U.S. can’t walk away from migration crisis

The following editorial appears on Bloomberg View:

The U.S. decision to boycott United Nations talks on global migration is as irrational as it was inevitable. It was always going to be hard for President Donald Trump to resist an opportunity to snub both his predecessor and the UN, but refusing to participate can only harm American interests.

The record number of migrants and refugees in the world is not a fleeting crisis but reflects a continuing trend — one driven by festering conflicts, environmental pressures and demographic inevitabilities. In 2000, the world’s estimated 173 million international migrants represented 2.8 per cent of the world’s population,

In announcing the U.S. withdrawal, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that the compact “contains a number of policy goals that are inconsistent with U.S. law and policy.” Perhaps that’s because the Trump administration has repeatedly flouted some of the principles enshrined in the declaration that the U.S. agreed to last year under President Barack Obama: Nations should detain children only “as a last resort,” follow due process in handling asylum applications, and combat “xenophobia, racism and discrimination” against refugees and immigrants.

In the meantime, the Trump administration has forsaken an opportunity to elucidate its arguments on immigration. If the administration disagrees with the declaration’s principles and goals, shouldn’t it make its case instead of simply staying home? The global migration crisis is not going away, and neither oceans nor a wall can shield the U.S. from its consequences.