Ensuring equal rights and freedoms for people from all social strata, nations, and cultures is practically impossible within the capitalistic social order. However, the government should provide at least minimal resources for people to survive. The recent migration rates showed that many people all over the world are deprived of necessities, which highlights the violation of human rights. The migration problem involves social justice issues regarding civil rights and moral values protection. Considering the international scale of the situation aggravated by the recent pandemic, it can be considered a culture war. Opposing sides are positioned around the migrants’ rights versus the interests of the governments and citizens of recipient countries unable to shelter all people in need. Thus, the recent migration problem involves the social justice issue and can be treated as one of the significant culture wars.
Global migration has always been a question that has no obvious answer. People from many parts of the world try to escape from the violence and unsuitable living conditions. The rise in the number of migrants during the last two years occurred from the general decline in global mobility due to severe restrictions on movement. When billions of people were isolated in places of permanent residence, millions of others were forced to migrate to their countries. The Central African Republic, Afghanistan, Libya, and other deprived regions are on the verge of collapse due to unsafe conditions and authorities’ violence (Heindlmaier & Kramer, 2021). In 2020 and 2021, the scale of displacement in Mexico and Central America has been unprecedented (Heindlmaier & Kramer, 2021). Around a million people in the region have fled their homes due to drug cartel wars, crime violence, the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and climate change.
The new US administration has signaled that it will show compassion for illegal migrants and refugees crossing the country’s southern border. Still, the pandemic-related asylum restrictions remained in place, resulting in the expelling of hundreds of thousands of people back to Mexico and other regions. As the pandemic continues, inequalities between those who can travel and those prevented from doing so by visa restrictions and financial constraints are likely to become even more pronounced. The situation will become even more aggravated when the borders are opened for those who have been vaccinated or have received a negative test result. Many migrants, due to objective reasons, will not be able to be vaccinated or tested.
The migration problem has a sociological nature and requires significant value changes to be solved. The discussed issue reflects the social contradiction between ideal and real cultures (Ferris & Stein, 2020). The recent migration problem can be considered a culture war because it requires upholding particular norms (Ferris & Stein, 2020). This war involves such cultural values as individualism, the accessibility of resources and opportunities, the freedom of choice, and the right to function in society equally to other members. This large-scale problem involves moral problems and a significant threat to the migrants’ lives. Thus, the governments of more prosperous countries should renovate the migration reforms and social perspective on this issue to help people find better living conditions.
The most affected social groups are often the representatives of a particular culture or nation under pressure. As far as sociologically, the group includes two or more people sharing an identity, and the different nationalities migrating to other counties can be considered one of the opposing sides of the war (Ferris & Stein, 2020). Another side is represented by the society of the countries where people migrate to. The resettlement of people of other nationalities can be mentally challenging for native citizens. Both mentioned groups are directly affected by the migration problem. However, the first group is in a more dangerous position.
Considering the general society, the migration problem significantly affects intercultural communication quality in both ways: negative and positive. On the one hand, migration can change the perception of the recipient countries of the migration’s culture to the negative. Such a situation can be caused because of the viewing migrants as intruders, causing society’s radicalization (Heindlmaier & Kramer, 2021). However, considering the current tendencies to accept differences, migration can lead to positive changes in the global society’s morale. Modern migration flows are acquiring such proportions that migrants who have returned to their homeland can influence the political moods and cultural attitudes of the local population. Migrants bring new ideas about the world, faith, and norms of behavior in the family and society. Such an experience often complicates the personality structure and expands the horizons of thinking, enhancing the flexibility in constructing new loyalties.
The migration involving cultural war is likely to end positively though not soon enough. The governments of the recipient countries cannot leave the question without attention. The pandemic-evolving restrictions will be softened after the virus is fought. The COVID-19 situation is challenging for society, not only for the migrants. However, the governments will reconsider particular reforms to find a compromise ensuring minimum living necessities and opportunities for the migrants. Some states will probably offer material help to the declined countries, thereby proposing better conditions for people in their homelands. Sociologically treating, this war, even being so dangerous for migrants, can lead to positive changes in society. The reconsideration of social identification and acceptance of differences in cultures, beliefs, and values will move society to a new level of ethical development.
References
Ferris, K., & Stein, J. (2020). The real world: An introduction to sociology. W.W. Norton & Company.
Heindlmaier, A., & Kramer, D. (2021). Administering the Union citizen in need: Between welfare state bureaucracy and migration control. Journal of European Social Policy, 31(4), 380–394. Web.