Abortion and Immigration

In the current and growing controversy in many Western countries over high levels of immigration, the link to abortion is perhaps overlooked. Those in favour of immigration argue that it is necessary to avoid economic stagnation and decline: we need an expanding population to keep the flywheels of industry spinning. And we need a constant feed of young people to finance the retirements of the old as life spans lengthen.

And were might we most naturally get such a steady stream of young people?

The numbers suggest it would not be a complete solution, but it would be a help, if we banned abortion. A quick check online suggests an abortion rate in the US of about 700,000 per year. That is not far below the annual immigration rate of about 1,000,000. In Canada, abortions account for about 70,000-100,000 deaths per year. Canada’s immigration rate is just under 300,000 per year; although some say this level is higher than is needed for economic growth, and the American comparison suggests this is so.

Combine an abortion ban with friendlier policies toward traditional marriage and child-rearing, and it might fill the gap.

This has nothing to do with thinking native-born Canadians are in any way “better” than people from other countries. Look at it either from a human rights perspective, or a purely economic perspective. It makes no sense to plough under a commodity we are producing, and then import it from elsewhere. Nor is it equal treatment to kill native people, in order to replace them with people from abroad.

And what about all those poor people wanting to immigrate to Canada? Those huddled masses, yearning to breathe free? Canada is, I believe, objectively, underpopulated, and we should open our doors to those in genuine need. This is a great good Canada can do. But with the exception of oppressed groups, a vital exception, there seems much logic in the position that we are doing no favours to the “Third World” by creaming off the most motivated and most skilled from other lands. If humans are the most valuable resource, and they are, and our financial need for immigration says they are, this actually looks like exploitation.