Migrant rights are human rights

The message of this post is simple- migrant rights are human rights. These days it seems like this simple concept is not being processed in the way that it should. According to the Huffington Post, in the last year, at least 2,100 migrants have lost their life while crossing the Mediterranean sea. Most of these migrants are coming from Northern Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Despite the different locations, they all have on thing in common. They are all seeking asylum in Europe. 

Asylum is defined as “the protection granted by a nation to someone who has left their native country as a political refugee.” Given that these migrants have fled their countries as a result of war and/or persecution, they are likely to qualify for asylum from a European country. Unfortunately, besides the significant loss of life, there is another downside to this crisis. The lack of attention from the international community- specifically the European Union.

In my opinion, I believe that because these migrants do not yet belong to any European country, most European countries do not see a responsibility to aide in the situation. Of course, no one can expect the European Union to compensate for the loss of life, but there are preventative measures that could be taken. That being said, I believe that if these migrants had some connection to Europe, the EU as well as other members of the international community would be stepping. 

With that in mind, I cannot help but think how a vital consideration is missing from the whole situation: seeing migrants has humans who have the right to life.

In this day and age, there is not much of a question when it comes to the importance of human rights. The United Nations and many other international/regional organizations have declarations or protocols tied to human rights. A theme that runs as a common thread through most of these documents is the idea of the right to life and protection. 

Thus, I wonder why more is not being done in regards to this tragic crisis. 2,100 lives lost. Did these 2,100 people not have a right to life or the right protection? Do others who are still making the treacherous journey despite the dangers not have those rights? For me, the answer is as obvious as can be- yes. 

This is why I think that is time for the international community to view migrant rights as human rights. They are not exclusive at all. A person should not be denied any rights because they have made the decision to seek safety and flee their home country. At the end of the day, they are still humans that deserve the assistance of the international community. I hope that there is a change in approaches to handling this crisis in the Mediterranean and handling migration worldwide. We cannot ignore or forget the fact that migrants, despite their status, are still humans. 

One description does not fit all

As campaigns for the 2016 have begun, there have been a range of issues that have rushed to forefront. One of these issues is immigration. Most of the time, when it is discussed, it is in reference to how one side or the other wants to gain the “Hispanic” vote. Of course, there is nothing wrong with that because each side needs to do what it can to get more people to vote, but as important as the “Hispanic” vote may be demographically, there is problem here. The problem is that “Hispanic” vote really means Mexican vote, and that stems from the stereotype that all immigrants in this country are Mexicans.

Of course, there are issues with the term “Hispanic” itself in relation to Mexican nationality, but beyond that, it is unfair to make non-Mexican Hispanics (who may identify as Latinos) to group them all into this one term. Immigrant means so much more than just a specific ethnic group. Immigrants are, in most cases, doing what they can to get a better life for themselves. Because of all that people can achieve in the United States, we have large amounts of immigration. But, contrary to popular belief, most of the immigrants to the United States are not from Mexico.

During the August 6th GOP Debate, Marco Rubio made a great point when he said, “The evidence is now clear that the majority of the people coming across the border are not from Mexico.” In this case, he was pointing out that there are many undocumented immigrants who are coming from Central America. While he probably was not trying to, he was reaching at something much bigger here. This is the fact that the United States literally has immigrants from all over the world.

In fact, I recently read a report by the Migration Policy Institute that was discussing the number of Filipino immigrants in the United States and how the numbers have been increasing recently. This is extremely important information especially in light of upcoming elections because immigration will matter to them just as it would matter to Mexicans.

Personally, I think the immigration conversation needs go past trying to cater to Mexicans. Yes, they are a significant part of our population, and immigration is probably quite important to them, but there are many other issues that they are concerned about. More importantly, despite the efforts of many, I doubt they enjoy only be talked to about immigration just in return for some votes in November 2016.

As I close this piece out, I just want to encourage everyone to think bigger when it comes to immigration. There are so many people in this country from a variety of countries that immigration policies will affect. Additionally, to non-immigrants in the U.S., as tired as you may be of hearing “we’re a nation of immigrants,” the fact of the matter still holds true. The earliest immigrants to this country typically came in large numbers from European countries. All this together, I think the most important take-away is that all immigrants are not Mexicans, and as a nation we need to work to not only be more inclusive of Mexicans in politics beyond the immigration debate, but also more inclusive of others who this debate might be important to.