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On the topic of immigration, specifically to the United States, I think your perspective on it changes when you’ve been through the process.

When I immigrated to the states some 15+ years ago, the process, although extremely smooth by most standards was still A) long, B) expensive - which means it requires an investment of two commodities that a lot of folks simply dont have. Time, and money.

Finance wise, I easily invested $10k in the process. Between the actual fees, travel to and from the embassy in London, medical assessments, background checks etc.

Side note: the US government remains the only entity that has officially requested to inspect my penis, to confirm I had one. They do love a good genital inspection.

I lived in a developed country with PTO. The embassy could be reached via a 2 hour train ride. I still had to stay in a hotel to make appointment times. Many people dont have the ability to take the time off to spend the literal days it can take to travel to an embassy.

I was not in an unsafe situation in my homeland. I had no issues being there for the year+ it took me to go through the process. Not everyone has that.

The process doesnt stop when you move either. There are always more steps, more fees, more anxiety.

Moving to live in a new place, no matter who you are is terrifying. I moved from a developed English speaking country to another developed English speaking country, and still, I struggled.

So, next time you hear, “well, why not go through the process and move here legally?”

The process is deliberately designed to make it incredibly difficult to get through for most folks. The process can kill you if it takes long enough. The process costs more than most folks have the ability to make financially in any sort of reasonable timeframe.

I’m fortunate enough to be able to draw from my own experiences when the topic of immigration comes up. Those who tend to vomit the loudest garbage about it have never so much as looked up what it involves, and it shows.