Editor,

RE: "We shouldn’t confuse genuine refugees with economic migrants” (The New Times, June 24).

But what is wrong with being economic migrants? Everyone on this planet is either an immigrant or the descendant of migrants, and the overwhelming majority from resource shortages (i.e. economic migrants).

In fact all early human migratory waves from the cradle of humanity - Africa - to all the corners of the globe were all motivated by economic (resource) necessity; they were rarely, if ever, due to political motives.

Equally, all the massive emigration of European settlers to the Americas and much of the rest of the world were overwhelmingly for economic reasons.

So what is this business of making it sound as if economic reasons are illegitimate as a reason to flee a country for another? Such a position is in total contradiction to human history.

MK