society. They become the holder of the house or vehicle not the owner and pay the debt to the financer. In this case, one may argue that after paying debts they will become the owner of the property but during that time of paying debts will you consider themselves slaves of a capitalistic society. Even when you own the property after paying debts which may have some market value (that鈥檚 why you bought it after paying so much debt), that market value also depends upon the capitalistic society i.e., the market. The house or property you bought is still not independent so what will you call yourself a slave or free labour or free employee? Even if you thought that you practised free will and you are a free employee your actions are still dependent on someone who is not in your control, instead they are controlling you.

Now one may think that the 鈥渁rt of doing nothing鈥� is the best, particularly in economically developed welfare states where unemployment benefits and other benefits can be given to the citizen to make their survival easy. Herbert Spencer said about the survival of the fittest, but here in welfare states survival depends upon the state which is being run by the money of the labour of the people including migrants. Generally, people think that low-skilled workers are modern slaves as they are being forced particularly in a country where the human rights legislations are not very robust, or the working conditions are bad. The nature or form of modern-day slavery differs depending upon the number of factors individualistic with a particular country. As we all know that everyone cannot be equal in terms of resources because resources are finite, but everyone can be equal in terms of liberty. So, I would argue that instead of looking at the work from a slavery point of view, we should look at it from the need point of view. I am saying person do the work based on the need of society and the worker鈥檚 needs. However, it also depends on the capability of the worker. The capability is not the same in every human being since humankind. One may argue all humans are the same and all are capable, I will agree that all are capable, but the full utilization of capability depends on several factors. It does not depend only on whether you are born in an economically developed country or poor country or in a rich house or poor house, highly educated or less educated. In my opinion, it depends on a combination of factors which helped a person to survive challenging circumstances. The challenge does not mean struggling for food, shelter, or escaping war. It depends on identifying and solving problems. So, it鈥檚 a mindset which makes you a slave or a free man. So, if this is the case and we all are in the same boat (most of them) then there should be brotherhood rather than enmity or tension between the host society and migrants (whether legal or illegal). I agree that illegal migration should be controlled but do the host society really wants to control it? Because illegal migrants are easy to exploit because of no proper documentation. Is migration a problem or illegal migration is a problem?

Is slavery essential to achieve the highest human civilization? Or is there any total freedom or independence of actions?
One may argue that its best to practice the 鈥渁rt of doing nothing鈥� where the welfare states will pay the benefits without working to help their citizens survive but again it will depend on taxes of the working class and increasing taxes you need a workforce and if the local population did not intend or incapable to work then migration will happen to increase the economy and taxes which will help to survive the local population who believe in the 鈥渁rt of doing nothing鈥�. In this way, they may think that they have escaped slavery, but their benefits depend upon the taxes which come from the working class including migrants in a host society. Somehow, their benefits are indirectly the result of a capitalistic society so again they are also slaves who believe in the 鈥渁rt of doing nothing鈥� because their feeding depends upon the taxes of the labour or workforce. So, what should one do to escape slavery, go into the forest, and live a primitive life? I do not know but I can put my view that it will be a setback to human civilization. Capitalistic society and migration are needed. Humanity is born for cooperation, and we are constituted for one another (Aurelius, 2006). So, the problem is not really migration, it is only about how we see people, it鈥檚 about our perspective and cognitive actions. These perceptions are based on how we are raised and what we have accepted as an individual reality thinking that this is the universal truth.

If we see people as they are irrespective of where they come from, their colour, clothes, or their outside appearance, then we will accept we all have one nose, two ears and other similar structure which is created by nature and the outer world which we perceive and made us think that we are different such as religion, clothes, material things are man-made. Instead, we should focus on the attributes and attitudes of the person e.g., following rules and regulations, being a responsible citizen and contributing to human civilization. Because sometimes the host society鈥檚 people may not follow rules or pay taxes or be a responsible citizen or contribute to human civilization (maybe on they are on benefits of the migrant鈥檚 taxes and trying to enjoy so-called life on benefits, and saying they believe in the art of doing nothing) but if migrants contribute more than the host society population then the migrant is more valuable to the human civilization than the local host country population. We all know we are migrants if we look at our history. It鈥檚 sad migrants contribute to a country their whole life in which he or she does not even belong.

I conclude, by saying there is only one race i.e., the human race and migration is as old as humankind and is needed to achieve the highest human civilization. For tapping the highest potential socially cohesive society is needed for achieving the highest human civilization. The resources are finite and cannot be shared equally in a democratic world but liberty, freedom, justice, good working conditions, and fundamental rights should be accessible to all. When I say accessible it means it should be practised rather than only on paper. The low and semi-skilled worker should be able to access the highest form of leisure in the host society to which he/ she has contributed. No matter how small the contribution is, every piece or contribution is needed and important for the constant urge to achieve the highest form of human civilization in every sphere.

References

Aurelius, M. (2006). Meditations. Penguin Classics.
Engels , F., & Marx, K. (2002). Communist Manifesto. Penguin Classics.