Illegal Immigration Is Detrimental
Illegal migration to the US is detrimental, and this also includes the migrants who overstay their welcome in the US. The reason why we should be combating illegal immigration is because illegal immigrants harm the fabric of our immigration system, and they also create a bad incentive. Smuggling is a good example of why the US and other countries in Europe, such as France, should improve their ways of combating illegal immigration. Smugglers are criminals who make billions off the illegal transportation of migrants. Another reason why illegal migration can be detrimental is because undocumented immigrants can have a negative effect on how our economy is run. For example, the pricing of housing and the government having to put in money in order to support incoming migrants.
We saw that in New York, many migrants were not able to get working papers; therefore, productivity in New York was diminished and the cost to support incoming migrants increased. Right now, there are about 11.4 million undocumented persons living in the US, and this number increases every single day (Migration Policy, 2019). Migrants are flooding our borders, and about 5,000 illegal migrants make it into the US every single day, although most are apprehended (PRB, 2023). The fact that 11.4 million people in the US are undocumented is just mind-blowing. Some can argue that illegal immigrants contributing to the workforce is a good thing, but that argument only encourages illegal immigration. Migrants ought to be dissuaded from crossing the border illegally, simply because the journey is not guaranteed to be safe and because it is against the law to cross the border illegally.
The unregulated flow of immigrants can be detrimental to the flow of productivity in the US. One of the factors that determines this is work permits. Many of the asylum seekers right now in the US do not have the ability to work, as they must wait at least 150 days until they can apply for asylum and 180 days after applying for asylum until they can receive a work permit (USCIS, 2023). Earlier this year, we saw a scuffle between Kathy Hochul, Eric Adams, and the Biden administration over work permits. There was an influx of migrants, including illegal migrants, into New York. This influx caused an increased amount of spending, which then led to a productivity loss. The productivity loss was caused by the fact that migrants could not work until they had work permits. New York City had to support migrants without the migrants making up for the loss in funds. The benefit of immigrants is that they would work low-paying jobs in order to help the economy. But when there is a massive influx of immigrants, then the strain on the economy can be very detrimental. Illegal immigrants exacerbate this problem. Another problem contributed to by illegal immigration would be the smuggling of immigrants.
Smuggling is a huge problem when it comes to migration, and many migrants may have to be smuggled into the US or other European countries because they are not guaranteed residency in those countries. Two principal smuggling routes from South America to North America and from East, North, and West Africa to Europe have generated about $6.75 billion for bona fide criminals (UNODC, 2023) The smuggling of human beings into a country can be an incredibly arduous process, which leads to many casualties and horrors. Along this path to a better life, migrants may be abandoned, placed in confined places, sexually abused, or even killed. Smugglers do not guarantee that those they are smuggling illegally will make it to their destination. The grueling journey may take place by land, sea, or air. Smugglers use methods of getting documentation, which include forging or stealing already existing documents. For example, a passport can be given to a migrant who looks like the individual on the passport.
Migrants will want to escape their country due to poverty or an ongoing crisis, and they might want to cross the border illegally. Smugglers take advantage of this fact, and they coerce migrants into giving up tens of thousands of dollars in order to cross borders illegally. Migrants traveling from Africa to Europe may pay up to 4,000 euros in order to cross into Europe (UNODC, 2023). What the US and other European countries should be doing is freezing assets and closely watching for activity that could be related to smuggling. The reason why smugglers are not caught as frequently is because smuggling is a transnational crime. Countries wanting to apprehend smugglers may find this hard, as their powers can only reach so far.
To conclude, illegal immigration is detrimental to the function of the immigration process. Countries must push harder to dissuade illegal immigration, as the byproducts of illegal immigration can lead to the harm of migrants and the diminishing of a country’s economy. The US especially needs to act on immigration, and US lawmakers must watch out to see what policies work and what policies do not work.
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