Wandering around curving streets in another city, maybe with local foods wafting their smells, and thought to yourself, ‘Yeah, I could really live here’? It’s one of those traveling moments many of us have had—chancing upon a place that simply speaks to our souls. How many of us, though, ever act on these thoughts? It conjures up that romantic vision of making a home in a new country and all the realities that come with such a bold move.
The Attraction and Challenges of Living Abroad
Something about living overseas is ‘cool’. All we seem to see is action, new friends, and some relief from the ordinary. The new language to learn, the different customs to understand, and the pure benefit of discovering hidden gems—just but a few of the experiences that make such prospects enticing.
But to emigrate is not a decision taken lightly. One has to wade through the intricacies of immigration laws, vastly different in each country on the globe. Take for example the case of the United States, with a tradition of being a ‘melting pot’ society; it has a long history of immigration. However, entering legally and gaining residence can be a maze of red tape.
As the President once said, ‘America is a welcoming country. And under my leadership, it’s a welcoming country.’ Indeed, during the past 50 years, the U.S. issued 40 million green cards for permanent residency and citizenship. But, as the President said also, ‘we will not allow our generosity to be abused by those who would break our laws, defy our rules, violate our borders, break into our country illegally.’
The statement shows how countries have to balance their openness to new immigrants with taking care of their own security at the borders. Indeed, illegal immigration has been a challenge the U.S. has faced, which the President called ‘placing enormous strain on local schools, hospitals, and communities in general, taking precious resources away from the poorest Americans who need them most.’
Legal immigration is very often referred to as a merit-based approach; this, in essence, ensures that only those who follow the procedures to legally enter a country become productive individuals for that particular society. “Mass, uncontrolled immigration is especially unfair to the many wonderful, law-abiding immigrants already living here who followed the rules and waited their turn,” the President said.
For those who would like to migrate to the United States or, for that matter, any country in the world, it should be drummed home that it is not a question of seeking new abodes but also showing due respect for the laws and practices taken by the country receiving immigrating aliens. After all, the President wasn’t wrong when he reminded people that ‘there’s a limit to how many people a nation can responsibly absorb into their societies.’
The Importance of Legal Immigration and its Implications
The recent phenomenon of caravans of migrants heading towards the U.S. border has brought into sharp focus the topic of immigration. Characterized by some as an ‘invasion,’ these caravans comprise people who want to improve their lives. However, according to the President, ‘they should apply to come into our country. We want them to come into our country very much. We need people to help us, with all of these companies that are coming in.’
The allure of a booming economy, similar to that of the U.S., becomes so attractive to those who want to either claim asylum or seek a better life. “Right now, we have more workers than at any time in the history of our country. We have more people working, which is a tremendous statement,” the President said, touting the opportunities available.
The avenue to such opportunities in many instances is paved with legal processes. ‘The biggest loophole drawing illegal aliens to our borders is the use of fraudulent or meritless asylum claims to gain entry into our great country,’ the President explained. Well, that’s a system that has been gamed, with a resulting backlog of some 700,000 aliens in the U.S. awaiting adjudication of their claims.
The president’s speech also dove into the dark side of illegal immigration, including narcotics and human trafficking. ‘Nearly 100 percent of heroin in the United States enters through the southern border,’ he declared, indicating the most despicable effects the drugs have on American society.
These are issues that make a person, if thinking of a future in another country, very aware of why he or she should take legal channels. After all, this concerns not just the dream of living overseas but also the responsibility associated with it.
The opportunity to move to a new country is full of excitement and diverse possibilities, yet a decision for such a dramatic change in life can only be made after getting into all the details of immigration. Respecting the law and giving back to the community are the cornerstones that bring the dream home into reality. From working through the buzzing cities of another continent to the serene landscapes of another land—having your place in this world is a journey worth embarking on legally and respectfully.
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