Abstract Immigration Policy Paper

Presentation of Immigration Policy Paper

The relevance of a coherent, fair, and just immigration policy cannot be overstated when it comes to not only the prosperity of a nation, but also its bilateral engagements with other jurisdictions. This is more so the case given that in addition to gaining access to diverse skills and capabilities from a diverse pool of immigrants, a nation also gets to demonstrate to the world its commitment towards the welfare and wellbeing of others. However, an effective immigration policy ought to be formulated and implemented in manner that does not threaten the interests of the host nation, i.e. with regard to its economic wellbeing and security. It is for this reason that various administrations have in the past been keen on the formulation and implementation of policies that advance the agenda of the government of the day. For instance, Donald Trump’s administration came to power on the platform of putting America first. As a consequence, the administration was particularly aggressive in its handling of undocumented immigrants. Many commentators were quick to observe that the administration’s immigration policy had quickly taken a racist, divisive, and outright hateful turn. Indeed, one distinguishing feature between Trump administration’s immigration policy and that of the Obama administration was that the latter administration was deemed more humane, orderly, and professional in its handing of immigrants. From the wider perspective, however, it would be prudent to note that as Cox and Rodriguez (2020) observe, immigration policies across successive administrations have been rather harsh and aggressive, with instances of outright disregard for human rights. In addition to highlighting some of the key immigration policy constraints the country faces today, this text will also have a deeper look at the manner in which the country’s immigration policy has been deployed by successive administrations. This will be done with an intention of recommending crucial policy changes going forward.