Columnist: Simply criticizing illegal migration now gets you branded a racist

In a commentary published by TVNET under the recurring column "Lūsis komentē" (Lūsis Comments), the author shares his views on how the word "racist" is being used today. He states that two opposite phenomena bother him equally.

The first is genuine racism — the author acknowledges that some people truly do consider individuals of other skin colors to be inferior, and he describes this as a real and undeniable problem in society.

The second, in his view, is the opposite extreme: people who brand anyone who disagrees with them — particularly on migration — as a racist. According to the columnist, such people see racism virtually everywhere and judge everything through a black-and-white lens.

Specifically, he points out that if someone states they do not want their country to accept large groups of illegal migrants, that person is, under this logic, automatically labeled a racist — even though such a position is not inherently about racial discrimination, but rather about attitudes toward unlawful border crossing and migration control.

The author argues that this oversimplified approach — treating any critical or reserved stance on migration as equivalent to racism — makes honest discussion of migration issues more difficult. He stresses the importance of separating genuine hostility toward people based on skin color from legitimate concerns about a country's migration policy and illegal migration.

The piece is part of TVNET's regular opinion column "Lūsis komentē," in which the author expresses personal views on current social issues.