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Illegal Immigration
 Illegal
immigration continues to be a controversial and divisive topic, not only in the
United States, but throughout the world. An individual who is residing in a
country illegally is known as an "illegal immigrant." Other terms that are
commonly used include: undocumented immigrant,
illegal immigrant,
undocumented alien, unauthorized migrant, illegal
migrant, illegal alien, migrant, or undocumented worker. Illegal immigrants
comprise a vast category. Some undocumented immigrants entered the country
illegally and others entered legally but overstayed the number of days permitted
on their visa or violated the terms of their permanent resident card or refugee permit.
Regardless of how a migrant got to their new home country, they decided to take
a risk and move to a foreign country in search of a better life. Many usually leave
loved ones and valuable possessions behind. Some immigrants leave their home
country due to political or economic reasons. Individuals generally choose to
emigrate to countries that are more
technologically advanced, have greater resources and offer more opportunities.
Some immigrants also move to a foreign country to give their children a better
life. In countries like the United States, children of illegal immigrants automatically gain
citizenship. On the other hand, in
other countries such as
France, children are not granted automatic citizenship. Instead, they must
request citizenship from the government and fill out applicable documentation
once they reach the age of 18. Failure to do so may result in illegal status and
deportation.
As stated previously, many illegal immigrants
obtain their "illegal" status by
entering the country illegally. Throughout history, there continues to be a myriad of
ways that immigrants cross the border in
order to get into the United States. One method that is often popular with immigrants
from the Caribbean is to cross the Atlantic Ocean to reach United States, often
in a homemade boat or even a tube. Some immigrants from South
America may fly into Mexico. Here
they may illicit the assistance of a ???coyote,??? or
smuggler, to help them attempt to illegally cross the border into the United States.
Other illegal immigrants may try to cross the border into the United States by cramming into shipping containers, trucks,
or
boxcars. They may be able to pay off corrupt authority figures to
gain entry into a specific country. Most will find a way to get to their
destination and oftentimes, it may involve grave risk to their life. Moreover,
with increased security measures and improved technology, it has become even
more difficult to cross the border and avoid detection. Immigrants sometimes try
numerous times before successfully crossing the border. Political figures have
also tried to reduce illegal immigration by passing legislation that would serve
as a deterrent. For example, in France it is a crime to assist an illegal
immigrant. However it is common for illegal immigrants to have family or friends
in a foreign
country, and this legislation is often ignored. In addition, in areas with high
immigrant populations, cultural enclaves are formed which often offer support to
new immigrants. Cultural enclaves offer an atmosphere, culture, and community
for recent illegal immigrants
much like in the home country. For example, Little Havana, located in Miami
Florida, is a cultural enclave that formed with the high rate of immigration
from Cuba.
Once in the foreign country, illegal immigrants tend to become employed in what
is known as "low skilled jobs." These jobs are often labor intensive and don't
tend to attract many employees. In the United States for example, the
landscaping and construction sectors tend to be popular with immigrants as there
is generally no requirement to be fluent in the English language. Other employment
sectors that attract illegal immigrants include restaurants, hospitality, prostitution, agriculture and domestic service. Some argue that
illegal immigrants tend to take on the jobs that residents or
citizens refuse
while others argue that illegal immigrants take away jobs in general.
Work regulations, specifically in the United States, prohibit employers from hiring illegal immigrants.
However, this does not deter some employers. Unfortunately some employers even
take advantage of an employee's "undocumented" status. An employer may pay below
what the federal law requires and allow an employee to work in unsafe
conditions. Some employers feel they could get away with these human rights
violations with illegal immigrants because they wouldn't report their employer
out of fear of deportation. Penalties exist for employers who hire illegal immigrants but
they are not always enforced. However, the United States has seen a recent
change in immigration enforcement. Companies have found
themselves facing harsh penalties and getting negative publicity for hiring
illegal workers. Legislation is also being proposed that offers even stricter
penalties for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants as well as
employers that don't support safe working conditions.
Not all individuals may be voluntarily entering the country illegally. During
the 19th century many were brought into Europe and the United States during the
slave trade. Over time, the importation of slaves was significantly reduced and
has thankfully become nonexistent. Alarmingly, however, a common trend has
emerged with the smuggling of young girls and women into what has become known
as a "sex slave trade." Young females are sometimes approached and offered a job
in a foreign country. They are deceived into thinking that this job promises
sound financial opportunities, and due to their economic situation back home, this
proposal seems highly attractive. For many of them, it is a way of getting out
of poverty. However, after arriving in the foreign country, they shortly discover that
they were brought into the country for the purpose of prostitution. Thousands of
miles away from home and with nowhere else to go, they are very vulnerable and
have nowhere to go for help. This problem has shown up in increasing numbers in the Middle East and
Europe and on a smaller scale in the United States.
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