Immigration And Ethical Dilemmas Posed By Immigrants

Ethical and moral dilemmas in immigration.

With all the globalization trends around, the movement of individuals across borders is likely to increase due to the demands of the ever-evolving world. The moral and ethical dilemmas posed by immigration are not only about the movement, but also about how immigrants are treated in the host countries. People may have different perspectives on how an immigrant should be treated in a foreign country and whether they should have equal rights, privileges, and opportunities like the nationals. Kwan (2021) identifies an ethical dilemma in immigration ethics wondering whether countries should restrict or open their borders and what guidelines should be followed in making such decisions considering the ethical,

The immigration policies in several countries are good examples of a categorical imperative in society because social class determines how one should be treated regardless of whether one wishes to. For instance, some international organizations such as the UN set living conditions for their staff in all the countries they are deployed to. Some of the developing nations, for instance, my country Uganda, find it costly to maintain expensive living conditions, and many projects collapse because Uganda can not sustain the UN staff. I connect these living policies to the Categorical Imperative because it is a duty that Uganda has to fulfill regardless of how it wishes to maintain the UN staff. One wonders how morally ethical this is. The humanitarian aid brought in to address issues like poverty, hunger, water and sanitation, and education, may not be directed to the right cause, and huge sums of the aid are spent on the expensive lifestyle imposed by the UN for its employees. One sad incident happened in Northern Uganda when residents burned down the UN offices

Some refugees leave their home countries because they have been persecuted and their rights violated. The moral dilemma is the host country choosing not to inflict the same violations again by designing policies that continue to violate their rights as refugees, for instance, denying them the right to work, restricting their social movement, owning property, the right to education, and access to good healthcare.

Similarly, many countries have policies that do not favor the well-being of people, especially those from developing nations. There are strict visa application processes. Some countries do this for security reasons and this poses ethical questions of a balance between humanitarian obligations and the security of the country, especially with individuals who seek refuge and better living