The same justification was used for
Taking Native Americans (and First Nations in Canada) away from their families to horrible boarding schools.
And the same argument is still being made to justify slavery in America. That Blacks were brought here and were better off than they were before.
There is an old story about an Aztec being put on a pyre by the Spanish. He was told that if he accepted Christ, he'd go to Heaven. He replied, "If heaven is full of #*&% people like you, no thanks."