Chain migration: What it really means.

Chain migration’ is when migrants from a certain place follow other relatives to a foreign destination. This leads to an increased number of immigrants in the destination to which they were travelling. Under this system, if an Indian woman moves to the United States and attains citizenship, she would be able to sponsor immediate family members, namely – parents, spouses and minor siblings. Naturally, those sceptical of immigrants have always criticized chain migration. But, in recent times, one of the biggest, if not the biggest critic of this policy is the POTUS himself, Donald Trump.

An end to chain migration is one of the four pillars on which Mr. Trump has based his immigration policy on. Mr. Trump has always been a supporter of harsher immigration laws, even before he took office. However, this particular focus on an end to chain migration is rather recent. This can be attributed to quite a few misconceptions that not only the President but also the general public have of chain migration.

The picture painted of immigrants in the American media is either of uneducated and unskilled labourers from developing countries or of extremists and terrorists. This is farther away from the truth as it could possibly be. Statistics show that America would lose nearly a quarter million graduate students every year if the family sponsored programs are ended. This implies that the number of immigrants who are college graduates is more than those who are native US citizens. Even among the mere 11% who have no formal education, the chances for upward mobility and finding and keeping a job are as high as any native college graduate.

When it comes to security, a US citizen is more likely to die of a heart attack than of a hostile immigrant. According to census data, a US citizen is three times more likely to be incarcerated for a crime than an immigrant of the same age group.

Another argument used is that this policy would lead to an endless number of foreign nationals populating the US. According to many conservationists, America MUST BE for Americans. This kind of mentality is dangerous in today’s globalized world, however, it is becoming more and more common. And the world as a whole can only benefit if we focus more on the larger picture.

Chain migration might have some flaws, but, it is not an essentially flawed system. It enables millions of human beings to find opportunity and hope when times seem to become more and more desolate. It is essential that the US government reconsider its stance on chain migration