UK, EU and USA Immigration Problems A Result of Sanctions and Interference with Sovereign Nations

By Kudzai Makuku

Immigration has become one of the most heated political and social topics in the United Kingdom, European Union Countries, and the United States.

Hardly a day passes without headlines about migrants crossing borders, asylum seekers arriving on boats, or governments debating how to control the influx of people seeking a better life.

Yet, while much attention is given to the consequences of immigration, the strain on public services, border management, and integration challenges, very little is said about the root causes of why millions are leaving their home countries in the first place.

Policymakers and commentators alike often overlook a simple but uncomfortable truth: Western interference in the internal affairs of sovereign nations is one of the main drivers of global migration.

For decades, countries such as the UK, the US, and many EU members have pursued policies that destabilise economies, undermine governments, and impose punitive sanctions on nations that refuse to conform to their political or economic expectations.

These actions destroy livelihoods, disrupt economies, and drive ordinary people to flee their homelands in search of survival and dignity.

Take Zimbabwe as a clear example.

Once known as the breadbasket of Africa, Zimbabwe’s economy was systematically crippled after the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union imposed economic sanctions in the early 2000s.

These sanctions, introduced under the false pretext of promoting democracy, were, in reality, an attempt to force political change by inflicting economic pain.

The result was catastrophic.

Zimbabwe’s industries collapsed, inflation skyrocketed, unemployment soared, and millions were plunged into poverty.

Hospitals ran short of essential medicines, and young professionals fled in search of better prospects abroad.

Since 1999, over one million Zimbabweans have left their country, many settling in the very nations responsible for the sanctions that drove them out.

It is a cruel irony, when a house is set on fire, those who escape the flames will naturally seek refuge with whoever lit the match.

The United States and its allies must come to terms with this reality.

Policies that suffocate developing nations economically and politically will inevitably lead to human displacement.

Sanctions create migrants.Libya offers another tragic example.

Before 2011, Libya was one of Africa’s most prosperous nations, with free healthcare, education, and one of the highest living standards on the continent.

However, a Western-led military intervention under the guise of “humanitarian protection” turned the country into a war zone.

Following the NATO-backed invasion, Libya descended into chaos.

Its infrastructure was destroyed, its leadership toppled, and its people scattered.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 900,000 people fled Libya during and after the conflict.

Many risked their lives crossing the Mediterranean, ending up on the shores of Italy, France, or the UK seeking safety and opportunity in the very countries that played a role in their nation’s destruction.

The Libyan crisis is a stark reminder that when powerful nations destabilise others, they also destabilise themselves.

Every bomb dropped, every sanction imposed, and every political interference has a ripple effect that eventually reaches Western borders in the form of migration flows.

It is deeply hypocritical for Western leaders to lament “illegal migration” while simultaneously enforcing policies that force people to migrate.

By sanctioning, invading, or interfering in sovereign nations’ domestic affairs, they destroy the foundations of stability and self-sufficiency.

When economies collapse, when conflict erupts, when livelihoods vanish, people move.

They move because they must.

And they move towards those countries whose governments had a hand in creating the crisis.

No amount of border walls, deportation flights, or immigration laws will stop this natural human reaction.

The way forward is to end Sanctions, Respect SovereigntyIf the UK, EU, and USA are serious about solving the immigration crisis, they must first address its root causes.

This begins with ending economic warfare in the form of illegal unilateral sanctions and ceasing interference in the internal affairs of other nations.

Instead, they should promote genuine partnerships based on mutual respect, equality, and cooperation.

Lifting sanctions on nations such as Zimbabwe is not merely an act of economic policy; it is an act of justice and a step towards global stability.

It would allow millions of Zimbabweans to rebuild their country, create jobs, and contribute positively to the world instead of being forced to seek refuge abroad.

Immigration is not born out of choice; it is born out of desperation.

That desperation is too often the direct result of policies crafted in London, Washington, and Brussels.

Until the Western world recognises that its sanctions and military interventions are fuelling the very crises it complains about, immigration will remain an issue without end.

To fix the problem at home, the West must stop creating problems abroad.

Only through fairness, non-interference, and respect for sovereignty can we begin to build a truly stable and humane global community.