Just have had dinner with some friends from different parts of the world and touched a topic that made me realize how your choices of movement are decided by your origins.
Coming from former communistic Czechoslovakia I have experienced repression. There was no democracy and you were not allowed to travel where you wanted. You had some limited choices of traveling to other eastern block countries but that did not quench your curiosity about the world. Books that you read had stories about adventures in Africa or Asia but those parts of the world were inaccessible to you.
Due to a brave move by my parents, I was lucky enough to move to Sweden at young age. Suddenly the world was open. I had not changed; instead my status had changed.
This is what upsets me. We are all human beings and it should be a human right to be able to travel around on mother Earth. I understand that there would be negative effects if people started immigrating to certain popular parts of the world in masses but surely locking them up in their own country is not an ideal solution.
In London I meet people from around the world. Everyone is very excited about being in London and the UK for it is such an exciting place to be but their journey here has not always been as easy as mine.
When you have freedom of movement you don’t value it as much as someone who dreams of traveling.
Thanks for your express how do you feel and how much do you appreciate freedom of movement. It’s true it’s not the possibility for everyone. So we (who can) should travel and learn about countries and their people more, not sitting at home and growing old 🙂
H.
Hey T,
I know about your frustration about not being able to work where you want and are needed.
I think the reason why it is easier for an asylum seeker to get a working permit is that it enables them to integrate into the society.
He/she has left their country due to prosecution or threat of death and has no option of returning.
I would love to work for a couple of years in the US but the option for that is as limited as your is about Europe. Let’s pull some strings and do a switch 😉