How guest worker visas could transform the US immigration system | David J. Bier

Prevodilac: Tijana Maslać Lektor: Ivana Korom

By October 2018,

Od oktobra 2018,

Juan Carlos Rivera could no longer afford

Huan Karlos Rivera nije više mogao da priušti

to live in his home in Copan, Honduras.

da živi u svom domu u Kopanu, u Hondurasu.

As the "Dallas Morning News" reported,

Kako prenose "Jutarnje novosti Dalasa",

a gang was taking 10 percent of his earnings from his barber shop.

banda je uzimala 10 posto njegove zarade iz njegove berbernice.

His wife was assaulted going to her pre-K teaching job.

Njegovu suprugu su napali dok je odlazila na posao u vrtiću.

And they were concerned about the safety of their young daughter.

I bili su zabrinuti zbog bezbednosti njihove mlade kćerke.

What could they do?

Šta su mogli da urade?

Run away?

Da pobegnu?

Seek asylum in another country?

Da traže azil u drugoj državi?

They didn't want to do that.

Nisu želeli to da urade.

They just wanted to live in their country safely.

Samo su želeli da žive bezbedno u svojoj zemlji.

But their options were limited.

Ali njihove opcije su bile ograničene.

So that month,

Stoga je tog meseca,

Juan Carlos moved his family to a safer location

Huan Karlos preselio svoju porodicu na bezbednije mesto,

while he joined a group of migrants on the long and perilous journey

dok se on pridružio grupi migranata na dugom i opasnom putovanju

from Central America

od Centralne Amerike do posla,

to a job a family member said was open for him in the United States.

za koji je član porodice rekao da ga čeka u Sjedinjenim Državama.

By now we're all familiar with what awaited them

Do sada smo svi upoznati sa tim šta ih je dočekalo

at the US-Mexico border.

na američko-meksičkoj granici.

The harsher and harsher penalties doled out to those crossing there.

Sve strože i strože kazne za one koji su tu prelazili granicu.

The criminal prosecutions for crossing illegally.

Krivično gonjenje zbog ilegalnog prelaska.

The inhumane detention.

Nehuman pritvor.

And most terribly, separation of families.

A što je najužasnije - razdvajanje porodica.

I'm here to tell you that not only is this treatment wrong,

Ovde sam da vam kažem da je ovakav pristup ne samo pogrešan,

it's unnecessary.

već i nepotreban.

This belief that the only way to maintain order

Ovo uverenje da su nehumana sredstva

is with inhumane means

jedini način da se uspostavi red

is inaccurate.

je netačan.

And in fact, the opposite is true.

I u suštini je ono suprotno tome istinito.

Only a humane system will create order at the border.

Jedino će humani sistem stvoriti red na granici.

When safe, orderly, legal travel to the United States is available,

Kada je sigurno, uredno i legalno putovanje u Ameriku dostupno,

very few people choose travel that is unsafe,

veoma malo ljudi bira put koji je nebezbedan,

neuredan i ilegalan.

disorderly or illegal.

Now, I appreciate the idea

Sad, cenim ideju

that legal immigration could just resolve the border crisis

da bi legalna imigracija mogla da reši graničnu krizu

might sound a bit fanciful.

možda zvuči pomalo maštovito.

But here is the good news:

Ali evo ih dobre vesti:

We have done this before.

uradili smo ovo i pre.

I've been working on immigration for years

Radim na imigraciji već godinama

at the Cato Institute

na Kato Institutu

and other think tanks in Washington DC

i drugim istraživačkim centrima u Vašingtonu

and as the senior policy adviser for a republican member of Congress,

i kao viši politički savetnik za republikanskog člana Kongresa,

pregovaram dvostranačku imigracionu reformu.

negotiating bipartisan immigration reform.

And I've seen firsthand

I video sam iz prve ruke

how America has implemented a system of humane order at the border

kako je Amerika implementirala sistem humanog reda na granici

for Mexico.

sa Meksikom.

It's called a guest worker program.

Zove se program gostujućeg radnika.

And here's the even better news.

A evo ih i još bolje vesti:

We can replicate this success for Central America.

ovaj uspeh možemo da ponovimo sa Centralnom Amerikom.

Of course, some people

Naravno, neki ljudi

will still need to seek asylum at the border.

će i dalje morati da traže azil na granici.

But to understand how successful

Ali da bi se razumelo koliko uspešno

this could be for immigrants like Juan Carlos,

bi ovo moglo biti za imigrante poput Huan Karlosa,

understand that until recently,

shvatite da je do nedavno

nearly every immigrant arrested by Border Patrol was Mexican.

skoro svaki imigrant kog je granična policija uhapsila

bio Meksikanac.

In 1986,

Godine 1986. je svaki agent granične patrole

each Border Patrol agent arrested 510 Mexicans.

uhapsio 510 Meksikanaca.

I preko jednog dnevno.

Well over one per day.

By 2019, this number was just eight.

Do 2019. ovaj broj je bio samo osam.

That's one every 43 days.

To je jedan svaka 43 dana.

It is a 98 percent reduction.

Smanjenje od 98 posto.

So where have all the Mexicans gone?

Pa kuda su to svi Meksikanci otišli?

The most significant change

Najznačajnija promena

is that the US began issuing

je to da su SAD počele da izdaju

hundreds of thousands of guest worker visas to Mexicans,

stotine hiljada gostujućih radnih viza Meksikancima,

so that they can come legally.

kako bi mogli da dođu legalno.

José Vásquez Cabrera was among the first Mexican guest workers

Hose Vaskez Kabrera je bio među prvim gostujućim meksičkim radnicima

to take advantage of this visa expansion.

koji je iskoristio prednosti ovog proširenja vize.

He told "The New York Times" that before his visa

Rekao je "Njujork Tajmsu" da je pre njegove vize

he'd made terrifying illegal border crossings,

počinio zastrašujuće ilegalne prelaske preko granice,

braving near deadly heat and the treachery of the landscape.

hrabro protiv skoro smrtonosne vrućine i izdajničkog predela.

One time, a snake killed a member of his group.

Jedanput je zmija ubila člana njegove grupe.

Thousands of other Mexicans also didn't make it,

Hiljade drugih Meksikanaca takođe nisu uspeli,

dying of dehydration in the deserts or drowning in the Rio Grande.

umirući od dehidratacije u pustinjama ili utopivši se u Rio Grandeu.

Millions more were chased down and arrested.

Milioni drugih su uhvaćeni i uhapšeni.

Guest worker visas have nearly ended this inhumane chaos.

Gostujuće radne vize su zamalo okončale ovaj nehuman haos.

As Vásquez Cabrera put it,

Kao što je Vaskez Kabrera rekao:

"I no longer have to risk my life

"Više ne moram da rizikujem svoj život

to support my family.

da bih izdržavao svoju porodicu.

And when I'm here, I don't have to live in hiding."

I kada sam ovde, ne moram da se krijem."

Guest worker visas actually reduced the number of illegal crossings

Vize za gostujuće radnike su zapravo smanjile broj ilegalnih prelazaka

more than the number of visas issued.

više nego broj izdatih viza.

Jose Bacilio, another Mexican guest worker, explained why

Hose Basilio, drugi meksički gostujući radnik,

je objasnio zašto "Vašington Postu" u aprilu.

to the "Washington Post" in April.

He said, even though he hadn't received a visa this year,

Rekao je da uprkos tome što nije dobio vizu ove godine,

he wouldn't risk all of his future chances

ne bi rizikovao sve svoje buduće prilike

by crossing illegally.

prelazeći ilegalno.

This likely helps explain why

Ovo verovatno objašnjava zašto je

from 1996 to 2019

od 1996. do 2019.

for every guest worker admitted legally from Mexico,

za svakog gostujućeg radnika primljenog legalno iz Meksika,

there was a decline in two arrests of Mexicans crossing illegally.

došlo do pada od dva hapšenja za one Meksikance koji su prelazili ilegalno.

Now, it's true,

Sada, tačno je da

Mexican guest workers do some really tough jobs.

meksički gostujući radnici rade neke izuzetno teške poslove.

Picking fruit, cleaning crabs,

Beru voće, čiste krabe,

landscaping in a 100-degree heat.

uređuju pejzaže na 40 stepeni.

And some critics maintain that guest worker visas

I neki kritičari smatraju da gostujuće radne vize

are not actually humane

zapravo nisu humane

and that the workers are just abused slaves.

i da su radnici samo zloupotrebljeni robovi.

But Vásquez Cabrera thought a guest worker visa was liberating.

Ali je Vaskez Kabrera smatrao da je viza gostujućeg radnika oslobađajuća.

Not enslavement.

Ne robija.

And he, like nearly all other guest workers,

I on je poput skoro svih ostalih gostujućih radnika,

chose the legal path over the illegal one, repeatedly.

odabrao legalan put umesto ilegalnog, iznova i iznova.

The expansion of guest worker visas to Mexicans

Proširenje vize gostujućeg radnika za Meksikance

has been among the most significant humane changes

je bilo među najznačajnijim humanim promenama

in US immigration policy ever.

ikada sprovedenim u američkoj imigracionoj politici.

And that humane change

I ta humana promena

imposed order on chaos.

je nametnula red haosu.

So where does this leave Central Americans,

Pa gde ovo ostavlja ljude iz Centralne Amerike

like Juan Carlos?

poput Huan Karlosa?

Well, Central Americans received

Pa ljudi iz Centralne Amerike su primili

just three percent of the guest worker visas issued in 2019,

samo tri posto viza gostujućih radnika izdatih u 2019,

even as their share of border arrests has risen to 74 percent.

čak iako je njihov udeo u graničnim hapšenjima skočio na 74%.

The US issued just one guest worker visa to a Central American

SAD su izdale samo jednu vizu gostujućeg radnika za ljude

iz Centralne Amerike

for every 78 who crossed the border illegally in 2019.

za svakih 78 koji su ilegalno prešli granicu 2019.

So if they can't get their papers at home,

Stoga ako ne mogu da dobiju papire kod kuće,

many take their chances,

mnogi rizikuju,

coming up through Mexico to claim asylum at the border

dolazeći preko Meksika, tražeći azil na granici ili prelaze ilegalno,

or cross illegally,

even if, like Juan Carlos, they prefer to come to work.

čak iako poput Huan Karlosa više vole da dođu da rade.

The US can do better.

SAD mogu bolje da urade.

It needs to create new guest worker visas

Treba da stvore nove vize za gostujuće radnike,

specifically for Central Americans.

posebno za ljude iz Centralne Amerike.

This would create an incentive for US businesses

Ovo bi podstaklo američke poslodavce

to seek out and hire Central Americans,

da traže i zaposle ljude iz Centralne Amerike,

paying for their flights to the United States,

plaćajući njihove letove do SAD-a

and diverting them from the illegal, dangerous trek north.

i odvraćajući ih od ilegalne, opasne putanje ka severu.

Central Americans could build flourishing lives at home,

Ljudi iz Centralne Amerike bi mogli da stvore uspešne živote kod kuće

without the need to seek asylum at the border

bez potrebe da traže azil na granici

or cross illegally,

ili da prelaze ilegalno,

freeing up an overwhelmed system.

oslobađajući prezasićen sistem.

Some people might say

Neki ljudi bi mogli reći

that letting the workers go back and forth

da puštanje radnika da idu tamo-ovamo

will never work in Central America

nikada neće funkcionisati u Centralnoj Americi

where violence is so high.

gde je velika stopa nasilja.

But again, it worked in Mexico,

Ali opet, uspelo je u Meksiku,

even as Mexico's murder rate more than tripled over the last decade,

čak dok se stopa ubistava u Meksiku utrostručila u prethodnoj deceniji

to a level higher than much of Central America.

do višeg nivoa nego u većini Centralne Amerike.

And it would work for Juan Carlos,

I odgovaralo bi Huan Karlosu,

who said, despite the threats

koji je rekao da uprkos pretnjama

he only wants to live in the United States temporarily,

bi samo želeo da živi u Sjedinjenim Državama privremeno,

to make enough money

kako bi zaradio dovoljno novca

to sustain his family in their new home.

da izdržava svoju porodicu u njihovom novom domu.

He even suggested that a guest worker program

Čak je predložio da bi program gostujućeg radnika bio jedna od najboljih stvari

would be one of the best things to help Hondurans like him.

da se pomogne ljudima iz Hondurasa poput njega.

Cintia, a 29-year-old single mother of three from Honduras,

Sintija, 29-godišnja samohrana majka troje dece iz Hondurasa,

seems to agree.

se izgleda slaže.

She told the "Wall Street Journal" that she came for a job

Ona je rekla "Vol Strit Žurnalu" da je došla zbog posla,

to support her kids and her mom.

kako bi izdržavala svoju decu i majku.

Surveys of Central Americans traveling through Mexico,

Ankete ljudi iz Centralne Amerike koji su putovali kroz Meksiko,

by the College of the Northern Border in Mexico,

koje je sproveo koledž "Severna Granica" iz Meksika,

confirm that Juan and Cintia are the norm.

potvrđuju da su Huan i Sintija norma.

Most, not all, but most do come for jobs,

Većina, ne svi, ali većina zaista dolazi zbog poslova,

even if, like the Riveras,

čak iako, poput Rivera,

they may also face some real threats at home.

se i suočavaju sa ozbiljnim pretnjama kod kuće.

Koliko bi minimalno plaćen posao pomogao čoveku iz Hondurasa,

How much would a low-wage job help

a Honduran, like Juan or Cintia?

poput Huana ili Sintije?

Hondurans like them make as much

Ljudi iz Hondurasa poput njih zarade

in one month in the United States

za mesec dana u Americi

as they do in an entire year working in Honduras.

koliko bi zaradili radeći čitave godine u Hondurasu.

A few years' work in the United States

Nekoliko godina rada u Americi

can propel a Central American into its upper middle class

bi mogle da pokrenu osobu iz Centralne Amerike u višu srednju klasu

where safety is easier to come by.

gde je lakše susresti se sa bezbednošću.

What Central Americans lack is not the desire to work.

Ono što nedostaje ljudima iz Centalne Amerike nije želja za radom.

Not the desire to contribute to the US economy,

Nije želja da doprinesu američkoj ekonomiji,

to contribute to the lives of Americans.

da doprinesu životima Amerikanaca.

What Central Americans lack is a legal alternative to asylum.

Ono što im nedostaje je legalna alternativa za azil.

To be able to do so legally.

Mogućnost da to urade legalnim putem.

Of course, a new guest worker program

Naravno da novi program gostujućeg radnika

will not resolve 100 percent of this complex phenomenon.

neće 100 posto rešiti ovaj kompleksni fenomen.

Many asylum seekers will still need to seek safety

Mnogi azilanti će morati i dalje da traže bezbednost

at the US border.

na američkoj granici.

But with the flows reduced,

Ali sa smanjenim protokom,

we can more easily work out ways to deal with them humanely.

lakše možemo utvrditi načine da se da se nosimo s njima humano.

But ultimately,

Ali naposletku,

no single policy has proven to do more

nijedna jedinstvena politika nije dokazala da je uradila više

to create an immigration system that is both humane

kako bi kreirala imigracioni sistem koji je i human i uredan

and orderly

than to let the workers come legally.

nego da se radnicima dozvoli legalan dolazak.

Thank you.

Hvala.

(Applause)

(Aplauz)