DOI

10.26556/jesp.v8i2.162

Abstract

In a recent paper, Michael Blake (2013) presents a novel

argument for the claim that, if states have obligations to protect the human

rights of everyone in their jurisdiction, then some immigration restrictions

are morally justified. Blake argues that citizens acquire new obligations

to protect the human rights of immigrants once these immigrants enter

a state’s territorial jurisdiction. But he contends that people have rights to

avoid unwanted obligations and that citizens can permissibly restrict immigration

in order to prevent immigrants from imposing unwanted obligations

on them. In this paper, I will show that Blake’s argument for immigration

restrictions is unsound. In particular, I will argue that it is false that we have

rights to avoid unwanted obligations.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-2014

Publisher Statement

Copyright © 2014, Journal of Ethics and Social Philosophy.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.26556/jesp.v8i2.162

The definitive version is available at: https://jesp.org/index.php/jesp/issue/view/23

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