In the 1990s, news reports described ‘boat’ immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa being turned away from Greece and Italy, drowning in the Mediterranean, babies and mothers washing up on lonely shores. This was also a time when America was struggling with the Mariel immigrants from Cuba and other Caribbean countries risking their lives on insecure boats coming to Florida. Some of us may also recall the Vietnam “boat people” of the ’70s.) My son asked me why people risked their lives in such perilous journeys. To answer, I referred back to my undergraduate biology class (my teacher would have been proud).

In that class, I learned that animal species, humans included, have three fundamental survival needs: food, shelter and sex: food (and water) to nourish, shelter to protect, and sex to multiply. While we might nit-pick (as we did in class) and argue for oxygen, sunlight, moderate temperature, greed and others, but textbooks today seem to agree with the three given for survival of the species.

If an animal loses confidence in any of the three, that animal will die, adapt, or leave. If a departure is successful, others may follow. The search may lead to disputes. Humanity at large has a long history of migration leaving Africa and spreading outward slowly populating the habitable world. The American continent today is totally peopled by immigrants and their progeny — including “native” Americans.

Now, today , we Americans in our insulated cocoons have little understanding of the extremity of fatalism experienced by immigrants; nor do we have realistic solutions to immigrant needs. Some wish simplistically to construct physical barriers to block egress. (Locking the door to keep out the fearful boogeyman!) Others look to root causes. Why are migrants breaking down doors to enter any country? Why are they leaving their homes, making dangerous journeys? Why are they leaving the known for the unknown? It must takes desperation and courage. If your country is unable to provide security, nourishment and housing, if life has become intolerable, you will seek food and shelter elsewhere — an often desperate search for a stable future for you and your family.

President Biden assigned his Vice President the task of finding a solution to the immigrant problem. While the cause is obvious, there is no quick fix. How do you solve problems of other nations? Do you gift your own resources to overcome foreign inequality, poverty, and banditry? Do you provide advice to overcome poor governance? Do you topple governments that do not provide equality, security, and opportunity? (America has tried them all and how has that worked out!) But Kamala Harris traveled to Central America and discussed with state representatives about providing social and economic security, reducing corruption, poverty, and gang violence. But at the same time, immigration was expanding due to instability in other failed or failing countries in the Caribbean, Middle East, and Africa increasing pressure. (It is true that many immigrants wish to come legally, but our outdated immigration laws are convoluted and nearly impossible to navigate.)

Do I have a solution? No. Americans should be proud that we are among those few nations that appeal to the hungry, the shelter-less, and insecure. (Isn’t there a poem about that on the Statue of Liberty?)

Here at home, the wall has become a political football — a serious game between politicians seeking electoral advantage not solutions. But a wall? No wall will stop the desperate who will come by land, sea and air. We are talking about some 7,500 border miles for Mexico, Canada and Alaska; and then the Atlantic and Pacific coasts! How about a wall across Panama? Or Guatemala? It would be cheaper. Walls have not worked in the past — China’s, Gorgan’s, Hadrian’s and others more recent! Bus or fly them back to their home countries? And the problem is only going to grow as resources decrease due to climate change and world population increases. Could we provide all that ‘wall’ money to help the countries from which migrants come? It would certainly be more humane (need I say more Christian?).

Hubbard C. Goodrich is a Harpswell resident.