[tialaramex]

The other options are to let everybody in or to suppose you already know the right criteria for who'd be the "best" immigrants. Hint: you don't.

Genuinely random selection averts loads of really nasty problems in a system where you need to pick things even though humans tend to be sure some other approach would work better.

[mistermann]

> The other options are to let everybody in or to suppose you already know the right criteria for who'd be the "best" immigrants. Hint: you don't.

On an individual basis of course not, but you don't think in the aggregate better candidates can be chosen?

[forapurpose]

No. If the information is not about the individual, then it isn't useful in evaluating the individual. I know that sounds tautological, but it seems that obvious.