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1. On the Morality of Immigration

Author:
Mathias Risse
Publication Date:
03-2008
Content Type:
Journal Article
Institution:
Carnegie Council
Abstract:
My goal here is twofold: First, I wish to make a plea for the relevance of moral considerations in debates about immigration. Too often, immigration debates are conducted solely from the standpoint of ''what is good for us,'' without regard for the justifiability of immigration policies to those excluded. Second, I wish to offer a standpoint that demonstrates why one should think of immigration as a moral problem that must be considered in the context of global justice. More specifically, I will argue that the earth belongs to humanity in common and that this matters for assessing immigration policy. The case I will be particularly interested in is immigration into the United States, where immigration policy continues to be a hotly debated topic. However, that discussion takes the form of a case study: the relevant considerations apply generally.
Topic:
Immigration
Political Geography:
United States

2. An Exchange: The Morality of Immigration

Author:
Mathias Risse, Ryan Pevnick, and Philip J. Cafaro
Publication Date:
09-2008
Content Type:
Journal Article
Institution:
Carnegie Council
Abstract:
In his recent Ethics International Affairs essay ''On the Morality of Immigration,'' Mathias Risse argues that attempts to understand the constraints that justice imposes on immigration policy ought to begin from the fact that ''the earth belongs to humanity in common.'' Risse goes on to suggest that a comparison of population density statistics provides prima facie evidence that ''the United States is critically underusing the resources under its control'' and that, as a result, ''there can be nothing much wrong with illegal immigration'' (p. 30). Without suggesting that humanity's putative collective ownership of the earth is irrelevant to the constraints justice imposes on the formulation of immigration policy, I want to argue—for two reasons—that Risse greatly over-estimates the relevance of such considerations.
Topic:
Immigration and Population
Political Geography:
United States