#82: For Non-Divisive Diversity (PART 4)

【National Borders】
To make this world a better place for everyone, it’s imperative that we celebrate diversity rather than encourage division. When we accept this wisdom, we come to realize that nationality and its borders are regrettably all too often exploited as a divisive tool.
 
For instance, we can’t freely live in Japan unless we’re Japanese citizens. For non-citizens, we must receive governmental approval such as a visa to enter Japan, and certainly, we’re not allowed to work or study without permit.
 
What’s more, without the citizenship, we can’t vote even if we’re born in Japan. No vote even if we grew up in Japan, never lived abroad, never even set a foot outside of Japan, or speak only Japanese. And the inability to vote means not allowed to participate alongside our neighbors in political decision-making of the community and country in which we live.
 
Without the right to vote, we have no say in our political decision-making no matter how much our rights are limited; no matter how much our burdens are exacerbated. That’s a scary situation to be placed in when you think about it on a personal level.
 
Furthermore, many of us enjoy the benefits of comfort simply because we’re born in a safe/prosperous country; to parents who are citizens of those fortunate countries. On the contrary, many of us are shut out from sharing in on those benefits simply because we just happen to born in an impoverished nation or war zone; to parents who are citizens of such countries.
 
Naturally, given that we’re all equal as humans, it’s unjust to be forced upon inborn inequities on the basis of place of birth or parental background. For that reason, nationality and its borders are exploited as a divisive tool.
 
To celebrate diversity, we must do away with the traditional privilege of nationality. Instead, we must empower everyone with the freedom to live wherever we wish.
 
No doubt, a truly borderless society entails that we accept the differences and embrace them with a warm welcome; ridding the often baked-in preferential treatment of the privileged. In today’s world, this begins by welcoming immigrants into our countries and communities.
 
The United Nations defines “Immigrants” not by the acquisition of a citizenship but as “People born in a country other than that in which they reside.” According to the UN, an estimated 270 million people are immigrants out of the global population of 7.9 billion--a mere 3.5%. This data alone signifies of how wide-spread the traditional privilege of nationality sprawls across the world.
 
Of this immigrant population, the United States welcomes by far the most with nearly 51 million people, comprising 15% of the US population.
 
This is followed by:
 
Germany                               16 million   (16%)
Saudi Arabia                        13 million   (38%)
Russia                                      12 million     (8%)
United Kingdom                   9 million   (14%)
United Arab Emirates       9 million   (89%)
France                                        9 million   (14%)
Canada                                      8 million   (21%)
 
Japan welcomes less than 3 million immigrants, comprising a mere 2% of its population.
 
In the recent years, more than ever before, we bump into many technical intern trainees from abroad working and living in various Japanese cities. Nonetheless, they’re strictly enforced to return to their home countries in 3 to 5 years--not allowed to stay in Japan barring rare exceptions.
 
On the other hand, countries that are more accepting of immigrants tend to allow people to stay longer, offer opportunities for permanent residency, and be more open to naturalization (i.e. acquiring citizenship).
 
In today’s unjust system of nationality and its borders, we must at the minimum actively pursue to accept more immigrants, embrace our differences with a warm welcome, and rid our traditional privilege of nationality.

Read Next: For Non-Divisive Diversity (5)【Citizenship】
Read Previous: For Non-Divisive Diversity (3)【Our Differences】
 
Complete Series: For Non-Divisive Diversity (1)～(7)
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Read Theme: Inclusive Diversity