After September 11, 2001, America increased security including harder immigration restrictions. The restrictions affected those seeking citizenship and also scientists hoping to do research and teach. By 2004, the United State was warned that these policies would delay scientific exchange. According to a recent Nature editorial, these restrictions have improved. The government has managed to abandon a plan to force foreign scientists to obtain licenses to work in a laboratory. The editor feels complacent with the improvements made by the United States government. I feel that the United States has not done enough with the restriction policy for immigrants.
Right now America is faced with a big debate over the immigration between Mexico and America, its neighboring country. The reason why a lot of scientists want to come to America is because this country has a lot of new hi-tech equipment as well as a lot of funding that goes into scientific research. For scientists there is a great need to keep doors open between the science communities so that they can communicate ideas efficiently. According to another article by Nature in 2003, The Risk of Exclusion, an Australian citizen was sent to Montreal for a one-day visa interview. When he tired to return to the United States he was delayed for nine weeks because he was born in Malaysia and that was one of the 26 countries being investigated after 9/11(Nature, pg 1). This incident happened just two years before the editor in the 2006 article from Nature claimed that so much has been improved. I understand that the government finds a greater need to protect its citizens, but for the pursuit of higher knowledge in the field of science the government should try to find a more efficient means of allowing people to travel into the United States.
With these immigration restrictions not only are scientists feeling the affects but so are public-health programs. As mention in Nature’s 2003 article, “Chris Beyrer, who directs the AIDS International Training and Research Program at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, says that visa delays have occurred…in Uganda and Thailand”(Nature, 2). For scientists that live in Africa coming to America it is very important to learn how to implement “Antiviral therapy for AIDS” (Nature, 2). Without this knowledge there is no hope in ending the AIDS crisis in Africa. However, new guidelines for obtaining a visa have pushed back much needed information other countries need to fight illnesses. As mention in 2003 Nature magazine, now many scientists have to wait three to five months for their visa to be processed (Nature, 1). The second stage of obtaining an entry stamp is harder to predict because consular officials can be faced with criminal charges for admitting someone who commits a terrorist act (Nature, 1). These delays not only affect other countries but the United States as well.
As mention in a meeting amongst the House Science Committee many expressed satisfaction from the exclusion of foreign scientist (Nature, 2). It is unlikely for a large number of committee members to change their mind in three years, especially, as the United States continues to receive biological threats that can be easily transferred on an airplane. However, there is still a great risk from not involving foreign scientists. As mention in Peuples and Monde, the United States can deny funding for scientific research of HIV (Peuples and Monde, 1). The Bush Administration appears to be in denial that there should only be “abstinence-only” programs regardless of the thousands of people who already have HIV (Peuples and Monde, 1). By having scientist from other countries coming to America, our scientists can be introduced to new ways to neutralize or eliminate the HIV virus. These other countries can use the funding provided by their government to discover new treatment. Although, if the scientists from these countries can not come into the Unites States then American citizens will be behind in beneficial treatment. HIV is a rapidly growing problem that needs to be contained now before it becomes out of hand across the world.
I am not saying that America needs to forget about 9/11 and allow any scientist to come to America. At the same time be excluding every scientist America falls behind in new ways from improving public health. As a college student with the lack of international students I can not fully expand my potential because I am not exposed to other ideas. With my goals of becoming a Pharmacist other ideas are key factors to creating cures for some of the most deadly and harmful diseases. Outside influences can point out things that I or other colleagues may have over looked. If other countries continued to be prevented from entering the United States these countries could create weapons that could harm us without our knowledge. As the saying goes “Keep your friends close, keep you enemies closer.”
Sources
Brumfiel, Geoff. “Researchers rage at tightened restrictions on US immigration.” Nature. 422 (2003): 457-458. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v422/n6931/full/422457a.html;jsessionid=89B39DFE562FCBA9117E7C9507675363
“Five years on.” Nature. 433 (2006): 2. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v443/n7107/full/443002a.html
“In the United States, today Science, as science, is under attack as never before.” Peuples & Monde. (2006): 2. http://www.peuplesmonde.com/article.php3?id_article=574
“The risk of exclusion.” Nature. 6.2 (2003): 203. http://www.nature.com/neuro/journal/v6/n3/pdf/nn0303-203.pdf
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