Is immigration a right or a privilege? And is illegal immigration a nuisance or a crime?

[branford]

70. Rich nations did not "allow" the rest of the world to slide into poverty.

Poverty and deprivation have been the default standard of the human condition for virtually all of history, with a relatively few exceptions of wealth and security. In fact, the (often violent) competition for resources to attempt to remedy this situation defines our shared history, well beyond just the West.

It is only very recently by historical standards (around the Industrial Revolution) that ever increasing numbers of people have begun to experience life outside of poverty. Rich nations (i.e., the West) need not apologize of feel guilty for doing everything in their power to raise the living standards of their own people using limited resources.

Further, arguing that immigration has been good for rich counties might be true in the abstract, but paints a very incomplete picture. There are many people in our country and other advanced nations who have been terribly left behind when faced with the issues surrounding migration and globalization. Ironically, the poor, blue collar and minorities, those firmly within the Democratic tent, generally suffer the most. Rich conservatives and corporate beneficiary often reap the benefits of migration while the conditions of other steadily worsen.

This is the precisely reason why the "elites" from across the political spectrum in the UK, including both the Tory and Labour leadership, supporting Britain remaining in the EU, and their wishes were reflected in wealthier areas like London, but poorer areas, including many Labour strongholds (about on third of Labour votes chose Brexit), ignored their leadership and voted what they perceived to be in their best interests. Proclaiming the benefits of "diversity" and defending relatively open borders when jobs are being shipped overseas and towns in your own country are dying is not a way to win votes, regardless of party affiliation.