Helen Frowe on the Case for Refugee Discrimination

What do Albert Einstein, Madeleine Albeit and Freddie Mercury have in common? Well, at least two things. All three were refugees and all three made dedicated contributions in their respective fields. In these respects, they are not unique. Most refugees work and pay taxes. Many contribute more to their host countries than receive back in benefits. By selecting refugees based on their ability to pay, governments can maximise the chances that those they admit will, at the very least, offset the costs of their resettlement. Refugee advocates often decry such selection as unjust discrimination. In their view, the sole criteria for selection should be need. So, who is right here? Helen Frowe, from Stockholm University, offers a surprising answer. She thinks that selecting for ability to pay can be permissible. Indeed, she thinks it can be morally required. So, what is the argument for this form of selection? Can it be morally distinguished from racial or religious discrimination? And how does Helen answer the claim that what she is proposing is simply unfair?