Chapter 577 Immigration? Where to run!
Just after Christmas, the Austrian Imperial Navy intercepted two stowaway ships heading to the United States.
That’s right! At this time, the Austrian Empire had legislated to prohibit any organization or individual from traveling to the New World without official permission. Violators would be subject to heavy fines and exile from the colonies.
The reason is very simple, that is, the Austrian Empire is deeply suspicious of the United States, a country where slavery exists, especially the previous case of a slave trader kidnapping a royal archduke, which made it hate human smuggling.
In order to prevent citizens of the Austrian Empire from being persecuted, the benevolent imperial government decided to severely punish human smuggling.
Of course, the empire will not restrict personal freedom. All routes to the New World are contracted by the imperial government. As for the price, because there are necessary security measures such as escort fleets, the cost will be slightly higher and "a little bit".
In addition, the Austrian Empire also proposed a bill to combat human smuggling at the German Confederation Congress. The German states have long been dissatisfied with the loss of population.
As a result, all German states tacitly voted unanimously to pass the German Confederation Security Law to severely crack down on smuggling and human trafficking.
In fact, the German region was the main force of population immigration in this era. Britain, France, and Portugal had long been aware of the importance of immigration, but the populations of these three countries were not enough to colonize the territories they occupied.
So an alternative plan came out, which was to use cheap Germans and Italians. However, compared to the Italians who loved their families and stayed together, the Germans were obviously easier to control and worked harder.
They mainly used the social circles of this era to attract some Germans who had a good impression of Britain, France, and Portugal.
However, as time went by, the colony's need for population and craftsmen became more and more urgent, and the French even directly crossed the Rhine and Saar rivers to promote their colonial policy to the locals.
The Germans who immigrated to North Africa could get Algerian land and women, and they did not need to join the French army, as long as they paid taxes like the French.
The British South Australia Company even offered free transportation, food and lodging. You must know that it is a journey of half the world from the German region to South Australia.
Due to the favorable conditions, South Australian companies attract a large number of immigrants, and the value created by the new immigrants in the local area far exceeds the cost.
So New Zealand companies began to follow suit and offered more favorable conditions. The last two British companies even went so far as to smear each other in the race for German immigrants.
Australia says New Zealand is full of cannibals, and the latter says the former is a penal colony for prisoners.
In addition to the large companies of these great powers, Brazil, La Plata (Argentina), the Central American Federation, South Africa, and even Mohammed Ali of Egypt have participated in this feast of dividing the population.
(At first, Muhammad Ali's request for the Germans to convert to Christianity was met with strong resistance. After the defeat, he learned from the experience and relaxed religious restrictions. However, another defeat caused Egypt to completely decline.)
The Americans signed agreements with some small countries to corrupt the upper-level officials and forced those skilled craftsmen and scholars to migrate to the New World, so they could receive generous rewards.
They even established the Mainz Noble Association to specifically identify some scholars and craftsmen with liberal tendencies to send to the New World. This way they could eliminate domestic hidden dangers and get a good intermediary fee.
The same organization also appeared in Hamburg, Augsburg, Hesse, Bremen and other places. However, at this time, these people were all labeled by the Austrian Empire as persecuting their compatriots and human trafficking. In addition, those in the German region The wave of nationalism is so miserable, let alone death.
Historically, Belgium has signed an immigration agreement with Guatemala, and they will introduce 10,000 immigrants to the latter within three years.
The Belgians chose the Germans. In three years, more than 8,000 German families came to this legendary promised land on Belgian ships.
However, when the three-year period came, only more than 300 people survived in the end. They lived in shabby wooden houses and thatched huts. They had to worry about not having enough food to fill their stomachs and being whipped by supervisors, but they also had to fear the harassment from the indigenous people. Threat, these people have degenerated into a group of livestock that can be driven around by others.
But now the Belgian coastline and the Guatemalan government have been destroyed by Franz, so this tragedy no longer exists.
The two small cargo ships intercepted by the Austrian Navy contained a full 1,400 Germans and Italians. In fact, such small ships could only hold 200 people at most, but they crammed in three times the number.
You can imagine how dark the hearts of these smugglers are. At the same time, in order to avoid pursuit by the German Confederation, they will hide stowaways below the deck.
Although Franz developed air conditioners and refrigerators, they were not affordable for ordinary people, let alone these stowaways.
Hundreds of people were crowded into a small space, and their heavy breathing caused a layer of water mist to condense on the lower deck, making the cabin feel like a steamer.
Their lives are worse than those of the former black slaves. At the same time, with the advancement of science, the people under the smugglers know the importance of cleanliness. In order to prevent the "cargoes" from getting sick, they will occasionally sprinkle quicklime on them.
The food and sanitary conditions were indescribably disgusting. Fortunately, due to the advancement of technology, the sailing time of the same voyage was greatly shortened, but it was still an arduous journey.
"Sir, they are all voluntary! We have the contract as proof!" The leader of the smuggler shouted as he saw the hatch cover of the deck being opened.
Friedrich watched the stowaways being pulled out of the small and cramped space one by one. Although those people had just been at sea for a few days, they felt uncomfortable being packed in a can like sardines. Some people began to vomit.
Friedrich withdrew his gaze and kicked the snakehead in the face.
"Isn't it easy to force these half-dead people to sign a contract? You damn human traffickers!"
At this time, a woman shouted, "We are all voluntary! We just want to pursue a better life!"
The woman's figure is not bad, but her hair is unkempt and her body smells disgusting.
"Is this what you call a good life? But no matter what, you should be punished if you break the law."
The navy sailors stuffed the unkempt woman back into the cabin without hesitation, along with the smugglers and human traffickers.
Then the remaining people were also classified into voluntary immigrants and coerced immigrants.
Those who are coerced and have the ability to survive will be repatriated to their respective hometowns, and those who want to stay in Austria or are unable to survive on their own will also be dealt with by specialized officials.
As for those volunteers, they will not be pulled back to the port but sent directly to the Austrian colonies, which can be regarded as fulfilling their wishes.
The smuggler and his associates will be put on public trial, but not before they are pulled into a small dark room by the secret police and tortured intensively.
Although the evidence obtained during the torture was outrageous, the imperial government had the power to speak and could not quibble, and people were often more willing to believe what they wanted to believe.