Immigration as Collective Punishment: Part I

Open Borders as Revenge

Mass immigration’s economic, social, and demographic benefits have faltered. Some now see it as punishment for Western colonial history, fueling divisive rhetoric.

Two disturbing trendlines converged over the last decade or so. On the one hand, beneficent arguments for mass immigration as a boon to receiving nations ran out of steam. The economic argument faltered in America, Britain, and elsewhere amidst evidence of net fiscal burdens, real wage suppression, soaring property costs, and sluggish productivity & median GDP growth. The social and cultural arguments in its favor stalled as it has been revealed to increase violent crime rates, diminish social trust, and swing election results. And even the demographic argument that it is necessitated by sub-replacement domestic fertility lost credibility, as evidence mounts that high levels of immigration directly and indirectly exacerbate birthrate decline among the existing population while worsening the fiscal burden of ageing populations.