A VISA-FREE WORLD!

What would the world be like today if traveling around the world required visas in the times of Vasco Da Gama, Christopher Columbus, Mungo Park, Pilgrims, David Livingstone, Henry Morton Stanley, Cecil Rhodes, Captain Cook, etc.? I guess there would be no America, Australia, South America, and Africa as we know these continents today. They will be unspoiled, unexploited, unpolluted, and peaceful continents except for the occasional inter-tribal conflicts. Global warming would not be part of our lexicon!

Imagine a bunch of Church of England rebels going to the American Indian Embassy in London and requesting visas to travel to America to practice their heresy. Chief Onatonga, the Consul would want to know if they are out of their minds. The Pilgrims would say, “Chief, we are being persecuted by the Church of England and we want visas to travel to America.” The Chief would reply, “So you want to transport your heresy to America? If you preach that nonsense in America, some Apaches will scalp you alive. For your own personal safety, I am refusing all of you visas. I understand that the Dutch Embassy may be more accommodating.” But the pilgrims did not have to ask for visas from the Indian Embassy. They sail to America, decimate the Indian population by bullets, disease, and cruel long forced marches to new destinations. The remnant Indian population are denied the benefits of the treaties that they have signed with the invaders and are confined to reservations.

At the other end of London, a scraggly, bearded Mongo Park has gone to the Nigerian Embassy requesting a visa to go to Africa to discover the River Niger. The visa officer, one Alhaji Otakamkpe takes a quick look at him, goes inside, and invites his colleagues to see this ghost-like figure who wants to go to Africa. He advises Mungo Park thus: “My friend, in your own interest I advise you not to venture into Africa. The locals might think that you are a ghost and use you for human sacrifice. I do not want your blood on my hands and I hereby refuse you a visa for your own good.” Mungo Park and all the European “explorers” sailed into Africa without visas, subjugated the natives, killed the stubborn natives, and proceeded to use the abundant natural resources of Africa to develop Europe and America.

Captain Cook meanwhile sails into Australia without a visa and he is promptly arrested by the Aborigines who imprison him. He contracts diarrhea and dies of dehydration before his trial for trespassing. Similar fates befell all the other “explorers” and “discoverers” who are either imprisoned or turned away at the border if they do not have visas. But Captain Cook was not arrested, he sails into Australia and claims it for the crown. British prisoners are transported to Australia where they enslave the Aborigines and dispossess them of their land and resources. Aboriginal children are kidnapped from their parents and forcibly anglicized!

In reality, all these adventurers went to America, Australia, South America, and Africa unhindered by visas. They not only pillaged the land but also enslaved the natives and forcibly changed their ways of life and religion by brute force using guns, disease, and cruelty. After the economic transfer of resources to their home countries or using the resources of the conquered colonies to create a segregated society in the so-called colonies, they would build a visa wall around their home countries and conquered territories to prevent new explorers and discoverers from entering. Without the resources pillaged from the Congo by King Leopold II, Belgium would be a third world country. The same Belgium has one of the most retrogressive immigration policies in Europe.

The Schengen Agreement that made the European Union visa- free is admirable and should extend world-wide. A visa-free world will promote inter exchanges of ideas, culture, technology, information, skills, and knowledge. Do not steal from peoples’ ancestors and then close the door on their descendants so they cannot recover some of what rightfully belongs to them. What is good for Europe is good for the World. We should all demand a visa-free world. Africans need to discover Europe and America just as the Europeans discovered Africa and used African resources to develop Europe and America.