Is the global migration system broken? Britain's home secretary has been criticised for her "dehumanising" descriptions of migrants. But some say that her speech reflected key global concerns.
UK minister slammed for talk of 'invasion'
Is the global migration system broken? Britain's home secretary has been criticised for her "dehumanising" descriptions of migrants. But some say that her speech reflected key global concerns.
<h2 class=" eplus-wrapper" id="crosshead">Migration migraine</h2>
In a famous passage of Genesis, God tells Abram to "go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you". At the mature age of 75, Abram undertakes the treacherous journey to the land of Canaan, where he is briskly sent to an immigration centre and threatened with deportation to Rwanda.1
Of course, that is not the real story you would read in the pages of the Book of GenesisThe first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. , but it is what the biblical figure might face trying to cross the UK border in 2022. The country is facing renewed debates over a "crisis" of asylum seekersPeople who have left their countries due to danger and are seeking refuge elsewhere. , as figures show that 40,000 people have crossed the English channel in boats so far this year.
Amid the controversy, home secretaryIn Britain, they are responsible for national security, immigration and policing. Suella Braverman has been criticised this week for describing the arrival of asylum seekers in the UK as an "invasion on our southern coast".
"Let's stop pretending they are all refugees in distress; the whole country knows that is not true," she announced in the House of CommonsThe democratically elected house of the UK Parliament. It consists of 650 Members of Parliament. , provoking the ire of many of her fellow Members of ParliamentA Member of Parliament (or MP) is somebody who has been elected - chosen by the people - to represent their part of the country in Parliament. This is where politicians debate and make laws.. Since the speech, she has been castigatedSeverely told off. by refugee charities and colleagues alike for her "appalling, wrong and dangerous" language.
Braverman's comments form part of a maelstromA powerful whirlpool - or a turbulent situation. of debates and conflicts about migration in recent days. On Sunday, a British pensioner threw petrol bombs at an immigration centre in DoverA town on the southeast coast of England. , apparently after being radicalised by anti-immigrant rhetoric.
Meanwhile, experts have been warning of a "breach of humane conditions" at another immigration centre in KentA county in south east England. , where asylum seekers were supposedly subject to gross mistreatment.2
And the problem goes far beyond British politics. Natural disasters, war and discrimination are among the key factors driving a continuous global refugee crisis from countries such as Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine, Somalia and the Central African Republic to other neighbouring nations.
Some argue that the global migration system can be fixed with more restrictions. Thinkers such as Michael Walzer argue that "admission and exclusion are at the core of communal independence" - in other words, that the right to accept and reject immigration candidates at will is key to the health of a democratic society.
Many countries operate on this principle, with "points-based" immigration systems which prioritise skilled and educated migrants. Critics say this system is used to refuse asylum seekers on the basis that they bring little societal benefit.
Others point out that migration is a phenomenon as old as humanity, and that it has rarely been restricted before modernity. To many, migration itself is not the problem, but the dangerous and xenophobicShowing dislike or prejudice towards people from other countries. narratives surrounding it.
If there is any consensus, it is that even if the system has not yet cracked, it will soon. Experts predict that 1.2 billion people could be displaced by 2050 due to the climate crisis3, meaning that the question of migration will only become more urgent.
Yes: The case study of the United Kingdom makes it clear that the global migration system is broken. Countries do not have the capacity to take on tens or hundreds of thousands of people, possibly even millions, at a time of economic crisis.
No: The system is not broken, but successive global governments have done everything they can to stoke fear about immigration. Refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants are scapegoats for governments to blame for their own policy mistakes.
Or... The system is under strain, but we need to put a human response first. When we turn down asylum seekers, many face uncertain futures. We should not be framing it in terms of a "broken system", but in terms of moral choices.
Book of Genesis - The first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament.
Asylum seekers - People who have left their countries due to danger and are seeking refuge elsewhere.
Home secretary - In Britain, they are responsible for national security, immigration and policing.
House of Commons - The democratically elected house of the UK Parliament. It consists of 650 Members of Parliament.
Members of Parliament - A Member of Parliament (or MP) is somebody who has been elected - chosen by the people - to represent their part of the country in Parliament. This is where politicians debate and make laws.
Castigated - Severely told off.
Maelstrom - A powerful whirlpool - or a turbulent situation.
Dover - A town on the southeast coast of England.
Kent - A county in south east England.
Xenophobic - Showing dislike or prejudice towards people from other countries.
<h5 class=" eplus-wrapper" id="question"><strong>Is the global migration system broken? </strong></h5>
UK minister slammed for talk of ‘invasion’

Glossary
Book of Genesis - The first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament.
Asylum seekers - People who have left their countries due to danger and are seeking refuge elsewhere.
Home secretary - In Britain, they are responsible for national security, immigration and policing.
House of Commons - The democratically elected house of the UK Parliament. It consists of 650 Members of Parliament.
Members of Parliament - A Member of Parliament (or MP) is somebody who has been elected - chosen by the people - to represent their part of the country in Parliament. This is where politicians debate and make laws.
Castigated - Severely told off.
Maelstrom - A powerful whirlpool — or a turbulent situation.
Dover - A town on the southeast coast of England.
Kent - A county in south east England.
Xenophobic - Showing dislike or prejudice towards people from other countries.