A word on UK Immigration Debate

Good evening!

In this blog I have never been very polite to my ideological opponents. That's not the purpose. Here and here, for example, I have been outright offensive to those whom I see deserve it. Arguably even for logical reasons. Often the inspiration for such posts has come from anger over inconsistencies or logical fallacies in my opponent's reasoning or arguments, without consideration for just whom I might hurt.

Tonight, I'm writing about a few friends of mine. After all, perhaps I don't even want them to see it. What will they think of me?

But for some reason I can't resist. Ok, enough apologies. Here we go.

Tonight's topic is immigration. Let me just first remind any reader of this blog that I am a libertarian; I don't recognize the state's power to decide who's allowed to live within a certain geografical area; the state has no property right to my land, and thus no saying in who happen to be there. I particularly don't accept the deportations done by UK and other countries, and I can feel the anger bursting inside of me whenever I see the letters "FRONTEX", or hear about anti-immigration laws. In fact, one of the reasons to why I became a libertarian in the first place was because I favoured free migration. Bottom line: remember, I'm a libertarian, and I favour free migration.

Having that said, I have quite a large issue with the entire Isa Muaza thing. For the last few days my friends have filled my facebook feed with links about the issue, urging me to take part in a petition for his freedom, demonstrating against the Home Office or against Virgin Airline for transporting him.

So, the guy refused eating some months back, in protest of the Asylum system and the way he's been treated. Now this action has rendered him seriously week, on the brink of dying. And the petition and demonstrations demands his freedom on medical grounds; simply, he is very ill, and holding him in custody is inhuman. Thus the anger towards the Detention Centre for holding him, Virgin Airlines for transporting him, and the Home Office for refusing to give him citizenship (if my understanding of the issue is correct).

Ok, we have a few things here. First, the UK Asylum system is riddiculous for several reasons. The way migrants are treated within it is absolutely preposterous. And I share as much anger over it as any of my friends or the NGOs involved in this matter. BUT. A person not complying with the laws of a country, (however faulty the laws) cannot and shall not be released on medical grounds. Put to the test, asking for his release becomes quite eerie. Should that apply to other violators of the law aswell? Abuse, robbery, theft? Released because their health is weak? Lack of logical coherence there.

Second of all, he wasn't taken ill suddenly by some mysterious disease; he refused food for political reasons, knowing what consequenses that might bring. That is, he made a choice, fully aware of what that choice eventually would lead to.

Thirdly, a petition for Virgin Airlines "not to be involved in this clear violation of the most basic of human rights.". A regular company, providing a service the State believe is necessary and payed for by taxmoney (that is, stolen money). And my friends put the blame on the company? Seriously. First the state robs you of your property in order to pay for whatever ends they find suitable, secondly they use that money to deport migrants. And you accuse the company? The obvious culprit, the blame, the bad guy, in this case is the State. Times two. Squared. Times a million.

Besides, what would happen if Virgin Airlines magically decided not to provide that service? I could name countless other airlines that would. Putting up petitions for those too? Every single one of them? Are you really willing to spend all that time, effort and resources trying to stop companies of performing the service the Bad Guy demanded? It would be like accusing the Shopkeeper for selling a pack of cigaretts to the Bank Robber, and then running around town trying to stop EVERY shopkeeper from selling anything that could be used in a robbery. Even in the highly unlikely event that it'd work, there are other non-aircraft ways to transport people. That is, we're all wasting our time with such efforts.

Come on people, I share your anger over the Asylum system, but you're completly missing the target here. The companies performing whatever service the State pays them to perform are not the Bad Guys. I do believe you are aware of this, but for some reason forgot about it.

 As the Hunger Games have it; Remember who the real enemy is . Now, let's stop wasting our time on accusing companies, making pointless petitions and instaed blame the State for what it's doing.