May 17, 2006
Do the United States, European Union countries and much of the rest of the world still feel the words written by Emma Lazarus located on a plaque at the Statue of Liberty still have meaning in 2006 as the immigration debate heats up across the globe? At the turn of the last century many of the immigrants coming to the United States in search of a new and better life came from Europe. Since then many of their offspring and their offspring have assimilated into the mainstream of American life. Now the debate in the United States centers on immigrants from Mexico and other Latin American countries. Instead of arriving by ship from Europe and coming into Ellis Island many of today’s immigrants are illegal and jump over a fence along our lengthy border with Mexico. In his May 15th televised speech President George Bush called for an increased military presence of 6,000 National Guard troops along the border between the U.S. and Mexico to help the existing overworked Border Patrol. Somehow the image of European immigrants sailing past the Statue of Liberty a hundred years ago to start a new life in the United States conveys a better image than armed guards along our southern border today. European countries are also struggling like the U.S. in coming up with solutions to illegal immigration and the influx of mainly North African and Turkish immigrants to their cities. Recent history has shown that immigrants in America assimilate at a much more rapid pace than in most countries in Europe. Look at the number of people from diverse backgrounds who get involved in politics in the U.S. and get elected to positions of power and influence. That is rarely the case in most EU countries. The Netherlands, long noted for its tolerant attitude towards differing lifestyles, is now in the midst of heated debates over immigration. Yesterday the brave and outspoken Somali born member of the Dutch parliament Ayaan Hirsi Ali said she would resign and leave the Netherlands after the nation’s Immigration Minister said she was improperly granted citizenship. Ali wrote the script for Theo van Gogh’s controversial film “that criticized the treatment of women under fundamentalist Islam [that] offended many Muslims.” After the brutal and chilling murder of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh in 2004, Ali has been under 24 hour armed protection because of death threats. Ali will now be moving to the U.S. and taking up her professional residence in Washington, D.C. at the American Enterprise Institute. However, the immigration battle will continue in the Netherlands and across the European Union. “The Netherlands requires new immigrants to pass a language test, and would be newcomers must pass a cultural awareness test before they even apply for immigration.” Just as in the U.S. as we approach the 2006 congressional elections this November, immigration played a big part in the Italian elections which were just held and is already playing a role in the early stages of the 2007 presidential election campaign now beginning in France. Anti-immigration politicians are finding receptive audiences in countries across Europe. From the United Kingdom to France to Germany and Austria politicians are capitalizing on anti-immigration sentiment to win votes. . . and it seems to be effective. As the House and Senate continue their debate on new immigration legislation and the EU nations try to come to grips with the new realities of immigration the debate will not be going away. How the U.S. and European politicians handle the issue of immigration remains to be seen. The debate needs to be less polarizing on both sides of the Atlantic with a toning down of the rhetoric to acceptable levels. Hopefully, politicians on both sides of the Atlantic will continue working to find realistic solutions to help “the huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” | 
