No Human Is Illegal
Morning Comrades!
Thank you for indulging my week off, it was much needed and whilst we all know that one week is nothing but a drop of water on a boiling plate, I can happily say it was nice to spend that time walking, talking, drinking and thinking.
Whilst the prompt for today’s dispatch is very clearly the most recent dehumanizing fuckery from the current ruling political party back in the UK, it clearly goes much deeper than that. Without much ado, let’s get into the concept of immigration, migration, humanity and legality.
As with most, if not all, concepts that we endure in our existence under capitalism they are not only man-made, but more importantly, at their core, based on the idea & construct of property property and the absolute necessity to abolish it. As Marx & Engles very clearly stated in the Communist Manifesto:
In this sense, the theory of the Communists may be summed up in the single sentence: Abolition of private property.
I know, the line from so-called “illegal immigration” to “abolishing private property” at first glance seems a little far fetched, it’s truthfully quite simple. At some time point in time, someone decided to settle, draw a line in the sand and say, this is mine and on this piece of land my rules apply and no one else’s and I’ll hit ya with a stick if you don’t do want I want - until someone else came along with a bigger stick. That’s genuinely the basis of most, if not all evil, in this world and the brilliance of the Manifesto is until today, identifying this simple fact. It’s execution is a whole other library of books but for the sake of today’s conversation, that’s it.
The concept of illegal immigration has been a topic of intense debate and controversy around the world for decades. Some people believe that undocumented immigrants are breaking the law and should be punished, while others argue that the laws themselves are unjust and need to be reformed. However, regardless of one's stance on this issue, there is a fundamental truth that cannot be denied: no human being is illegal.
The idea that someone can be considered illegal simply for crossing a border or overstaying a visa is deeply flawed, immoral and simply exists to reinforce the hold over power through violence by the ruling classes. It reduces individuals to mere legal status, disregarding their humanity and the reasons behind their migration. People migrate for a variety of reasons, including seeking better economic opportunities, reuniting with family members, or fleeing from persecution or violence in their home countries. These reasons are often rooted in circumstances beyond the control of the individual, such as poverty, political instability, or environmental disasters.
Furthermore, the use of the term "illegal" to describe human beings dehumanizes them and perpetuates harmful stereotypes. It suggests that these individuals are somehow lesser, unworthy of basic human rights and dignity. This dehumanization can lead to discrimination, mistreatment, and even violence towards undocumented immigrants, which is not only morally reprehensible but also counterproductive to creating a just and inclusive society.
In addition, the use of the term "illegal" assumes a level of moral superiority on the part of those who are citizens or have legal status. This assumption is flawed because no one has the right to determine the worth or legitimacy of another human being's existence. Everyone deserves respect and empathy, regardless of their legal status.
Statehood & Citizenship in Today’s Narrative
The concept of statehood and citizenship emerged gradually over centuries of human history, and it is difficult to attribute their invention to any single individual or group. However, we can trace their development through key historical events and political philosophies.
The idea of statehood emerged with the development of civilization and the establishment of organized societies. Early city-states in ancient Greece, such as Athens and Sparta, had their own governments, laws, and military forces. The idea of a state as a centralized entity with a monopoly on legitimate use of force over a defined territory gradually evolved over time, with the emergence of nation-states in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries providing a more recognizable model of the modern state.
The concept of citizenship also evolved over time. In ancient Greece, citizenship was limited to free, male citizens who had completed military training and could participate in the democratic process. In the Roman Empire, citizenship was expanded to include certain groups, such as residents of conquered territories and people who had served in the military.
The modern concept of citizenship emerged during the Enlightenment, a period of intellectual and philosophical development in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. Political philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau developed ideas about the social contract between rulers and citizens, and the idea of natural rights that all individuals possessed simply by virtue of being human.
Marxist View on Immigration
Marxist class analysis views society as being divided into distinct social classes based on their relationship to the means of production. The ruling class, or bourgeoisie, owns and controls the means of production, while the working class, or proletariat, are the ones who do the labor to produce goods and services. The bourgeoisie exploits the proletariat by extracting surplus value from their labor, which is the source of profits for the capitalists.
From a Marxist perspective, immigration can be seen as a result of the exploitative and oppressive conditions of the global capitalist system. Economic inequality and poverty in many countries drive people to seek better economic opportunities in other countries, particularly in the developed world. These economic conditions are often created and perpetuated by the policies and actions of the ruling class in both domestic and international contexts. The neoliberal economic policies that many capitalist countries have implemented have further exacerbated economic inequality and poverty in many parts of the world.
However, the ruling class benefits from illegal immigration in various ways. Undocumented workers can be paid lower wages than legal workers, which helps employers increase profits. Additionally, undocumented workers are often afraid to report labor violations or unsafe working conditions, which can lead to a further exploitation of their labor.
From a Marxist perspective, the solution to illegal immigration is not simply to close borders or deport undocumented workers, as this would only address the symptom of the problem rather than the root cause. Instead, the solution lies in addressing the systemic economic inequalities and poverty that drive people to migrate in the first place. This can involve implementing policies such as raising the minimum wage, improving working conditions and workers' rights, and reforming trade policies to benefit workers in developing countries.
To cut a long story short: As always, the idea and basis of legality are utterly and solely based on the wishes of the ruling classes. In our case, this is the Capitalist Class and their interests are in utter opposition to not only those of the Working Classes, but the entire living and breathing planet. Illegal immigration is an idea that is used by the rulign classes to create an “us and them” narrative that aims to divide & distract us from the reality of their violent exploitation. Borders, Nations, Legal and Illegal are ideas that serve no one other than them and the humanistic reality aside, the concept of human legality is absurd and revolting, on that basis alone.
For further reading I can only recommend this reading list here.
Thank you for your time, attention and support,
Yours, recharged,
V.