Tue 8 Jan 2008
What are the criteria you would set if you were the only one to decide who was allowed to emigrate from their country and immigrate to yours?
Would you allow refugees, what type (political/economic/cultural), and what proof would they have to provide of their need? Would you set a net worth limit, so that anyone bringing a certain amount of money was guaranteed entry? Would you set an education limit so that only people with a certain level of proven intelligence were allowed in (perhaps barring refugees)?
Posted by Kickstart6 answers so far!
I think Canada already does it pretty well. I would just increase the quotas already in place for accepting UN classified / approved refugees, and basically defer to them. If the UN says they are refugees, they’re welcome.
YEAH CANADA.
I agree with Canada, very fair. They have a better sense of humor, too. Very witty and dry.
No clue how to address American immigration issues, it seems people are always pointing fingers at lower class migrants (which was being done to their ancestors in the not too distant past). I hear my friends from UK bitching a lot now too. I think intelligence is highly overrated, and, well, it also smacks of discrimination. If you’ve got a bunch of migrant workers picking your food and keeping your costs down, the least we can do is educate their kids while they’re here. Good environment, decent education, lots of love, you’ve got intellectual and emotional intelligence. Guess I’m on the nurture side there.
If I owned my own country, however, people would be required to worship Dionysus. Extra points if they are skilled in viniculture.
Caveats and impracticalities aside, I think it would be great if the US created free migration rights alongside its free trade treaties.
But on a more practical level, I think I’d want to rig criteria so that I was bringing in the most intelligent/educated group of immigrants with the lowest possible net worth. And I’d attempt to treat practical experience on an equal footing with formal education. Basically, I’d want a group of hard-working, ambitious people who stand the gain the most from a better opportunity. To use an inhumane term, I’d attempt to arbitrage the situation.
I think the end goal should be totally free migration, but we would probably have to ease into over the course of a generation or so. You don’t need to have immigration controls unless you want to keep more of the pie for your citizens.
if you let me immigrate into your country, you shall be allowed to do the same with mine.
okay, throw in some nominal barrier to keep the conservatives happy: require everyone to first get a college degree.
there, happy?