We are all one

Social friction is not caused by the influx of workers from abroad. The cause of that friction is in the inadequacies of the capitalist system in its housing problems, its unplanned economy, in its inherent poverty. Migrants may highlight these problems but the problems are with us all the time. The Socialist Party condemns racial persecution and the exploitation of race hatred by politicians. The Socialist Party does not think that unrestricted immigration nor open borders would solve any working class problems, any more than draconian immigration controls has done. We stand for a social system in which human beings would be able to move freely all over the earth and in which there will be none of the national barriers of capitalism. The problems associated with large scale migration of workers are problems of capitalism, which always needs a mobile pool of unemployed, sometimes national and sometimes international. And we should not forget that while some problems may be associated with large scale immigration, others are associated with large scale emigration. The main task before all workers of all skin colours and nationalities is to abolish capitalism but while capitalism lasts they must defend, and struggle to improve, their living standards. These tasks can only be done in unity. when "indigenous" and "newcomer" workers all recognise that their interests are one against their common enemy, the capitalist class. This fact may be obscured for some workers by "patriotic loyalty" — a euphemism for prejudice — but it is nevertheless valid. Capitalism has always exploited its workers as best it can and its competition has always been cut-throat — what other type can there be?

Not everyone opposing immigration and deportation of “illegal” migrants are racists. Many are but most of our co-workers aren’t but rather confusion and angry. Demagogues are using the immigration issue for political gain as they always have, tapping real fears among native-born working people because of concerns about future jobs and personal security. People change country for one primary purpose – to work and earn a better living than is possible in their home countries. This is true whether for the lowest paid worker or the highly paid skilled worker. The driver is economics. Employers seek cheaper labour. The employers are not those promoting more restrictions. Stopping immigration is not the objective. It is controlling the flow of immigration. The expansion of legal visas provides a more reliable and stable workforce. Another way to look at the immigration debate is to see it as the flip side of outsourcing. Both allow employers to get the skills they desire at the lowest cost – outside the borders and domestically. Those industries that can’t send the work abroad, however, must rely on importation of immigrants to drive down costs. The drive for ever higher profits has led to a higher level of exploitation of domestic worker, the increased use of exploited workers globally.

All immigrants should have the right to work anywhere to earn a living and feed their families. Labour should have the right to cross borders in a similar manner that workers can freely travel across the European Union. Once workers are able to migrate freely it is up to unions to organise them, as they seek to organise all unorganised workers. The realities of exploitation creates the openings for organising and press for demands that are beneficial to all workers whatever their status. We support the basic democratic right of any individual to emigrate to any country in the world. Yet we do not countenance the incursionist policies of Israeli West Bank settlements (unless the Palestinian exiles are given the same facility to relocate within Israel) or Han Chinese expansionism into Tibet or Xinjiang. World socialist revolution, not mass migration, is the socialist solution to the misery and destitution of the majority of mankind under capitalism. What is needed is the emergence of independent organisations to represent the interests of the working class.