Illegal immigration refers to a mass-immigration of people across national borders —in direct violation of the immigration laws of the country of destination. In politics, the term implies a larger social problem with consequences in other areas of government, such as economy, social welfare, education, and healthcare. For nationalists (also called "nativists") illegal immigration connotes a perceived excessive relative increase in number of foreign nationals, such that they are claimed to be a threat to the nation's sovereignty, ethnic composition, economic stability, or political and ethnic status quo. One of the most influential doctrines in history is that all humans are divided into groups called nations. ... Border stone at Passo San Giacomo between Val Formazza in Italy and Val Bedretto in Switzerland Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, states or subnational administrative divisions. ... Nationality law is the branch of a countrys legal system wherein legislation, custom and court precendent combine to define the ways in which that countrys nationality and citizenship are transmitted, acquired or lost. ... Politics is a process by which decisions are made within groups. ... Social issues are matters that can be explained only by factors outside an individual’s control and immediate environment. ... ... Health care or healthcare is one of the worlds largest and fastest growing professions. ... Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix Nationalism is an ideology that holds that (ethnically or culturally defined) nations are the fundamental units for human social life, and makes certain cultural and political claims based upon that belief; in particular, the claim that the nation is the only legitimate... The term Nativism is used in both politics and psychology in two fundamentally different ways. ... For the American magazine, see Foreign Policy. ... Sovereignty is the exclusive right to exercise supreme political (e. ... This article or section should be merged with ethnic group Ethnicity is the cultural characteristics that connect a particular group or groups of people to each other. ... Buyers bargain for good prices while sellers put forth their best front in Chichicastenango Market, Guatemala. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Terminology

There are various terms used to describe a person who either enters a country illegally, or who enters legally but subsequently violates the terms of their visa, permanent resident permit, or refugee permit. The status and rights of such individuals are a controversial topic of debate due to the economic vitality, job availability, and environmental costs of illegal immigration, as well as nationalism, racism, and moral concerns. Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix Nationalism is an ideology that holds that (ethnically or culturally defined) nations are the fundamental units for human social life, and makes certain cultural and political claims based upon that belief; in particular, the claim that the nation is the only legitimate... An African-American man drinks out of the colored only water cooler at a racially segregated street car terminal in the United States in 1939. ...

Due to the contentiousness immigration issues, the selection of language to describe certain types of immigrants is a sensitive matter. Terms that refer to immigrants who choose to cross the border, or overstay a visa, and who do not have residency permits to live or work in the new country, include:

• alien
• migrant
• criminal alien
• foreign national
• illegal immigrant/ migrant/ alien
• undocumented immigrant/ migrant/ alien / worker
• undocumented resident

The terms "illegal immigrant" and "illegal alien" are commonly used phrases that refer to the illegality of the action of migration without legal authorization. The term "illegal alien" is conferred legitimacy by its official use in federal statutes. An illegal alien is a foreign national who resides in another country unlawfully, either by entering that country at a place other than a designated port-of-entry or as result of the expiration of a non-immigrant visa. Alternative terms include "illegal immigrant" and the terms "undocumented immigrant", "undocumented worker", and "paperless immigrant".

Those more supportive of the illegal immigrant community tend to replace illegal with undocumented, arguing that it is offensive to describe any human as illegal, whether or not their behavior is illegal. Undocumented worker is often used by supporters to refer to all undocumented individuals, including children and those who do not work. While alien is a term with a specific legal meaning, some argue that the term alien carries with it the negative connotations of extraterrestrials and other meanings of the word alien and is criticized by the pro-illegal immigrant community. George Lakoff, a University of California linguist and progressive strategist, has argued that "the terms 'aliens' and 'illegals' provoke fear, loathing and dread" and should thus be avoided. [1] Meanwhile, border patrol agents and those supporting stronger border controls tend to use illegal alien or the shorter illegals. Illegal immigrant is generally accepted as a neutral term suitable for use in mainstream media according to the AP Stylebook, although the National Association of Hispanic Journalists recommends undocumented immigrant.[2] Extraterrestrial life refers to forms of life that may exist and originate outside of the planet Earth. ... George P. Lakoff (, born 1941) is a professor of linguistics (in particular, cognitive linguistics) at the University of California, Berkeley, where he has taught since 1972. ... The University of California, Berkeley (also known as the University of California at Berkeley, UC Berkeley, Cal, California, or Berkeley) is the oldest and flagship campus of the ten-campus University of California system. ... Progressive can refer to: Progressive music, including Progressive rock, Progressive metal and Progressive electronica Political Progressivism Several Progressive Parties Progressive Era in the United States (1890-1913) Progressive, a company providing auto insurance The Progressive, a left-wing monthly magazine The progressive tense in grammar Progressive lenses, used to correct... A slightly outdated edition of the Stylebook The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law, usually simply called the AP Stylebook and nicknamed the journalists bible, is the primary guide of style and usage for most newspapers and newsmagazines in the United States. ...

In the United States, 60% of illegal aliens are illegal border crossers, while 40% are visa overstayers.[3][4]

Causes of immigration flux

The international migration of people is largely driven by persons who leave poverty and poor living condition in their own nations. For example, nations experiencing sharp upsets in their political stability, will experience short term spikes in emigration. Poor conditions may be a result of nations that lag in technological ability, lack resources, or are in some other way disadvantaged. Human migration denotes any movement by humans from one locality to another, often over long distances or in large groups. ...

The immigration of people is largely driven by economic and social forces, including demand created by agribusiness, desire to secure welfare and other benefits such as free education and healthcare, other corporations seeking cheaper labor, unemployment in less-developed nations, globalization, wars, repression, resistance to various involuntary military servitude (such as conscription, "the draft" or its peacetime equivalent the National Service), and sexism. Advocates of free immigration characterize most migrants as legitimate refugees, while advocates of restrictions divide people into political migrants and economic migrants. Those who migrate for personal reasons are generally classed as economic migrants, even if living in the new country greatly reduces their earnings potential. In agriculture, agribusiness is a generic term that refers to the various businesses involved in the food production chain, including farming, seed, agrichemicals, farm machinery, wholesaling, processing, distribution, and retail sales. ... Welfare is financial assistance paid by the government to certain entities or groups of people who are unable to support themselves alone, or are perceived by the government to be able to function more effectively with financial assistance. ... Health care or healthcare is one of the worlds largest and fastest growing professions. ... A corporation (usually known in the United Kingdom and Ireland as a company) is a legal entity (distinct from a natural person) that often has similar rights in law to those of a Civil law systems may refer to corporations as moral persons; they may also go by the name... An 1837 political cartoon about unemployment in the United States. ... The International Monetary Fund defines Globalization (or globalisation) as “the growing economic interdependence of countries worldwide through increasing volume and variety of cross-border transactions in goods and services, free international capital flows, and more rapid and widespread diffusion of technology”. Meanwhile, The International Forum on Globalization defines it as... The United States detonated an atomic bomb over Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, effectively ending World War II. The bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima (on August 6) immediately killed between 100,000 and 200,000 people and are the only known instances nuclear weapons have ever been used in war. ... Political repression means the restriction of the abilities of certain groups of people to take part in the political life of a society; or the persecution of people for their political beliefs. ... The United States has employed conscription (mandatory military service, also called the draft) several times, usually during war but also during the nominal peace of the Cold War. ... // National Service National Service in the 20th Century referred primarily to conscription for military service. ... The sign of the headquarters of the National Association Opposed To Woman Suffrage Sexism is commonly considered to be discrimination against people based on their sex rather than their individual merits, but can also refer to any and all differentiations based on sex. ... Free immigration or open immigration is the belief that people should be able to migrate to whatever country they chose, free of substantial barriers. ... An economic migrant is a person who voluntarily leaves his or her country of origin for economic reasons. ...

One of the driving forces of illegal immigration is the excessive population growth in feeder countries that produces a population surplus (all those who can't find jobs with a livable wages, adequate living space, or means of subsistence for themselves and their kids in their native countries) that is larger than the immigration cap of the receiving country. As the world population keeps growing exponentially, the above cause is becoming the dominant factor that mounts the "migratory pressure" - a term that is sometimes used to measure the determination of prospective immigrants to enter another country with violation of that country's border and/or immigration laws.

The illegal immigrants motivated by the above mentioned factor often behave more like settlers than immigrants, and understandably so. Their determination to migrate was not driven (or driven to a lesser extent) by their willingness to abandon their native countries and make the receiving country, with its laws, customs, culture, and socio-political structures, their new homeland. They simply moved in search for a new living space and means of subsistence for themselves and their families, often without feeling any obligation to assimilate or to renounce allegiances to their countries of origin and their governments.

Classification

Advocates of more restricted immigration divide people into political migrants - i.e. refugees - and economic migrants, while supporters of more open immigration may consider all kind of migrants as refugees. Those who migrate for personal reasons are generally classed as economic migrants, regardless whether living in the new country greatly reduces or increases their earnings potential. An economic migrant is a person who voluntarily leaves his or her country of origin for economic reasons. ...

Critics of the "illegal immigrant" status, such as Saskia Sassen in The Global City (1991, revised 2001), have contended that the artificial creation of legal aliens was necessary to insure the reduction of production costs and low-wages policies demanded by the "new economics". Others, such as Giorgio Agamben, have pointed out the similarity between an illegal alien, an "enemy combatant" and a Homo Sacer, a figure of Roman law deprived of any civil rights. Saskia Sassen Saskia Sassen (born 1949 at The Hague, in The Netherlands) is an American sociologist and economist noted for her analyses of globalization and international human migration. ... Giorgio Agamben (1942 –) is an Italian philosopher who teaches at the University of Verona. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Unlawful combatant. ... Homo sacer (Latin for the sacred man) is an obscure figure of Roman law: a person who is banned, may be killed by anybody, but may not be sacrificed in a religious ritual. ... Civil rights or positive rights are those legal rights retained by citizens and protected by the government. ...

Methods

For a US perspective on this subject please refer to: Illegal immigration to the United States

Some illegal immigrants enter a country legally and then overstay or violate their visa, while others follow underground routes, such as illegally crossing the border without being inspected by an immigration officer at a Port of Entry (POE) with or without a valid passport and visa. The other way of becoming an illegal immigrant being for bureaucratic reasons. For example, one can be allowed to remain in a country - or protected from expulsion - because he/she needs special treatment for a medical condition, etc., without being able to regularize his/her situation and obtain a work and/or residency permit, let alone naturalization. Hence, categories of people being neither illegal immigrants nor legal citizens are created, living in a judicial "no man's land". Another example is formed by children of foreigners born in countries observing jus soli ("right of territory"), such as France. In that country, one may obtain French nationality if he was born in France - but, due to recent legislative changes, he only obtains it at the age of eighteen, and only if he asks for it. Some who, for one reason or another, haven't asked for it, suddenly become illegal aliens on their eighteenth birthday, making them eligible for expulsion by police forces. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with United States immigration debate. ... Naturalization is the act whereby a person voluntarily and actively acquires a nationality which is not his or her nationality at birth. ... Jus soli (Latin for right of the territory), or birthright citizenship, is a right by which nationality or citizenship can be recognised to any individual born in the territory of the related state. ...

Immigrants from nations that do not have an automatic visa agreements, or who would not otherwise qualify for a visa, often cross the borders illegally. In some areas like the U.S.-Mexico border, the Strait of Gibraltar, Fuerteventura and the Strait of Otranto. Because these methods must be extralegal, they are often dangerous. Would-be immigrants suffocate in shipping containers, boxcars, and trucks, sink in unseaworthy vessels, die of dehydration or exposure during long walks without water. Sometimes migrants are abandoned by their human traffickers if there are difficulties, often dying in the process. Others may be victims of intentional killing. The official estimate, for example across the US-Mexican border, is that between 1998 and 2004 there were 1,954 people who died in illegal crossings. These smugglers often charge a hefty fee, and have been known to abuse their customers in attempts to have the debt repaid. The international border between Mexico and the United States runs a total of 3,141 km (1,951 miles) from San Diego, California, and Tijuana, Baja California, in the west to Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and Brownsville, Texas, in the east. ... The Strait of Gibraltar as seen from space. ... Fuerteventura, a Spanish island, is one of the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. ... The Strait of Otranto connects the Adriatic Sea with the Ionian Sea. ... Containerization is a system of intermodal cargo transport using standard ISO containers that can be loaded on container ships, railroad cars, and trucks. ... A boxcar (the American term; the British call this kind of car a goods van) is a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to hold freight. ... This list of shipwrecks is of those sunken ships whose remains have been located. ... Dehydration (hypohydration) is the removal of water (hydor in ancient Greek) from an object. ... Look up exposure in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

The Snakeheads gang of Fujian, China, has been smuggling labor into Pacific Rim nations for over a century, making Chinatowns frequent centers of illegal immigration.[5] Snakeheads (Chinese: 蛇頭 shé tóu) are Chinese gangs which smuggle people to other countries. ... Fujian (Chinese: 福建; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Fu-chien; Postal System Pinyin: Fukien, Foukien; local transliteration Hokkien from Min Nan Hok-kiàn) is one of the provinces on the southeast coast of China. ...

People smuggling may also be involuntary. Following the close of the legal international slave trade by the European nations and the United States in the early 19th century the illegal importation of slaves into America continued for decades, albeit at much reduced levels. This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... World map showing Europe Political map Europe is one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The so-called "white slave trade" referred to the smuggling of women, almost always under duress or fraud, for the purposes of forced prostitution. Now more generically called "sexual slavery" it continues to be a problem, particularly in Europe and the Middle East, though there have been increasing cases in the U.S. White slavery is a 19th century term for a form of slavery involving the sexual abuse of women held as captives and forced into prostitution. ... Sexual slavery is a special case of slavery which includes various different practices: forced prostitution single-owner sexual slavery ritual slavery, sometimes associated with traditional religious practices slavery for primarily non-sexual purposes where sex is common or permissible In general, the nature of slavery means that the slave is... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ...

Legal and political status

See also: Illegal immigration to the United States, Immigration to the United States, Australian immigration, Immigration to the United Kingdom, Illegal immigrants in Malaysia.

Many countries have or had laws restricting immigration for economic or political reasons. Whether a person is permitted to stay in a country legally may be decided on by quotas or point systems or may be based on considerations such as family ties (marriage, elderly mother, etc.). Exceptions relative to political refugees or to sick people are also common. Immigrants who do not participate in these legal proceedings or who are denied permission under them and still enter or stay in the country are considered illegal immigrants. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with United States immigration debate. ... The Statue of Liberty was a common sight to many immigrants who entered the United States through Ellis Island Immigration to the United States of America is the act of immigrating, or moving, to territory within the United States culture and government. ... Australian immigration has a checkered history. ... The landmass now comprising the United Kingdom had a long history of immigration from mainland Europe, from the Beaker people of the 3rd millennium BC, to the waves of invasions by the Roman Empire and the Anglo-Saxons and Normans. ... Illegal immigrants in Malaysia comprise a substantial portion of the Malaysian population, numbering as many as two million by some estimates. ...

Most countries also have laws requiring workers to have proper documentation, often intended to prevent the employment of illegal immigrants. However the penalties against employers are not always enforced consistently and fairly, which means that employers can easily use illegal immigrant labor. Agriculture, construction, domestic service, restaurants, resorts, and prostitution are the leading legal and illegal jobs that undocumented workers are most likely to fill. Cranes are essential in large construction projects, such as this skyscraper In project architecture and civil engineering, construction is the building or assembly of any infrastructure. ... Toms Restaurant, a restaurant in New York made familiar by Suzanne Vega and the television sitcom Seinfeld For other uses, see Restaurant (disambiguation). ... Resorts combine a hotel and a variety of recreations, such as swimming pools A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation. ... Prostitution is the sale of sexual services (typically manual stimulation, oral sex, sexual intercourse, or anal sex) for cash or other kind of return, generally indiscriminately with many persons. ...

In response to the outcry following popular knowledge of the Holocaust, the newly-established U.N. held an international conference on refugees, where it was decided that refugees (legally defined to be people who are persecuted in their original country and then enter another country seeking safety) should be exempted from immigration laws. It is, however, up to the countries involved to decide if a particular immigrant is a refugee or not, and hence whether they are subject to the immigration controls. Selection at the Auschwitz camp in 1944, where the Nazis chose whom to kill immediately and whom to use as slave labor or for medical experimentation. ... This article is about the United Nations, for other uses of UN see UN (disambiguation) Official languages English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic Secretary-General Kofi Annan (since 1997) Established October 24, 1945 Member states 191 Headquarters New York City, NY, USA Official site http://www. ...

Since immigrants without proper legal status have no valid identity cards or other official identification documents, they may have reduced or even no access to public health systems, proper housing, education and banks, which may result in the creation or expansion of an illegal underground economy to provide these services. German identity document sample An identity document is a piece of documentation designed to prove the identity of the person carrying it. ... Public health is concerned with threats to the overall health of a community based on population health analysis. ... The Bank of Taiwan in Taipei , Republic of China (Taiwan). ...

The presence of illegal immigrants often generates opposition. A perception may exist among some parts of the public in receiving countries linking illegal (or even legal) immigrants to crime increases, an accusation that others may claim is "anti-immigrant" or "xenophobic". When the authorities are overwhelmed in their efforts to stop illegal immigration, they have historically provided amnesty. Amnesties, which are increasingly less tolerated by the citizenry, waive the "subject to deportation" clause associated with illegal aliens. Anti-immigration is a label often applied to those who are opposed to having significant levels of immigration in their countries. ... Look up xenophobia in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Economic and social involvement

Most countries have laws requiring workers to have proper documentation, often intended to prevent the employment of illegal immigrants. However the penalties against employers are not always enforced consistently and fairly, which means that employers can easily use illegal labor. Agriculture, construction, domestic service, restaurants, resorts, and prostitution are the leading legal and illegal jobs that illegal workers are most likely to fill. For example, it is estimated that 80% of U.S. crop workers are without valid legal status. Illegal immigrants are especially popular with employers because they can violate minimum wage laws secure in the knowledge that illegal workers dare not report their employers to the police. Some members of the public react negatively to the presence of immigrants, whether legal or illegal, and such sentiments are often exploited politically. However, allegations that the presence of illegal immigrants means increased rates of crime and unemployment are conversely attacked as "anti-immigrant" or "xenophobic" to exploit the opposite political mentality. When the authorities are overwhelmed in their efforts to stop immigration, they may issue periods of amnesties (often called regularization, earned legalization or guest worker programs). Cranes are essential in large construction projects, such as this skyscraper In project architecture and civil engineering, construction is the building or assembly of any infrastructure. ... Toms Restaurant, a restaurant in New York made familiar by Suzanne Vega and the television sitcom Seinfeld For other uses, see Restaurant (disambiguation). ... Resorts combine a hotel and a variety of recreations, such as swimming pools A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation. ... Prostitution is the sale of sexual services (typically manual stimulation, oral sex, sexual intercourse, or anal sex) for cash or other kind of return, generally indiscriminately with many persons. ... Motto: (historic) In God We Trust (official, 1956–present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York Official language(s) None at federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic  - President George W. Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized From Great... The minimum wage is the minimum rate a worker can legally be paid (usually per hour) as opposed to wages that are determined by the forces of supply and demand in a free market. ... This graph shows the rate of non-fatal firearm-related crime in the United States from 1993 to 2003. ... An 1837 political cartoon about unemployment in the United States. ... Anti-immigration is a label often applied to those who are opposed to having significant levels of immigration in their countries. ... Look up xenophobia in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

European Union

Restricting immigration in the European Union has often been driven by the fear the immigrants will bring alien political values that will disrupt or dilute European values, by nativism or general fear of strangers, by fear of wage and benefit reduction, by concerns of adverse impact on public services, or by security interests regarding criminals or terrorists. The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ... Public services is a term usually used to mean services provided by government to its citizens, either directly (through the public sector) or by financing private provision of services. ...

A major issue is illegal immigration from Africa across the Mediterranean Sea, especially via the Strait of Gibraltar, where thousands of people die every year in attempts to reach Europe. There have been suggestions about establishing immigrant centres in Morocco, or elsewhere in northern Africa, to give information and protect the people risking their lives to reach Europe. Africa is the worlds second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia. ... Satellite image The Mediterranean Sea is a part of the Atlantic Ocean almost completely enclosed by land, on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia. ... The Strait of Gibraltar as seen from space. ...

Southern Spain is a major entry region for illegal immigrants. It is estimated that about a million illegal immigrants from Africa live and work illegally in this area.

The European Union is developing a common system for immigration and asylum and a single external border control strategy.

In France, helping an illegal immigrant (providing shelter, for example) is prohibited by a law passed on December 27, 1994 under the cohabitation between socialist President François Mitterrand and right-wing Premier ministre Edouard Balladur [6]. The law was heavily criticized by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as the CIMADE or the GISTI, left-wing political parties such as the Greens or the French Communist Party, and trade-unions such as the magistrates' Syndicat de la magistrature, who alleged that this brought France to the dark periods of Vichy France during World War II. Cohabitation in government occurs in semi-presidential systems, such as Frances system, when the President and the Prime Minister come from different political parties. ... (October 26, 1916 – January 8, 1996) was a French politician. ... Categories: Stub | 1929 births | Prime ministers of France | Alumni of Sciences Po ... Les Verts (the Greens) is a Green Party in France. ... The French Communist Party (French: Parti communiste français or PCF) is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism. ... The Syndicat de la Magistrature is the French second largest magistrates trade union - in terms of membership - after the more conservative Union syndicale des magistrats. ... Presidential flag of Vichy France For other uses of Vichy, see Vichy (disambiguation). ...

In October 2005, dozens of Subsaharian emigrants died trying to bypass the Spanish enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta. Morocco's authorities decided to expel all of them, leaving hundreds stranded in the desert near Oujda (border with a zone of Algeria loaded with landmines) and south of Morocco, without water nor food. This raised a public uproar in Europe, although Morocco legitimately pledged that Europe's 1985 Schengen Agreement compelled it to fund Morocco in order to be able to cope with the emigration influx. 2005 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- → Deaths in October 28: Richard Smalley 26: Emil Kyulev 24: José Azcona del Hoyo 24: Rosa Parks 23: Stella Obasanjo 22: Liam Lawlor 22: Shirley Horn 20: Endon Mahmood 17: Ba Jin 10: Milton Obote 7: Charles... The Melilla border fence is a separation barrier between Morocco and Melillas city, in Spain. ... The Ceuta border fence is a separation barrier between Morocco and the Autonomous City of Ceuta, in Spain. ... Oujda is a city in eastern Morocco with an estimated population of half a million inhabitants. ... A landmine is a type of mine which is placed onto or into the ground and explodes when triggered by a vehicle or person. ...  Schengen Agreement members  Signatories (agreement not yet implemented)  Expressed interest in joining A monument of the Schengen Agreement in Schengen A typical Schengen border crossing with no border control post, as here between Germany and Austria This article deals with the agreement and convention. ...

United States

Main article: Illegal immigration to the United States

The neutrality of this section is disputed.
Please see discussion on the talk page.

The illegal immigration issue is currently a major political topic in the United States. However, illegal immigration has occurred in the U.S. for some time. Currently, most illegal immigrants come from Mexico and Central America, but there are a significant population of visa overstayers from other countries. In addition, illegal immigration has been linked to issues of border security and protecting the country against terrorists. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with United States immigration debate. ... Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... Map of Central America Central America is a central region of the Americas. ...

The border between Arizona and Mexico has become a major entrance area for illegal immigration to the United States, due in part to the increased difficulty of crossing illegally in California. As crossing has been pushed into more desolate areas of the Arizona desert, the journey to find work in the United States has become much more hazardous for illegal immigrants. Official language(s) None Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Area  Ranked 6th  - Total 113,998 sq. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with United States immigration debate. ...

Each year, numerous immigrants illegally flooding into the country become heat casualties of the arid Sonoran Desert. In 2005, the US Border Patrol reported finding 463 dead bodies of illegal immigrants. On behalf of a request made by Senator Jon Kyl, the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association calculated the cost of providing health services to illegal immigrants to approximately 31 million dollars in just one year. The figure was given as a "bare minimum number", said the Association's John Rivers. The difficulty of the journey has prompted many immigrants who come for seasonal or temporary work to stay in the United States rather than face the difficult crossing to return home. Sonoran Desert wildlife Mountains in the Sonoran Desert 3D photograph of Saguaro National Park at dusk. ... Categories: Stub | U.S. Dept. ...

The Mexican government places the blame for these deaths largely on the numerous "coyotes" who abandon their passengers along the way. (In this context, a coyote is intended to mean one who, for a steep price, agrees to ferry illegal immigrants from Mexico into the heart of the state; see people smuggling). People smuggling is a term which is used to describe the illegal and organised smuggling of people across international boundaries, usually for financial gain. ... People smuggling is a term which is used to describe the illegal and organised smuggling of people across international boundaries, usually for financial gain. ...

Many proponents of illegal immigration see the flood of undocumented aliens as a benefit to Arizona's economy and workforce. Some see Mexico as a poor country that sends its tired, weak, and hungry to the United States for work. Mexico is ranked 87th by gross domestic product per capita.[7] A regions gross domestic product, or GDP, is one of several measures of the size of its economy. ...

The flood of illegal aliens has also caused a surge in crime, and has subsequently seen the prisons become even more overpopulated. Approximately one third of the prison population is comprised of non-citizens. The 4,000 imprisoned illegal immigrants in Arizona cost the state government over fifty dollars per day, per head. This cost does not include funds spent to send these individuals through the justice system prior to their imprisonment. Maricopa County's Sheriff Joe Arpaio has been receiving complaints since he implemented a plan to actually incarcerate and punish those who are living in the state illegally. While this plan is completely in accordance and in support of the law, the plan has been called "an attempt to intimidate immigrants by threatening and imposing incarceration", by Victoria Lopez, the executive director of the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project. Maricopa County (AZ) sheriff Joe Arpaio during his appearance on Showtimes Penn & Teller: Bullshit episode, The War on Drugs. Joseph M. Arpaio (born June 14, 1932 in Springfield, Massachusetts,) is a law enforcement officer, most notable as the sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona. ...

The Federation for American Immigration Reform, a leading group in the immigration reduction movement, reports that illegal immigration costs Arizona taxpayers approximately 1.3 billion dollars every year. Current reports estimate the population of illegal aliens in Arizona to be nearly half a million. The U.S. Border Patrol reports stopping that many criminals crossing the border in just one year, highlighting the extremity of the problem at hand. The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) is an immigration reduction organization in the United States, founded in 1979 by John Tanton. ... Immigration reduction refers to movements active within the United States that advocate a reduction in the amount of immigration allowed into the United States or other countries. ... Categories: Stub | U.S. Dept. ...

Mexico

Mexico has accepted large numbers of immigrants during wars such as World War I (Germany, Yugoslavia, Poland, etc.); the Spanish Civil War and exilees form the South American and Central American dictatorships. It has also received those who are fleeing their native areas for religious persecution such as the Russian Molokans and Christian Lebanese and Mennonites. However, in the last decades, Mexico has received illegal immigrants as the result of civil war in Central America, many of whom attempt to eventually cross the US border illegally. Some of the immigrants are members of the Mara Salvatrucha, a criminal organization whose members have terrorized various places in Mexico, and in the States have currently extended their activities as far north as Washington, DC. It is said that the U.S. is pressuring Mexico and paying for the deportation of Central American origin. Combatants Allies: Serbia, Russia, France, Romania, Belgium, British Empire, United States, Italy, and others Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire Casualties Military dead: 5 million Civilian deaths: 3 million Total of dead: 8 million Military dead: 4 million Civilian deaths: 3 million Total dead: 7 million The First... Yugoslavia (Jugoslavija in all south Slavic languages, Југославија in Serbian and Macedonian Cyrillic) is a term used for three separate but successive political entities that existed during most of the 20th century on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe. ... Combatants Second Spanish Republic Foreign volunteers Nationalist Spain Fascist Italy Nazi Germany Commanders Manuel Azaña Francisco Largo Caballero Juan Negrín Francisco Franco The Spanish Civil War, which lasted from July 18, 1936 to April 1, 1939, was a conflict in which the incumbent Second Spanish Republic and political... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... Central America is the region of North America located between the southern border of Mexico and the northwest border of Colombia, in South America. ... This article is in need of attention. ... The Molokans (Russian: ) are a Biblically-centered religious movement, among the Russian peasants, who broke away from the Russian Orthodox Church in the 1550s. ... A Christian is a follower of Jesus, whom they regard as a/the Christ. ... The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations based on the teachings and tradition of Menno Simons. ... Map of Central America Central America is a central region of the Americas. ... Mara Salvatrucha is a Los Angeles-based, predominantly Salvadoran, gang that is also active in Central America. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United...

In the first eight months of 2005 alone, more than 120,000 people from Central America have been deported to their countries of origin. This is a significantly higher percentage than in 2002, when for the entire year, only 130,000 people were deported [8]. Other important group of people are those of Chinese origin, who pay about $5,500 to smugglers to be taken to Mexico from Hong Kong. It is estimated that 2.4% of rejections for work permits in Mexico correspond to Chinese citizens [9]. Many women from Eastern Europe, Asia, United States and Central and South America are also offered jobs at table dance establishments in large cities throughout the country causing the National Institute of Migration (INM) in Mexico to raid strip clubs and deport foreigners who work without the proper documentation [10]. After the Argentine economic crisis of 2001 many Argentines have chosen to immigrate to Mexico either temporarily or permanently. Many of these are currently working in the country with the proper documentation, including some who work also in table dance establishments. In 2004, the INM deported 188,000 people at a cost of $10 million [11]. Map of Central America Central America is a central region of the Americas. ... Current division of Europe into five (or more) regions: one definition of Eastern Europe is marked in orange Eastern Europe is an eastern region of Europe variably defined. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... A table dance is an erotic dance performed at the customers table, as opposed to up on stage. ... The National Institute of Migration (Spanish: Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM)) is a unit of the government of Mexico dependent on the Secretariat of the Interior that controls and supervises migration in the country. ... For the book or movie Striptease see Striptease (book) and Striptease (movie) A striptease is a performance, usually a dance, in which the performer gradually removes their clothing for the purposes of sexually arousing the audience, usually performed in nightclubs. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ...

Mexico has very strict immigration laws pertaining to both illegal and legal immigrants.[12] The Mexican constitution restricts non-citizens or foreign-born persons from participating in politics, holding office, acting as a member of the clergy, or serving on the crews of Mexican-flagged ships or airplanes. Certain legal rights are waived in the case of foreigners, such as the right to a deportation hearing or other legal motions. In cases of flagrante delicto, any person may make a citizen's arrest on the offender and his accomplices, turning them over without delay to the nearest authorities.

References

World

• Messina; Anthony M. ed. West European Immigration and Immigrant Policy in the New Century Praeger, 2002
• Mireille Rosello; "Representing Illegal Immigrants in France: From Clandestins to L'affaire Des Sans-Papiers De Saint-Bernard" Journal of European Studies, Vol. 28, 1998
• Tranaes, T. and Zimmermann, K.F. (eds), Migrants, Work, and the Welfare State, Odense, University Press of Southern Denmark, (2004)
• Venturini, A. Post-War Migration in Southern Europe. An Economic Approach Cambridge University Press (2004)
• Zimmermann, K.F. (ed.), European Migration: What Do We Know? Oxford University Press, (2005)

United States

• Barkan, Elliott R. "Return of the Nativists? California Public Opinion and Immigration in the 1980s and 1990s." Social Science History 2003 27(2): 229-283. in Project Muse
• Vanessa B. Beasley, ed. Who Belongs in America?: Presidents, Rhetoric, And Immigration (2006)
• Borjas, G.J. "The economics of immigration," Journal of Economic Literature, v 32 (1994), pp. 1667-717
• Cull, Nicholas J. and Carrasco, Davíd, ed. Alambrista and the US-Mexico Border: Film, Music, and Stories of Undocumented Immigrants U. of New Mexico Press, 2004. 225 pp.
• Thomas J. Espenshade; "Unauthorized Immigration to the United States" Annual Review of Sociology. Volume: 21. 1995. pp 195+.
• Flores, William V. "New Citizens, New Rights: Undocumented Immigrants and Latino Cultural Citizenship" Latin American Perspectives 2003 30(2): 87-100
• Nicholas Laham; Ronald Reagan and the Politics of Immigration Reform Praeger Publishers. 2000.
• Lisa Magaña, Straddling the Border: Immigration Policy and the INS (2003)
• Mohl, Raymond A. "Latinization in the Heart of Dixie: Hispanics in Late-twentieth-century Alabama" Alabama Review 2002 55(4): 243-274. Issn: 0002-4341
• Ngai, Mae M. Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America (2004),
• Ngai, Mae M. "The Strange Career of the Illegal Alien: Immigration Restriction and Deportation Policy in the United States, 1921-1965" Law and History Review 2003 21(1): 69-107. Issn: 0738-2480 Fulltext in History Cooperative ]

See also

• Rule of law
• Filibuster (military)
• Immigration to the United States
• H.R. 4437
• S. 2611
• Illegal emigration
• 2006 U.S. immigration reform protests
• United States immigration debate
• Mexico
• Alien (law)