Illegal entry

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Family enjoys the beach on the US side of the barrier at the Pacific Ocean in Imperial Beach, San Diego, California. US-Mexico Fence Mexican family on US side.jpg
Family enjoys the beach on the US side of the barrier at the Pacific Ocean in Imperial Beach, San Diego, California.

Illegal entry is the act of foreign nationals arriving in or crossing the borders into a country in violation of its immigration law. Human smuggling is the practice of aiding people in crossing international borders for financial gain, often in large groups. Human smuggling is associated with human trafficking. A human smuggler will facilitate illegal entry into a country for a fee, but on arrival at their destination, the smuggled person is usually free.[ citation needed ] Trafficking involves physical force, fraud, or deception to obtain and transport people, usually for enslavement or forced prostitution.

Contents

By country

India

Presently, India is constructing a fence along the border to restrict illegal traffic from Bangladesh. [1] The Indo-Bangladeshi barrier is 4,000 kilometers (2,500 mi) long. The stated aim of the fence is to stop infiltration of terrorists, prevent smuggling, and to bring a close to illegal immigration from Bangladesh. [2] [3]

Australia

In Australia, mandatory immigration detention was revived in 1992 for all foreigners who arrive in Australia without a visa. That only "border applicants" are subject to detention has sparked criticism, as it is claimed to unfairly discriminate against certain migrants. [4]

Suspected Irregular Entry Vessel was the name used by the Australian Defence Force or Australian Coastwatch for maritime vessels which were suspected to be attempting to reach Australia without authorisation. In practice, these boats were often carrying asylum seekers who had departed from Indonesia on the final leg of a journey which started in countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan after paying people smugglers.

Palestine

During 1933–1948, the British government limited Jewish immigration to Palestine with quotas, and following the rise of Nazism to power in Germany, illegal immigration to Palestine commenced. The illegal immigration was known as Aliyah Bet ("secondary immigration"), or Ha'apalah, and was organized by the Mossad Le'aliyah Bet, as well as by the Irgun. Immigration was done mainly by sea, and to a lesser extent overland through Iraq and Syria. Beginning in 1939 Jewish immigration was further restricted, limiting it to 75,000 individuals for a period of five years after which immigration was to end completely. During World War II and the years that followed until independence, Aliyah Bet became the main form of Jewish immigration to Palestine. Despite British efforts to curb the illegal immigration, during the 14 years of its operation, 110,000 Jews immigrated to Palestine.

Turkey

Turkey, which is a transit point for unauthorized migrants trying to reach Europe, has been accused of being unable to secure its borders with Greece. Since 1996, 40 unauthorized migrants have been killed by mines, after entering Greek territory in Evros. [5] In 2001, about 800 illegal immigrants were rescued by the Greek coastguards after a fire broke out on board the Turkish-flagged Brelner, believed to have set sail from the Turkish port of İzmir, probably en route to Italy. [6] Once in July 2004 and a second time in May 2006, Hellenic Coast Guard ships were caught on film cruising as near as a few hundred meters off the Turkish coast and abandoning clandestines to the sea. This practice resulted in the drowning of six people between Chios and Karaburun on 26 September 2006 while three others disappeared and 31 were saved by Turkish gendarmes and fishermen. Three of the drowned were Tunisians, one was Algerian, one Palestinian and the other Iraqi. The three disappeared were also Tunisians. [7] [8] [9]

As a result of bilateral negotiations, a readmission agreement was signed between Turkey and Greece in November 2001 and went into effect in April 2002. For third country nationals, this protocol gives the parties 14 days to inform each other of the number of persons to be returned after the date of illegal entry. For nationals of the two countries the authorities can make use of simplified procedures. But the strict application of the agreement is reported to have retrograded as of 2003.

China

People's Republic of China is building a security barrier along its border with North Korea to prevent defectors or refugees from North Korea from entering the country illegally. [10]

On May 13, 2004, the People's Republic of China sentenced Yang Jianli, a Chinese dissident with U.S. residency, to five years in prison for espionage and illegal entry.

Hong Kong

The illegal entry of Vietnamese refugees was a concern for the Hong Kong government for 25 years. The issue was first resolved in 2000. Between 1975 and 1999, 143,700 Vietnamese refugees were resettled in other countries and more than 67,000 Vietnamese migrants were repatriated. [11]

Iran

On 23 March 2007, 15 British Royal Navy personnel, from HMS Cornwall, were surrounded by the Navy of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and were subsequently detained off the Iraq-Iran coast. Iran's director general for Western European affairs, Ibrahim Rahimpour, said that the British boats had made "illegal entry" into Iranian territorial waters and that the personnel "were arrested by border guards for investigation and questioning". [12] On 24 March, the Iranian Fars News Agency said the navigational equipment seized on the British boats shows the sailors were aware that they were operating in Iranian waters. On the same day, General Ali Reza Afshar, a top military official, said the sailors had confessed to illegal entry into Iran's waters. [13]

Egypt

On January 25, 2008, Egyptian security forces blocked almost all illegal entry points along the border with Gaza to try to stem the flow of Palestinians wanting to leave. [14] Egyptian forces in riot gear erected barbed wire and chain-link fences along the border to prevent more Palestinians from crossing. [15]

Thailand

On June 5, 2006, 231 Hmong refugees fleeing Laos were detained by police in Amphoe Khao Kho, Phetchabun Province for illegal entry into Thailand. The Hmong were seeking asylum at the province's Ban Huay Nam Khao, where about 6,500 ethnic Hmong are being sheltered, but the Thai military refused to allow them to stay. Most of the Hmong claim they fought against the communists in the Secret War. [16]

Malaysia

Most unlawful migrants to Malaysia are from nearby Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia particularly on Indonesia–Malaysia border via maritime boundary of Strait of Malacca and land border on the island of Borneo. The land border on Malaysia–Thailand mostly used by Bangladeshi & Rakhine people of Myanmar. The Malaysia–Philippines border normally used by Mindanao people via Celebes Sea.[ citation needed ]

United States

Apprehensions between ports of entry, annually by federal fiscal year since 2020 2000- Border apprehensions at southwest border.svg
Apprehensions between ports of entry, annually by federal fiscal year since 2020
A warning sign at the international boundary between the United States and Canada in Point Roberts, Washington US-border-notice.jpg
A warning sign at the international boundary between the United States and Canada in Point Roberts, Washington
U.S. Border Patrol agents review documents of individuals suspected of attempted illegal entry in 2019. 2019 US Mexico Border Crossing apprehension (48036606282).jpg
U.S. Border Patrol agents review documents of individuals suspected of attempted illegal entry in 2019.

An estimated half a million illegal entries into the United States occur each year, according to research conducted by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in 2006. [18] In 2008, the Pew Hispanic Center estimated that 6 million to 7 million people have been living in the United States after having evaded the Immigration Inspectors or Border Patrol. [19] [ needs update ]

The offense is a misdemeanor according to the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which prohibits non-nationals from entering or attempting to enter the United States at any time or place which has not been designated by an immigration officer, and also prohibits non-nationals from eluding inspection by immigration officers. [20]

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection is responsible for apprehending individuals attempting to enter the United States illegally. The U.S. Border Patrol is its mobile uniformed law enforcement arm, responsible for deterrence, detection, and apprehension of those who enter the United States without authorization from the government or outside the designated ports of entry.

The unfenced, rural, mountainous and desert border between Arizona and Mexico has become a major entrance area for unlawful migration to the United States, due in part to the increased difficulty of crossing illegally into California. Each year, several hundred migrants die along the Mexico–U.S. border. [21]

Often, migrants employ people smugglers (called "coyotes") who promise a safe passage into the United States and are paid up to $3,000–6,000 [22] for passages that include long walking distances or $7,000–14,000[ clarification needed ] for an easier travel per person they assist in crossing the border. [23] The difficulty and expense of the journey has prompted many migrant workers to stay in the United States longer or indefinitely. [24]

According to the U.S. Border Patrol, 1,954 migrants died along the Mexico–U.S. border between 1998 and 2004. [25] On June 6, 1993, 283 Chinese migrants attempted illegal entry into the United States via a sea vessel; ten of them arrived dead. Reference: Bill Ward [26] [27]

In the U.S. government fiscal year 2021–22, Border Patrol agents made 1.82 million arrests, exceeding the number (1.66 million) made the previous fiscal years. It was expected that the arrest level would reach the 2 million mark by year’s end. [28] One poll found that the majority of American citizens surveyed say the United States is experiencing an invasion at its southern border. [29]

United Kingdom

A recent study into irregular immigration to the United Kingdom states that "most irregular migrants have committed administrative offences rather than a serious crime". [30] In 2004, illegal entry action was initiated against 36,550 migrants; it was estimated that more migrants overstay their visa than enter clandestinely, hence considered unlikely that there are large numbers of people crossing UK borders without permission. [30]

Many of the routes for clandestine entry are very dangerous. There were 72 documented deaths that are thought to have occurred while entering UK between 1993 and 2002. [30] The most common cause of death while entering the UK (61 of the deaths recorded) was suffocation in a lorry while being smuggled into the UK by ferry; Others drowned in the English Channel, froze to death as stowaways on an aeroplane and were crushed by trains in the Channel Tunnel. [30]

Germany

Over 28,000 people entered Germany by land and 10,300 entering from Austria. Some 9,270 people also arrived irregularly at airports and more than 1,120 people at sea ports. Most of the migrants were from Afghanistan, Nigeria, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. This brought the number to 38,000 irregular migrants arrested by the Federal Police in Germany. [31]

East German guard/soldier defecting to West Germany East German Guard - Flickr - The Central Intelligence Agency (cropped).jpg
East German guard/soldier defecting to West Germany

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People smuggling</span> Illegal transportation of people

People smuggling, under U.S. law, is "the facilitation, transportation, attempted transportation or illegal entry of a person or persons across an international border, in violation of one or more countries' laws, either clandestinely or through deception, such as the use of fraudulent documents".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mexico–United States border</span> International border in North America

The Mexico–United States border is an international border separating Mexico and the United States, extending from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the Gulf of Mexico in the east. The border traverses a variety of terrains, ranging from urban areas to deserts. It is the most frequently crossed border in the world with approximately 350 million documented crossings annually. Illegal crossing of the border to enter the United States has caused the Mexico–United States border crisis. It is one of two international borders that the United States has, the other being the northern Canada–United States border; Mexico has two other borders: with Belize and with Guatemala.

Illegal immigration, or unauthorized immigration, occurs when foreign nationals, known as aliens, violate US immigration laws by entering the United States unlawfully, or by lawfully entering but then remaining after the expiration of their visas, parole or temporary protected status.

Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of that country's immigration laws, or the continuous residence in a country without the legal right to do so. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upward, from poorer to richer countries. Illegal residence in another country creates the risk of detention, deportation, and other imposed sanctions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tortilla Wall</span> Border barrier along the Mexico-United States border near San Diego, California

The Tortilla Wall is a term given to a 14-mile section of United States border fence between the Otay Mesa border crossing in San Diego, California, and the Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Immigration to Greece</span>

Immigration to Greece percentage of foreign populations in Greece is 7.1% in proportion to the total population of the country. Moreover, between 9 and 11% of the registered Greek labor force of 4.4 million are foreigners. Migrants additionally make up 25% of wage and salary earners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sudanese in Israel</span>

Sudanese refugees in Israel refers to citizens of Sudan who have sought refuge in Israel due to military conflict at home, and to those who moved there illegally as migrant workers. In 2008, there were 4,000 Sudanese in Israel, 1,200 from Darfur and the remainder Christians from South Sudan. The majority entered through the Israeli-Egypt border. Most live in Tel Aviv, Arad, Eilat and Bnei Brak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African immigration to Israel</span> Movement from Africa to Israel of people that are not natives or Israeli citizens

African immigration to Israel is the international movement to Israel from Africa of people that are not natives or do not possess Israeli citizenship in order to settle or reside there. This phenomenon began in the second half of the 2000s, when a large number of people from Africa entered Israel, mainly through the then-lightly fenced border between Israel and Egypt in the Sinai Peninsula. According to the data of the Israeli Interior Ministry, 26,635 people arrived illegally in this way by July 2010, and over 55,000 by January 2012. In an attempt to curb the influx, Israel constructed the Egypt–Israel barrier. Since its completion in December 2013, the barrier has almost completely stopped the immigration of Africans into Israel across the Sinai border.

It is difficult to measure how many people reside in the UK without authorisation, although a Home Office study based on Census 2001 data released in March 2005 estimated a population of between 310,000 and 570,000. The methods used to arrive at a figure are also much debated. Problems arise in particular from the very nature of the target population, which is hidden and mostly wants to remain so. The different definitions of 'illegality' adopted in the studies also pose a significant challenge to the comparability of the data. However, despite the methodological difficulties of estimating the number of people living in the UK without authorisation, the residual method has been widely adopted. This method subtracts the known number of authorised migrants from the total migrant population to arrive at a residual number which represents the de facto number of illegal migrants.

Illegal immigration to China is the process of migrating into China in violation of Chinese immigration laws. The Chinese government has instituted policies against illegal immigration, particularly from North Korean refugees and defectors, workers and refugees from Vietnam, the Philippines, Myanmar, Laos and Africans in Guangzhou.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illegal immigration to Canada</span> Migrant limits

Illegal immigration to Canada is the act of a person who is not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident entering or remaining in Canada in a manner contrary to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and its associated regulations. That includes persons who entered Canada on a travel visa but remained beyond the period of stay specified as well as persons who entered Canada without presenting themselves at a port of entry.

Illegal immigration to Australia is defined by the Migration Act 1958, which distinguishes between "lawful non-citizens" and "unlawful non-citizens".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Border barrier</span> Separation barrier that runs along or near an international border

A border barrier, border fence or border wall is a separation barrier that runs along or near an international border. Such barriers are typically constructed for border control purposes such as curbing illegal immigration, human trafficking, and smuggling. Some such barriers are constructed for defence or security reasons. In cases of a disputed or unclear border, erecting a barrier can serve as a de facto unilateral consolidation of a territorial claim that can supersede formal delimitation. A border barrier does not usually indicate the location of the actual border, and is usually constructed unilaterally by a country, without the agreement or cooperation of the other country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 European migrant crisis</span> 2010s refugee crisis in the European Union

The 2015 European migrant crisis was a period of significantly increased movement of refugees and migrants into Europe, namely from the Middle East. An estimated 1.3 million people came to the continent to request asylum, the most in a single year since World War II. They were mostly Syrians, but also included a significant number of people from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Nigeria, Eritrea, and the Balkans. The increase in asylum seekers has been attributed to factors such as the escalation of various wars in the Middle East and ISIL's territorial and military dominance in the region due to the Arab Winter, as well as Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt ceasing to accept Syrian asylum seekers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of the 2015 European migrant crisis</span>

This is a timeline of the European migrant crisis of 2015 and 2016.

An increasing number of refugees and migrants have been entering the United Kingdom illegally by crossing the English Channel in the last decades. The Strait of Dover section between Dover in England and Calais in France represents the shortest sea crossing, and is a long-established shipping route. The shortest distance across the strait, at approximately 20 miles, is from the South Foreland, northeast of Dover in the English county of Kent, to Cap Gris Nez, a cape near to Calais in the French département of Pas-de-Calais.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greece–Turkey border</span> International border

The Greece–Turkey border is around 200 kilometres (120 mi) long, and separates Western Thrace in Greece from East Thrace in Turkey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turkish migrant crisis</span> Migrant crisis experienced by the Republic of Turkey in the 2010s

The Turkish migrant crisis, sometimes referred to as the Turkish refugee crisis, was a period during the 2010s characterised by a high number of people migrating to Turkey. Turkey received the highest number of registered refugees of any country or territory each year from 2014 to 2019, and had the world's largest refugee population according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The majority were refugees of the Syrian Civil War, numbering 3.6 million as of June 2020. In 2018, the UNHCR reported that Turkey hosted 63.4% of all "registered Syrian refugees."

The migration and asylum policy of the European Union is within the area of freedom, security and justice, established to develop and harmonise principles and measures used by member countries of the European Union to regulate migration processes and to manage issues concerning asylum and refugee status in the European Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roxham Road</span> Path from the US used for irregular entry to Canada by refugee claimants

Roxham Road is a 5-mile (8.0 km) rural road from the former hamlet of Perry Mills in the town of Champlain, New York, United States, generally north to the vicinity of the former hamlet of Bogton, in the municipality of Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Quebec, Canada. It has existed since the early 19th century, before the Canada–United States border was formally established along the 45th parallel north between the St. Lawrence and Connecticut rivers. For most of its length it is a rural two-lane blacktop; north of Parc Safari, it is also part of Quebec Route 202.

References

  1. ↑ "Villagers left in limbo by border fence". BBC News website. BBC. 2006-01-28. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
  2. ↑ "The good fences epidemic". The Jerusalem Post. 2007-02-14. Archived from the original on 2011-12-09. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
  3. ↑ Prasad, Raekha (2005-12-28). "India builds a 2,500-mile barrier to rival the Great Wall of China". The Times Online website. London: Times Newspapers Ltd. Archived from the original on May 13, 2007. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
  4. ↑ Wood, Alexander J. (2002). "The "Pacific Solution": Refugees Unwelcome in Australia". Human Rights Brief. 9 (3): 22. ISSN   1522-6808. Archived from the original on 2009-03-25. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
  5. ↑ "Landmine deaths on Greek border". BBC News website. BBC. 2003-09-29. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
  6. ↑ "Greece rescues immigrant ship". BBC News website. BBC. 2001-11-05. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
  7. ↑ "UNHCR seeks information from Turkey, Greece on migrant tragedy". Turkish Daily News website. Dogan Daily News Inc. 2006-09-28. Archived from the original on 2007-08-21. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
  8. ↑ "Mülteci operasyonu". Hürriyet website (in Turkish). Hürriyet. 2006-09-20. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
  9. ↑ "Yunan botları kaçakları yine denize attı". Hürriyet website (in Turkish). Hürriyet. 2006-09-26. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
  10. ↑ "China building border fence facing North Korea". Jurist—Legal News and Research website. Bernard J. Hibbitts, University of Pittsburgh School of Law. 2006-10-17. Archived from the original on 2012-08-20. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
  11. ↑ "The influx of Vietnamese boat people". Hong Kong Government Immigration Department website. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. 2008. Archived from the original on 2007-09-26. Retrieved 2007-05-02.
  12. ↑ "Seized sailors 'taken to Tehran'". BBC News Online. 2007-03-24. Retrieved 2007-03-24.
  13. ↑ "Iran: UK Troops Illegally Entered Waters". AP. 2007-03-24. Retrieved 2007-03-24.
  14. ↑ "Gazans make new border wall hole: Palestinians have bulldozed down part of the Gaza-Egypt border wall again, hours after Egyptian troops blocked holes recently made by militants". BBC News. 2008-01-25.
  15. ↑ al-Mughrabi, Nidal (2008-01-25). "Hamas challenges Egypt's bid to close Gaza border". Reuters.
  16. ↑ "231 Hmong refugees imprisoned". The Nation website. www.nationmultimedia.com. 2006-06-07. Archived from the original on 2009-08-25. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
  17. ↑ Wu, Ashley (2023-10-29). "Why Illegal Border Crossings Are at Sustained Highs". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 2023-12-22. The Times quotes data source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and notes: "Only encounters between ports of entry are shown."
  18. ↑ "Border-Crossing Deaths Have Doubled Since 1995; Border Patrol's Efforts to Prevent Deaths Have Not Been Fully Evaluated" (PDF). Government Accountability Office. August 2006. p. 42.
  19. ↑ "Modes of Entry for the Unauthorized Migrant Population" (PDF). Pew Hispanic Center. 2006-05-22. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-02-01. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
  20. ↑ "CRS Report for Congress: Immigration Enforcement Within the United States" (PDF). Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress. 2006-04-06. Retrieved 2008-08-16. The law prohibits aliens from entering or attempting to enter the United States at any time or place which has not been designated by an immigration officer (i.e., a port of entry). It also prohibits any alien from eluding immigration officers.
  21. ↑ "GAO-06-770" (PDF). Government Accountability Office. August 2006.
  22. ↑ Contreras, Guillermo (2019-04-30). "Jordanian pleads guilty to smuggling Yemen immigrants into the U.S. via the Texas border". San Antonio Express-News . Retrieved 2019-05-18. ... had charged each man between $2,000 to $6,000 to get them across the border, officials said.
  23. ↑ "Immigration deal's expensive proposition: Advocates worry loan sharks may profit off of fees required for citizenship". NBC News. 2007-05-24. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
  24. ↑ Navarro, Mireya (2006-12-21). "Traditional Round Trip for Workers Is Becoming a One-Way Migration North". The New York Times . The New York Times Company . Retrieved 2008-08-16. The percentage of illegal immigrants who used to routinely return home and no longer do is unknown.
  25. ↑ "Southwest: New Mexico: A Mass For Border Crossers". The New York Times. 2004-11-03.
  26. ↑ Fried, Joseph P. (1998-12-02). "Mastermind of Golden Venture Smuggling Ship Gets 20 Years". The New York Times . The New York Times Company . Retrieved 2008-08-16.
  27. ↑ "The Golden Venture, Plus 100,000". The New York Times . The New York Times Company. 1993-06-09. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
  28. ↑ Pérez, Santiago; Hackman, Michelle (2022-08-15). "Record Numbers of Migrants Arrested at Southern Border, With Two Million Annual Total in Sight". The Wall Street Journal . ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  29. ↑ "A majority of Americans see an 'invasion' at the southern border, NPR poll finds". NPR . Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  30. 1 2 3 4 Irregular migration in the UK: An ippr factfile Archived 2006-05-26 at the Wayback Machine Institute for Public Policy Research, April 2006, p. 5.
  31. ↑ "Germany: 38,000 illegal immigrants caught by Federal Police | DW | 29.01.2019". DW.COM. Retrieved 2019-11-16.
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