Some fear that accepting large numbers of Afghan refugees would risk a wave of crime or terrorism. Alex Nowrasteh of the Cato Institute explains why such fears are overblown. Indeed, as he documents, Afghan migrants actually have lower rates of crime and terrorism than native-born Americans. And, obviously, those most eager to flee Taliban rule are unlikely to share its ideology.

Another possible justification for keeping out Afghan refugees is the claim that they have a moral duty to “fix their own country” and stay and fight in Afghanistan. I summarized the general flaws of such arguments here. Among other things, if we take them seriously, they would imply that the ancestors of the vast majority of Americans were wrong to come here from their countries of origin. They should instead have worked to fix the oppressive regimes they fled, such as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Germany, and czarist Russia.

The “fix their own country” argument is particularly wrong when it comes to the Afghan case. After all, many of those now fleeing are in danger precisely because they did try to fix their own country, by working with US and allied forces, promoting equality for women, and strengthening protection for human rights. Some 66,000 Afghans died fighting the Taliban (far more than the number of American and other NATO casualties). Critics comfortably ensconced in the United States would do well to consider whether they themselves would show greater courage and commitment under comparable circumstances.