Illegal immigrant

An illegal immigrant is a person who either enters a country illegally, or who enters legally but subsequently violates the terms of their visa. The status and rights of such individuals is a controversial subject that is often linked to economics and moral judgments. Synonyms and euphemisms for "illegal immigrant" include: "illegal alien" (which includes those who do not intend to settle in the country), "undocumented worker" (which may include legal residents without papers), "undocumented immigrant", and simply "illegals".

Causes

The immigration of people without proper legal status is largely driven by economic and social forces, including demand created by agribusiness and other corporations seeking cheaper labor, unemployment less-developed nationes, globalization, wars, repression, and sexism. People who are persecuted in their original country and then enter a country seeking safety are often said to be refugees or "seeking asylum". Some people characterize all immigrants without proper legal status as legitimate refugees (economical refugees), not limiting the term to political refugees.

Methods

In some areas like the Mexican-American border at Rio Grande, the Strait of Gibraltar, Fuerteventura and the Strait of Otranto, people smugglers (known as "coyotes" along the US/Mexican border) receive money from migrants to get them into the wealthier country. Sometimes migrants are abandoned if there are difficulties, often dying in the struggle. Other may be victims of intentional killing. No matter the cause, there are many immigrant deaths along the United States Border every year. The official estimate is that between 1998-2004 there were 1,954 people who died in illegal crossings of the US/Mexico border. The Snakeheads gang of China has been smuggling labor into Pacific Rim nations for over a century, making Chinatowns frequent centers of illegal immigrants.

People smuggling may also be involuntary. Following the close of the international slave trade by the European nations and the US in the early 18th century the illegal importation of slaves into America continued for decades, albeit at much reduced levels. A sweatshop in Los Angeles, California was discovered in 1995 to be staffed by more than 30 imprisoned Thais persons who had been smuggled in for the purpose. The so-called "white slave trade" referred to the smuggling of women, almost always under duress or fraud, for the purposes of prostitution. Now more generically called "sexual slavery" it continues to be a problem, particularly in Europe and Asia.

Legal and political status

In the United States, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) made the hiring of an individual without documents an offense for the first time. Enforcement has been haphazard, but major businesses have occasionally been found to use illegal workers. Tyson Foods was accused of actively importing illegal labor for its chicken packing plants, and WalMart was accused of using undocumented janitorial workers, though it claimed they were hired by a subcontractor without company knowledge. Philippe Kahn, who wanted to stay in the United States, created the successful computer software company Borland International without proper legal status. During his 2003 campaign for California governor, it was revealed that Arnold Schwarzenegger had violated his visa by working without a permit in the 1970s. The employment by prominent individuals of persons without work permits has been a recurring issue in politics ever since the practice was banned in the 1990s. Michael Huffington, Linda Chavez, Tom Tancredo are among those accused of hiring illegal aliens, the resulting scandals sometimes being dubbed "Nannygate".

Since immigrants without proper legal status have limited use of their identity cards or other official identification documents, they may have reduced or even no access to public health systems, proper housing, education and banks, resulting in the creation of an underground economy. The use of forged documents to gain access to these privileges is not uncommon. A controversial alternative to fake IDs is the Matricula Consular ID being used in the US, which is issued by Mexican consulates. In the US, the 14th Amendment requires that citizenship be granted to all children born in the country. Immigration reductionists refer to children of families with mixed immigration status as anchor babies.

Economic and social involvement

Regardless of their status, immigrants try to find a job in the formal or informal economy. Most countries have laws requiring workers to have proper documentation and identification numbers. However the penalties against employers are often not enforced consistently and fairly, which means that employers 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. For example, it is estimated that over 85% of US crop workers are without valid legal status.

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 immigration, they may issue periods of regularization (amnesties) for those who can demonstrate their integration into the receiving country.

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