I once intended to write an essay about strangers and immigrants in contrast to all this negative attention surrounding this topic. Instead of an essay I prefer to keep it short now. The real topic was always the anti-immigration rhetoric that still finds many front pages of websites and newspapers. I call it anti-immigration non-sense.

You see to be anti-immigration is an act of stupidity. What if you want to go somewhere else for a different and/or better future? Then what is your argument? Take this politician Nigel Farage. He represents the U.K.I.P. party in the U.K. and in the E.U. parliament and loves his freedom to travel.

In the Brexit campaign he was known to over-emphasise the perceived threat of immigrants. Now if he were to flee his home country for whatever reason he would need a new place to live. He could live in Brussels, that city in Belgium. Would he like it if some anti-immigration politician treated him like a lesser person because “immigrant”? The answer is “no”.

Throughout millennia of human civilisation there have been sedentary people and nomadic people. To not like immigrants is not new. To simply forget that every person alive has ancestors who once started as complete immigrants or strangers in a new country is stupid. Think of the many tribes that moved around the continents. Think of the colonial settlers from Europe on strange shores.

If anything one thing is clear. Relative peace, wealth (of resources) and safety attracts people from places where there is a lack of peace, wealth and safety. To deal with immigrants and strangers you have to be honest. How honest? Simple really, ask three questions about the current situation:

• Can we take care of ourselves?
• Do we have more resources than we need?
• Do we have the capacity to help others?

When the answer to all three questions is “yes” all you have to do is decide who to help and why. Per city, region and country this can be difficult because cultures and languages can clash. Even so with clear policies that everyone understands, much is possible.

Even my country the Netherlands does not have a great track record here. Also here there are politicians like Nigel Farage who like scaring people.

All this anti-immigration non-sense is dangerous. What if you had to flee your home and leave your country?

Think about it…