Borders, Babies, and Civilizational Survival

www.americanthinker.com

Another Sunday and the congregation of my church was subjected to yet another homily from a left-wing priest lecturing us on how being a good Christian means we support open borders, and failing to welcome all strangers is antithetical to what Jesus taught.

This particular priest is not unique.

Ordinary citizens in western countries are being lectured to and shamed by leftists because we object to vast numbers of immigrants from 2nd and 3rd-world countries who have no desire to assimilate, who prey on our women and children, commit massive fraud, and place unsustainable drains on our resources.

The elites tell us we need immigrants because we face declining native birth rates, which are well below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman. They promote mass immigration as the remedy to sustain populations, and economies. However, evidence from sources across the political spectrum reveals this as a shortsighted strategy that fails to address root causes, strains social cohesion, and often results in unassimilated populations that create new problems while serving as a tool for expanding dependent voter bases.

Immigration does not sustainable solve low fertility. Immigrants' higher initial birth rates often converge to host-country lows within one or two generations. A Population Research Institute analysis noted that global fertility is declining, shrinking the pool of potential high-fertility migrants, and that immigration acts as a temporary band-aid rather than a cure. In Czechia, a post-2022 surge of Ukrainian refugees coincided with a 25% drop in native births, despite prior post-natalist policies boosting fertility to 1.83. Cultural disruption, housing pressures, and political polarization -- older voters turning right, younger ones embracing anti-natalist views -- appear to exacerbate the decline.

Switzerland's upcoming referendum on capping its population at 10 million highlights these tensions. Their population has surged from 7.3 million in 2002 to over 9 million today, driven largely by immigration. This has pressured housing, infrastructure, and national identity. The Swiss People's Party frames it as preserving Swiss culture against "creeping Islamization" and non-assimilating expatriates, while critics warn of economic harm. Foreign nationals comprise 27% of the population -- greatly exceeding the EU average -- yet fertility stands at 1.3. Reports as of Sunday afternoon indicate that the vote has failed.

Beyond demographics, conservatives argue that immigration policies enlarge a dependent voter base. Unskilled or low-assimilating inflows can increase reliance on welfare, shifting electoral dynamics toward parties (guess which one!) favoring expansive government. This creates a feedback loop: more dependents, more votes for expansive government policies, further straining natives who fund the system while facing competition for jobs, housing, and services.

We've seen what happens when large numbers of immigrants choose not to assimilate. Immigrants from culturally distant regions form parallel societies, rejecting host norms. This has fueled horrific crimes. In the UK, grooming gangs -- predominantly men of Pakistani heritage -- systematically raped and exploited thousands of vulnerable young white girls in Rotherham, Rochdale, Oxford, Telford, and elsewhere. Authorities often turned a blind eye due to fears of "racism," with inquiries revealing institutional failures spanning years. Reports link political calculations, including under Keir Starmer's time as Director of Public Prosecutions, to delayed or soft-pedaled prosecutions.

Similar patterns appear elsewhere. In Sweden and other Western European cities, no-go zones and gang violence tied to migrant communities have transformed safe cities. Belfast saw riots after a Sudanese immigrant was charged in a knife attack. Houses and businesses were torched, and politicians blamed "thuggery" but ignored public frustration over the public's border concerns and prior stabbings.

In Scotland, a 12-year-old girl was arrested and vilified after defending herself with a knife and axe against a Bulgarian man who sexually harassed her ("Come here, sexy") and assaulted her, pushing her into a handrail. He filmed it, claimed racial abuse, and authorities initially sided with him until CCTV and a court vindicated the girls. His sister assaulted the victim's sibling. This case was amplified by Elon Musk, and exposed misplaced priorities favoring migrants over native children.

Citizens are pushing back. The Scottish girl's vindication, Belfast unrest, and Sweden's shifting politics reflect growing resistance to unchecked inflows and elite denial. Switzerland's vote tests whether prosperity and identity can coexist with rapid demographic change.

Evolutionary psychologist Gad Saad warns of "suicidal empathy" -- excessive, unbounded compassion that prioritizes outsiders over citizens, eroding self-preservation. Rooted in cultural relativism and a view of the West as uniquely sinful, it leads to policies ignoring trade-offs: admitting those incompatible with Western values, downplaying crime to avoid "Islamophobia," or favoring migrants over veterans and taxpayers. Saad argues this hyper-empathy, weaponized by bad actors, risks civilizational collapse, as seen in post October 7 shifts or the absurdities of gender ideologies. The West's miracle of liberty and prosperity requires moderated empathy, not suicide.

There are, surprisingly, occasional wise words from Catholic leaders such as these and these. Even Pope Leo was able to utter some words of wisdom that affirmed human dignity without open borders, emphasizing the rule of law and prudent enforcement.

Using immigration to fix falling births imports demographic and cultural challenges without resolving them. It risks social fragmentation, elevated crime from non-assimilators, and political manipulation via dependency. Nations must prioritize native family formation through pro-natal policies, cultural confidence, and selective, assimilative immigration -- not endless inflows that dilute identity and strain empathy's limits.