http://www.lauraagustin.com/uk-police-raids-to-find-undocumented-workers-expensive-overkill Dr Laura Agustín on Migration, Trafficking and Sex Mon, 21 May 2012 11:21:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 http://www.lauraagustin.com/uk-police-raids-to-find-undocumented-workers-expensive-overkill#comment-621 Ginger Thu, 19 Mar 2009 03:11:11 +0000 http://www.lauraagustin.com/?p=2519#comment-621 What, exactly, does the government believe it will gain by arresting migrants who are unable to obtain the necessary papers to work, (and therefore survive and support themselves and their children) yet are unable to return to their country of origin for valid political or other reasons ? Is there some advantage derived from jailing human beings who are guilty of having a desire to survive ? The worst crime, in these cases, is being committed by the government itself for targeting people who are (as stated in the last paragraph above) actually doing the work for which they are being paid ! What are the migrants expected to do? Throw themselves into the sea? Just as in the schoolyard, the large and powerful bully seeks out the smallest and most vulnerable for attack, fully knowing his victim has no choice but to lie down and take the abuse,... and subsequently will live in desperate fear of the bully's next need for self aggrandizement. A program, a plan, a humane alternative for migrants in this unfortunate and impossible situation is needed to be made available to them. Sadly, an alternative will not likely come about from within the government, as the fox is not well suited to guard the hen house... With more public awareness of their dilemma, and with the refusal of citizens to ignore the plight of the migrants, maybe change will come... and people who have already suffered more than most will receive consideration and just treatment from a government whose money and power could be better directed toward the many serious issues that face us all. What, exactly, does the government believe it will gain by arresting migrants who are unable to obtain the necessary papers to work, (and therefore survive and support themselves and their children) yet are unable to return to their country of origin for valid political or other reasons ? Is there some advantage derived from jailing human beings who are guilty of having a desire to survive ?
The worst crime, in these cases, is being committed by the government itself for targeting people who are (as stated in the last paragraph above) actually doing the work for which they are being paid ! What are the migrants expected to do? Throw themselves into the sea? Just as in the schoolyard, the large and powerful bully seeks out the smallest and most vulnerable for attack, fully knowing his victim has no choice but to lie down and take the abuse,… and subsequently will live in desperate fear of the bully’s next need for self aggrandizement. A program, a plan, a humane alternative for migrants in this unfortunate and impossible situation is needed to be made available to them. Sadly, an alternative will not likely come about from within the government, as the fox is not well suited to guard the hen house… With more public awareness of their dilemma, and with the refusal of citizens to ignore the plight of the migrants, maybe change will come… and people who have already suffered more than most will receive consideration and just treatment from a government whose money and power could be better directed toward the many serious issues that face us all.

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