“Give me your poor, your tired, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” -“The New Colossus”
Between 1880 and 1930, these words, written at the feet of the Statue of Liberty, greeted the 12 million people (approximately) who arrived at Ellis Island in pursuit of the opportunity to live in the United State and begin a new life. These people, known as immigrants, migrated to the United States in order to, escape war, to seek freedom from religious persecution, to acquire their own land, and to gain employment in …show more content…
The current immigration system in the United States is antiquated (no changes to policy in over 20 years) and is, “unable to keep up with the demands of a growing and changing economy in order to effectively address the needs and values of our diverse nation” (CITATION NEEDED). A majority of undocumented immigrants do not have the necessary family relationships to apply for legal entry, or, if they do, they face years and even decades of waiting for a visa. Immigrants who have migrated illegally generally do not qualify as refugees unless they come from a handful of countries experiencing political unrest. Furthermore, undocumented immigrants do not work in professions that qualify for a green card; the annual number of green cards for lower-skilled workers is extraordinarily small and insufficient for the U.S. economy, which depends on high, medium, and lower-skilled workers (American Immigration Council). Additionally, the annual Diversity Visa (lottery) makes 55,000 green cards available to persons from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States-countries with higher levels of immigration to the United States are not eligible. Since millions of individuals around the world apply, the chances of “winning” a green card are exceptionally low. (U.S Department of Labor, Bureau of Consular Affairs). The current restrictions for acquiring a …show more content…
Although the United States has a sovereign right to determine conditions of entry and stay in its territories, it also has, according to the United Nations, an obligation to “respect, protect and fulfill the human rights of all individuals under its jurisdiction, regardless of their nationality, origin or immigration status” (2015). Immigrants contribute to our nation’s economic growth and human development; enriching it through cultural diversity, and foster understanding and respect among different people and cultures. Therefore is has increasingly become an urgent human rights challenge to keep immigrants at the center of migration policy/ policy management, and ensure that immigrants are included in relevant national action plans-thereby ensuring access to fundamental economic and social rights such as employment, education, housing and access to health
Between 1880 and 1930, these words, written at the feet of the Statue of Liberty, greeted the 12 million people (approximately) who arrived at Ellis Island in pursuit of the opportunity to live in the United State and begin a new life. These people, known as immigrants, migrated to the United States in order to, escape war, to seek freedom from religious persecution, to acquire their own land, and to gain employment in …show more content…
The current immigration system in the United States is antiquated (no changes to policy in over 20 years) and is, “unable to keep up with the demands of a growing and changing economy in order to effectively address the needs and values of our diverse nation” (CITATION NEEDED). A majority of undocumented immigrants do not have the necessary family relationships to apply for legal entry, or, if they do, they face years and even decades of waiting for a visa. Immigrants who have migrated illegally generally do not qualify as refugees unless they come from a handful of countries experiencing political unrest. Furthermore, undocumented immigrants do not work in professions that qualify for a green card; the annual number of green cards for lower-skilled workers is extraordinarily small and insufficient for the U.S. economy, which depends on high, medium, and lower-skilled workers (American Immigration Council). Additionally, the annual Diversity Visa (lottery) makes 55,000 green cards available to persons from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States-countries with higher levels of immigration to the United States are not eligible. Since millions of individuals around the world apply, the chances of “winning” a green card are exceptionally low. (U.S Department of Labor, Bureau of Consular Affairs). The current restrictions for acquiring a …show more content…
Although the United States has a sovereign right to determine conditions of entry and stay in its territories, it also has, according to the United Nations, an obligation to “respect, protect and fulfill the human rights of all individuals under its jurisdiction, regardless of their nationality, origin or immigration status” (2015). Immigrants contribute to our nation’s economic growth and human development; enriching it through cultural diversity, and foster understanding and respect among different people and cultures. Therefore is has increasingly become an urgent human rights challenge to keep immigrants at the center of migration policy/ policy management, and ensure that immigrants are included in relevant national action plans-thereby ensuring access to fundamental economic and social rights such as employment, education, housing and access to health