Those who have lost their lives in the Mediterranean Sea are victims both of decisions that were made and of decisions that were not made. Indifference to the common good and corruption in their countries of origin; a global economic system that generates poverty and exclusion; fear that fuels prejudice and contempt; the belief that such problems do not concern us; the criminal calculations of those who profit from the suffering of others; the slow and difficult transition from mere emergency management to the development of comprehensive and shared policies. – Pope Leo XIV

This is different in emphasis from the late Pope Francis – while both Popes (and, indeed, all Popes) have supported free migration of people in search of a better life, Francis emphasized heavily the right to migrate. While not stepping back from that very long-held Catholic position, Leo is pointing out that there are problems in the countries of origin which must be addressed. This is important and nobody so far has so much as glanced that way. We sort of pretend these people are just magically appearing at the borders of the West without trying to understand why…and if we don’t ask why, we really can’t begin to address the problems mass migration are creating. We can’t get from mere emergency management until we develop comprehensive and shared policies on it. The crucial thing, though, is the “comprehensive and shared” aspect of it.

As in so much over the past ten years, it is Donald Trump who sort of leads the way here – even if it wasn’t entirely planned on his part (spoiler: I think it might be, but he hasn’t explicitly said so). In taking out the corrupt and anti-human regime in Venezuela, Trump struck a huge blow against the origin of the problem: that is, governments so bad that their people feel they have to flee…doubled by the criminals (often working in tandem with the anti-human governments) who traffic the victims of injustice into the United States and the larger West. Venezuela is no long a problem on this score. The march of rightwing governments in Latin America is also reducing the need to flee and cracking down on the criminals who traffic (and we note that with USAID money no longer flowing, all of a sudden the Left can’t win elections down south). And, of course, strictly controlling our border and deporting those who arrived illegally is simply doing our part domestically. It all works together like a jigsaw puzzle and unless all of it is put together, none of it really works.

If you think we can just deport and build a wall, you’re wrong. The next Democrat President can just tear down that wall and stop deporting. The only way to address the migration issue is comprehensively, as Pope Leo observed. The whole chain of events needs to be addressed. If it is comprehensively addressed, then the next Democrat President can tear down all the walls they/them like…if there’s no mass of people to be moved, it won’t matter.

But we are still not looking at the matter comprehensively. There are nations out there which are complete basket cases – most notably in Africa. It has been 65+ years since most of Africa became independent and, so far, there is not a lot of success to point to in sub-Saharan Africa. Gabon does ok, but actual GDP is still less than 10k per capita. True, this is vastly wealthy compared to most and any observer must note there is a strong correlation between the number of Christians and the condition of the country – the more, the better (Gabon is 80% Christian). But even in some of the Christian areas failure is pretty total. How total? Well, in 1965 when Singapore became independent, the per capita GDP was about $560.00. Now it is more than 90 grand. Per capita. Over a 60 year period. Nigeria has gone from $93 in 1960 to $1,200 today…and Nigeria floats on oil, Singapore has no natural resources at all except that excellent harbor Sir Stamford Raffles located in 1818. Nigeria is about 46% Christian – majority is Muslim. But even absent the Muslim attacks, the country is also wracked with tribal animosities which often supersede religion. Nigeria has about 250 distinct ethnic groups, none make up more than 30% of the population and all of them seem to hate each other to one degree or another. They fight constantly over the power to loot the oil money which flows into the country – estimates are that as much as 20% of Nigeria’s oil is stolen by Nigerians between oil well and tanker.

You can’t have a functioning country like that. It just isn’t possible. And it shows in the millions of Nigerians who have fled – nobody really knows how many. Definitely in the millions. As I’ve noted many times before, I’ve met Nigerians here in the USA. Deeply Catholic ladies and gentlemen! But as we can see, a small sample doesn’t necessarily describe the broad mass. There are great people in Nigeria. There are also absolutely lousy people – you know, the sort who steal oil so they can pile up cash for themselves while 99% of the people live hand to mouth. We don’t address the migration crisis comprehensively until we address this.

Now let’s remember why there is a country called Nigeria. It wasn’t because Nigerians founded it. There actually isn’t a people called “Nigerian”. The name was applied by the British Colonial Office to the area simply so they could have an easy name to describe the area – which was being moved into by the British in order to suppress the slave trade. Think about that: the Royal Navy had been off the coast since 1807 capturing slave ships. The Americas has all banned the trade even if they retained slaves domestically…but so persistent was the slave trade that even with the threat of hanging from a Royal Navy yardarm, the people of Nigeria continued the traffic. The only way to get it to stop was to go ashore and force it to stop. And so it was done. By the late 19th century the whole area was under British rule and slavery was stamped out (after series of wars because even with the British Army coming ashore, they still wouldn’t stop selling their fellow Africans). Peace and order was imposed. Things improved. Roads were built. Harbors constructed. Schools opened. New cash crops were introduced. Sure, the Nigerians had to put up with British colonial officials – never a completely fun thing. But it got better. Development commenced. A barely iron-age society started to become part of the larger world. And then two world wars happened and the Brits just couldn’t afford it (they never made a profit off Nigeria) and so the place was cut lose…handed over to a group of Nigerians who were partially educated and who then proceeded to fight over the spoils…said fight continuing to this day in various forms.

Are we supposed to wait another 65 years to see if they sort it out? With how many millions more Nigerians to flee to the West? I don’t think it is sustainable. And while I am of the view of letting them sort it out – or not, as they case may be – I realize that if I really just go hands-off, then I’ve got Kamala Harris’ spiritual progeny just waiting to get Executive power here in the USA so they can import not the good Nigerians, but the very worst…just the sort of people who fight over tribal issues and who view government office as a license to steal. I think we’re going to have to directly address the issue – and keep a hand in.

I think we’re going to have to Venezuela some of these nations – and in some of the very worst cases, impose a government on them. Sure, such a government can include locals…but in the places where corruption is a way of life, only Americans or other outsiders may have control of the money and police. If we don’t, then they’ll just keep stealing from each other. I don’t want an American Empire…but I also can’t in either practical or moral terms just let things slide. I do have a moral obligation to my foreign brothers and sisters…and even if they are too pig headed to understand, we might have to force them into the right path. And not just for their good, but for ours. Bottom line, we can’t persist with how it was before Trump…but we also just can’t build a wall and call it a day. We’re really going to have to think about what we want as an end state…and then steel ourselves to making it happen.