The ethics of immigration

Abstract

This article reviews recent political theory on the ethics of immigration admissions. It considers arguments put forward by Michael Walzer, Peter Meilaender, David Miller, and others for state control of borders. Such arguments tend to appeal to the value of political communities and/or the exclusion rights of democratic associations. The article argues that neither of these arguments are successful. It also considers various arguments that support open borders or more open borders, including appeals to freedom of movement, utilitarianism, and social justice. The author argues that rights to immigration need embedding in global principles of resource redistribution. – AI-generated abstract.