Reality is not an absolute concept. It cannot be understood by simply reading a definition provided by a dictionary. It is more subjective. I would even argue that reality can only be defined through an individual’s experiences and knowledge. That is to say that throughout a person’s existence, they will construct their own version of reality.
Man naturally seeks the best for himself and his surroundings. Reality can, therefore, at times be difficult to accept when it is too harsh or brutal. For instance, the famous painting “Death of the Virgin” painted by Michelangelo Merisi, provides a good representation of a reality that is considered too harsh to be admitted by people. Indeed, the painter boldly emphasizes the death of the virgin, bringing out the human side of the virgin rather than the divine. It is a visual scandal, especially for the people of the time, most of whom were Christian believers. The painting forces them to confront themselves and accept the fatal death of the virgin even before they could really believe in her mystery: that of being the mother of Jesus.
Much in the same way that the reality in the painting is too harsh to face, so is the reality of the issues concerning migration. Indeed, the causes of this migration are known to all, but no one wants to accept this reality partly because the policies put in place by the various governments cannot immediately react to the issues encountered. Yet migration is recognized for many positive aspects, including remittances, which constitute $431 billion of the global economy today according to the 2016 World Bank’s report. According to the Guadalajara Reporter, they also constituted Mexico’s highest source of income. At the national level, they help to ease social tensions, offering opportunities for some residents to go abroad and facilitate their mobility; thus, it reduces social inequalities. Without forgetting to mention that at the demographic level, migration rebalances the age pyramid and restores the ratio of active to inactive people at the employment level. I believe that they make our humanity constantly progress as a whole. Contrary to most opinions, migration facilitates the mobility of individuals, willing to work abroad and experience different opportunities in other countries. Indeed, As Catherine Wihtol de Wenden, a French immigration activist points out, “Economically, we lose more to closing borders than to opening them”.
Finally, there is a certain gap between the reality of migration and its myth. Migration is a reality that is impossible to accept for populists in power because it can hurt their support among the electorate. Once again, there is a friction between the will to exercise the desires of the people, and the willingness of governments to respond to challanges faced by the most vulnerable. These daily social and political complexities transform realities in order to satisfy a majority of individuals. Indeed, every person has unique opinions and would like to see their decisions taken according to their choices. However, in order to avoid falling into anarchy, governments must adapt themselves to the situation by giving a certain image of reality. This reality is usually arranged in order to be accepted by the majority of the population until a solution to the problem is found because in most cases, accepting the truth is difficult. Reality can eventually be considered as relatively unknown, and individuals should therefore stop dreaming of a utopian representation of their world.
