Last period of time, two news items related to the immigration issue were highlighted, revealing some of its paradoxes, complexities, and the challenges it poses to all countries of the world:
In Britain, the Home Office's has announced of new, stricter immigration and asylum policies which include requiring asylum seekers to later repay up to £10,000 (approximately $13,230) for their accommodation in hotels or housing complexes, in addition to living expenses. Failure to repay could lead to the person denial of the right to settle in Britain, and to return to his mother country.
The second piece of news came from South Africa, where several cities witnessed demonstrations demanding the departure of all undocumented immigrants, in a renewed wave of anti-immigration protests.
The irony is that the number of immigrants in South Africa, estimated at around three million, represents only about 4 percent of the population—a relatively low percentage by global standards: In Australia, immigrants make up about 30 percent of the population; in Canada, about 20 percent; in Britain, 17 percent; in Egypt, about 10 percent; and in Turkey, approximately 8 percent, according to United Nations data.
These figures mask another paradox: the United States has the largest immigrant population in the world, exceeding 52 million, but representing only about 14 percent of the total population—less than in countries like Canada and Australia.
Migration is one of the most complex issues, as are the ways to address it, especially with the number of displaced persons and refugees reaching record levels as a result of wars, conflicts, climate change, and economic inequality. Furthermore, the diversity of migration routes has made border management more difficult and complex.
In many countries, migration is intertwined with domestic issues such as stagnant wages, housing shortages, and pressure on public services like health and education, which reinforces the feeling that there is competition for resources, even in cases where migration helps fill labor market gaps.
Many politicians did not hesitate to use the immigration issue as an election issue, portraying it as a threat to security or cultural identity, which prompted even centrist and left-wing parties to adopt more tough positions and policies.
There is no single solution to this complex and multi-dimensional issue. Any serious solution must begin with the root causes of forced migration, primarily wars, poverty, and the repercussions of climate change. Therefore, proposed solutions include supporting development in countries of origin, improving their economic conditions, concluding agreements with transit countries to manage migration flows, and establishing legal pathways, such as humanitarian visas and work permits, to reduce reliance on smuggling networks and perilous journeys.
International cooperation remains the cornerstone of any sustainable solution, as migration is a transnational issue that no country can address alone. This includes developing international frameworks for migration and asylum, enhancing information sharing to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling, sharing the burden of hosting refugees, and investing in development and reconstruction in fragile states, thereby creating better jobs and education and giving people genuine reasons to remain in their homelands.
Without this comprehensive vision, security measures and tightened border controls will remain merely a temporary treatment of the symptoms, not a cure for the root causes of one of the most complex issues on the international agenda today.