People have always looked for a place under the sun and the quest for a better life is never-ending. However, the world is not a free place anymore and most of the people cannot choose where to live. Those who do not want to put up with it choose a dangerous path – illegal immigration hoping that one day they’ll be able to rip the benefits of their new homeland. Illegal immigration is a serious issue that cannot be neglected as it creates an array of problems for both, the ‘host’ country and illegal immigrants themselves.
In order to better understand the term and the concept behind “illegal immigration” one needs to delve in history and trace the origin of the term. Migration used to be an unregulated process and people travelled freely. It was not until late 19th century that Netherlands, Canada, USA and Australia all enacted laws to curb the influx of people willing to settle down in these countries. The bills were not intended against migration in general, rather to restrict morally-undesired individuals, such as communists or anarchists from entering the country (Duvell 21).
Illegal immigration started to be viewed as a problem in late 19th century although it did not become so pressing and urgent until the mid-20th century. With so many laws and restrictions in place, there is no country in the world that entirely controls migration process. Aliens, as illegal immigrants are often referred to in the US, always find a way to sneak into the country irrespective of border checks and wired fences.
If one is asked to speculate on the ramifications of illegal immigration, the most common response would probably relate to increase in crime as the main negative consequence however it is not representative of the overall problem at all. It is true that illegal immigrants do contribute to increased crime rates although there are other factors which also need to be considered. Firstly, unemployment level, high as it is, increases when illegal immigrants agree to work for lower wages. Cheap labor provided by illegal immigrants complicates the job search not only for country’s residents but also for migrants who entered the country legally.
Public sector also comes under severe pressure and health-care and education are at risk (Naik par. 4). While aliens do not pay taxes, countries spend billions of dollars to fight, detain, accommodate and deport illegal immigrants. US which suffers the most from illegal immigrants spend $90 a day for accommodating unlawful citizens in detention centers. According to Center for American progress, the US administration spends $41 billion for apprehension, accommodation and deportation of illegal immigrants (Naik par. 6).
Aside from the financial strain, the biggest issue with immigrants both legal and illegal is that they all come from various cultural backgrounds. In order for them to become full-fledged citizens they need to assimilate into the new community, learn the language, engage in culture and history. However, most newcomers, rather than trying to adapt, live in enclosed communities and prefer to communicate with a circle of friends consisting of former immigrants like themselves. It’s even worse with illegal immigrants who live isolated and choose not to embrace the new culture.
Many people agree that restrictions and visa bans are not workable solutions to the problem. Many countries, including Canada, Australia, US, and New Zealand have immigration programs which allow everyone to legally obtain residence based on their skills and other merits. These programs have helped millions to find their new homeland and rather than spend billions of dollars on trying to stop illegal immigration, it is more viable to invest and enhance into legal ways to allow people to legally enter any country in the world. This, of course, would not entirely solve the problem of illegal immigration, but certainly make it much less severe.
Works Cited
Duvell, Franck. “Irregular Migration: a Global, Historical and Economic Perspective.” Illegal Immigration in Europe Beyond Control? Ed. Franck Duvell. New York, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006. 14-34. Print.
Naik, Abhijt. Why Illegal Immigration is a Problem. 2011. Web.