Undocumented immigration

{{Bronze}}
{{hatnote|This article concerns illegal aliens of the human kind. Not to be confused with [[Extraterrestrial|unidentified flying migrants]].}}
[[File:CAO arrest (8405580607).jpg|thumb|right|225px|US Customs and Border Protection officers arrest undocumented immigrants at the [[Mexico]] border.]]
{{Immigration}}
{{cquote|But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of [[Egypt]]: I am the LORD your [[God]].|||{{bible|Leviticus|19|33|34}}.}}
{{cquote|Rather than… [[Great Wall of America|talking about putting up a fence]], why don't we work out some recognition of our mutual problems, make it possible for them to come here legally with a work permit, and then, while they're working and earning here, they pay [[taxes]] here. And when they want to go back they can go back, and cross. And open the border both ways, by understanding their problems.|||[[Ronald Reagan]] during the 1980 Republican presidential primary debates.<ref>[https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/news/a41023/ronald-reagan-george-bush-immigration/ This Old Clip of Reagan Talking About Immigration Will, Very Likely, Blow Your Mind] by Jack Holmes (Jan 07, 2016 10:43 AM EST) ''Esquire.''.</ref>}}

'''Undocumented immigration''', refers to the act of crossing into a country without the proper legal paperwork, in violation of that nation's laws. It can also refer to the act of maintaining residence in a country with expired paperwork, also in violation of that nation's laws. This is commonly referred to as '''illegal immigration''', although the term is less accurate as crossing a border without proper documentation with the intention of handing oneself over to the authorities to request refugee status or protection is an internationally recognized right and therefore legal.<ref>[https://www.unhcr.org/us/asylum-seekers Asylum-seekers] ''United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees''.</ref> While undocumented immigration frequently involves crossing the border in violation of immigration laws, most cases in the [[United States]] occur when people enter the country legally and remain after their visas expire.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2019/01/10/683662691/where-does-illegal-immigration-mostly-occur-heres-what-the-data-tell-us Where Does Illegal Immigration Mostly Occur? Here's What The Data Tell Us] by Sean McMinn and Renee Klarr (10 January 2019) ''NPR''.</ref> The people who commit such acts are known as '''undocumented immigrants''', or, to [[wingnuts]],  "'''illegal aliens'''" or simply "'''illegals'''". Undocumented immigrants tend to face a variety of challenges in the country in which they have arrived. These include [[discrimination]], lack of legal protections, lack of access to services, and limited ability to speak the local language. 

Many countries have seen a rise in the undocumented immigrant population in recent decades, but this statement should be qualified with the fact that detailed identification and tracking of undocumented immigrants has only been possible in most countries for the last 40 years or so. Immigration laws are also a relatively new phenomenon. In the United States, prior to the passage of the first national immigration law in 1924, everyone (except for certain excluded racial groups) who made it to America got to stay.<ref name="ellis24">[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/undocumented-migrants-us-history/ Undocumented migrants have come to the U.S. for centuries. Why do we treat them differently today?] (March 26, 2021) ''CBS News.''.</ref> Undocumented immigration occurs due to the same push-and-pull factors that cause legal immigration. People ''leave'' [[poor]] and oppressive countries and seek to ''enter'' wealthier and more peaceful countries.

Undocumented immigration is a worldwide phenomenon. [[India]], for instance, passed a law in 2024 that established a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants but purposefully excluded [[Muslims]].<ref>[https://apnews.com/article/india-citizenship-law-modi-muslims-caa-28909f8df0e6d5e0915e065195abef14 India’s new citizenship law excludes Muslims. Here’s what to know] by Sheikh Saaliq (March 15, 2024) ''Associated Press.''.</ref> In 2019, India also ruled that almost 2 million people were living in its state of Assam illegally, prompting its home secretary to declare the government "will not allow a single illegal immigrant to stay".<ref name="cnewindia">[https://www.courthousenews.com/modi-says-no-illegal-immigrants-can-stay-in-india/ Modi Says No ‘Illegal Immigrants’ Can Stay in India] (September 9, 2019) ''Agence France-Pressd'' via ''Courthouse News Service''.</ref> Angola also expelled over 400,000 undocumented migrant workers in a violent purge in 2018.<ref>[https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/11/15/angola-stop-abusive-expulsions-migrants Angola: Stop Abusive Expulsions of Migrants] (November 15, 2018) ''Human Rights Watch''.</ref> The [[Philippines]] deported about 3,000 undocumented immigrants in 2021, most of whom were from [[China]].<ref>[https://globalnation.inquirer.net/201523/bi-deports-over-3000-illegal-aliens-in-2021 BI deports over 3,000 illegal aliens in 2021] by Zacarian Sarao (December 29, 2021) ''Inquirer.net''.</ref> Also in 2021, [[Colombia]] granted legal status to over 1 million undocumented immigrants from [[Venezuela]] who had fled [[Nicolás Maduro]]'s misrule.<ref>[https://apnews.com/article/access-to-health-care-health-statutes-colombia-venezuela-7767509edf281a6e0b394d4b0b187eca Colombia will legalize undocumented Venezuelan migrants] by Manuel Rueda (February 8, 2021) ''Associated Press''.</ref> The Dominican Republic implemented harsh deportation measures against undocumented immigrants from [[Haiti]] in 2024.<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-68562140 Fear and chaos await Haitian migrants forced back over border] by Will Grant (14 March 2024) ''BBC News''.</ref> So, as one can see, undocumented immigration impacts a variety of countries, which respond in a variety of ways.

==Terminology==
[[File:March Women's 0905 (49410823753).jpg|thumb|right|250px|A protestor in [[Maryland]], 2020.]]

The term "illegal immigration", and especially "illegal immigrant" have seen pushback from people and organizations who find the terms dehumanizing and less fully correct. Title 8 of US Code defines "alien" as "any person not a citizen or national of the United States,"<ref>[https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1101  8 U.S. Code § 1101 - Definitions] ''Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute''.</ref> which amusingly puts Canadians and Mexicans in the same category as [[Star Trek|Spock]] and [[Extraterrestrial|ET]]. However, the term "illegal alien" appears infrequently in US laws and agency regulations as of 2018.<ref>[https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2018/may/09/steve-mccraw/illegal-alien-legal-term-federal-law/ Steve McCraw: Says the term "illegal alien" is "a legal term, it’s in statute, it’s a federal term."] (May 9, 2018) ''PolitiFact''.</ref> Additionally, in the United States, entering the country without authorization is a civil offense rather than a criminal one.<ref name="civoffense">[https://www.cnn.com/2017/02/24/politics/undocumented-immigrants-not-necessarily-criminal/index.html Are undocumented immigrants committing a crime? Not necessarily] by Laura Jarrett (February 24, 2017) ''CNN''.</ref> Civil removal proceedings, otherwise known as deportation, are the primary penalty for immigration offenses. Only "illegal re-entry" after deportation is classified as a criminal offense related to undocumented immigration.<ref name="civoffense"/>

[[Human Rights Watch]] discourages the use of "illegal immigrants" (or anything similar) on the basis that the term is dehumanizing, it implies that a human person can be made inherently "illegal" due to a simple action, and that it supports the view that such people have limited or no [[rights]].<ref>[https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/06/24/human-rights-watch-guidelines-describing-migrants Human Rights Watch Guidelines for Describing Migrants] (June 24, 2014 5:55PM EDT) ''Human Rights Watch''.</ref> In 2013, the Associated Press (AP) changed its stylebook to clarify that "illegal" should only be applied to actions rather than people.<ref>[https://www.apstylebook.com/blog_posts/1 ‘Illegal immigrant’ no more] by Paul Colford (April 2, 2013) ''Associated Press''.</ref> In 2021, [[POTUS|US president]] [[Joe Biden]] sent memos to immigration enforcement agencies clarifying that "undocumented noncitizen" should be used in place of "illegal immigrant."<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2021/04/19/988789487/immigration-agencies-ordered-not-to-use-term-illegal-alien-under-new-biden-polic Immigration Agencies Ordered Not To Use Term 'Illegal Alien' Under New Biden Policy] by Joel Rose (April 19, 2021) ''NPR''.</ref> 

Many American [[conservatives]] have been dismayed that "illegal immigrant" has gradually fallen out of use. In 2018, Attorney General [[Jeff Sessions]] sent memos to US attorneys offices demanding that "undocumented immigrant" be dropped in favor of "illegal alien".<ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/24/politics/justice-department-illegal-aliens-undocumented/index.html Justice Department: Use ‘illegal aliens,’ not ‘undocumented’] by Tal Kopan (8:12 PM EDT, Tue July 24, 2018) ''CNN''.</ref> The same year, the [[Heritage Foundation]] threw a hissy fit, whining that "'undocumented immigrant' is a [[Political correctness|politically correct]], made-up term adopted by pro-illegal alien advocacy groups and [[liberal media]] outlets".<ref>[https://www.heritage.org/immigration/commentary/undocumented-immigrant-made-term-ignores-the-law "Undocumented Immigrant" Is a Made-Up Term That Ignores the Law] by Hans A. von Spakovsky (Jul 30, 2018) ''Heritage Foundation''.</ref>

==By country/region==
[[File:2019 US Mexico Border Crossing apprehension (48036606282).jpg|thumb|right|385px|US Border Patrol agents review documents from people suspected of attempted illegal entry, 2019.]]
===The United States===
For much of its history, the United States had extremely lax immigration laws. Of the people who passed through the famous Ellis Island, 98% were allowed to settle in the United States.<ref name="ellis24"/> This changed in 1924 with the passage of the Johnson-Reed Immigration Act, which imposed harsh quotas based on national origin.<ref>[https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/1924-law-slammed-door-immigrants-and-politicians-who-pushed-it-back-open-180974910/ The 1924 Law That Slammed the Door on Immigrants and the Politicians Who Pushed it Back Open]. Anna Diamond. ''Smithsonian Magazine.'' May 19, 2020.</ref> In 1964, President [[Lyndon Johnson]] signed the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act to overhaul the system and abolish the quotas,<ref name="inact65">{{cite web | last=Chishti | first=Muzaffar | last2=Chishti | first2=Faye Hipsman Muzaffar | last3=Hipsman | first3=Faye | last4=Ball | first4=Isabel | title=Fifty Years On, the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act Continues to Reshape the United States | website=migrationpolicy.org | date=2015-10-15 | url=https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/fifty-years-1965-immigration-and-nationality-act-continues-reshape-united-states | access-date=2024-08-04}}</ref> having long argued that the draconian old immigration system was an embarrassment during the [[Cold War]] and the era of [[civil rights]].

Title 8, Section 1325 of the US Code makes an immigrant's first unauthorized crossing of the US border a Class B misdemeanor subject to a maximum six months in [[prison]], maximum $5,000 fine, or both. Repeat offenses are class E felonies subject to a maximum 2 years in prison, maximum $250,000 fine, or both.<ref>[http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1325 8 U.S. Code § 1325 - Improper entry by alien]''Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute''.</ref><ref>[http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/3559 18 U.S. Code § 3559 - Sentencing classification of offenses] ''Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute''.</ref><ref>[http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/3571 18 U.S. Code § 3571 - Sentence of fine] ''Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute''.</ref>

Article 1, Section 8 of the [[United States Constitution]] states that the U.S. Congress has the power "to establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization", or in layman's terms, laws governing the granting of citizens' privileges to foreign-born people.<ref>[http://tenthamendmentcenter.com/2010/04/28/immigration-vs-naturalization/ Immigration vs Naturalization] by Michael Boldin (April 28, 2010) ''Tenth Amendment Center''.</ref> Federal courts have interpreted that clause as meaning that immigration is the right of the federal government to control, ''not'' the purview of individual states.<ref>[http://www.nycbar.org/pdf/report/uploads/20071951-ReportonArizonaImmigrationLawSB1070.pdf Report on the Constitutionality of Arizona Immigration Law S.B. 1070] by Mark R von Sternberg & Ana Pottratz Acosta (July 2010) New York City Bar''.</ref>{{rp|7}} However, since the [[Republican Party]] have turned "illegals" into one of their main political [[scapegoat]]s to scaremonger about, many states have gotten into the business of regulating undocumented immigration.

====Statistics====
Based on a national survey from 2022, the Pew Research Center estimated that the United States had a population of 11.0 million undocumented immigrants in a 2024 report.<ref name="pew24">{{cite web | last=Passel | first=Jeffrey S. | last2=Krogstad | first2=Jens Manuel | title=What we know about unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S. | website=Pew Research Center | date=2024-07-24 | url=https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/07/22/what-we-know-about-unauthorized-immigrants-living-in-the-us/ | access-date=2024-08-04}}</ref> Immigrants made up 14.3% of the nation’s population in 2022, and undocumented immigrants were 23% of that number and 3.3% of the entire national population.<ref name="pew24"/>

Due to its proximity and relative poverty, [[Mexico]] is the most common country of origin for undocumented immigrants, although the total number of undocumented immigrants from there has declined to 4.0 million from a peak of 6.9 million in 2007.<ref name="pew24"/> This is the lowest number since the 1990s, and it happened due to a general decline in the number of people leaving Mexico as well as increased opportunities for legal immigration. Other regions, particularly Central America and the Caribbean, saw increases in undocumented immigrants to the US during this time. After Mexico, the most common countries of origin for undocumented immigrants are: [[El Salvador]] (750,000), [[India]] (725,000), Guatemala (675,000), and Honduras (525,000).<ref name="pew24"/>

====Political debate====
[[File:President Ronald Reagan signing the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.jpg|thumb|right|365px|Reagan signing the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (the amnesty bill); even notorious [[racist]] [[Strom Thurmond]] (above Reagan's left shoulder) supported it.]]

A 2022 report from Pew Research indicates that far more Republican voters favor increasing deportations (R+40) and [[Secure the border|increasing border security]] (R+32), while far more Democratic voters support taking in civilian refugees (D+27), allowing children of undocumented immigrants to stay legally (D+34), and establishing a pathway to legal residence for undocumented immigrants (D+43).<ref>{{cite web | last=Oliphant | first=J. Baxter | last2=Cerda | first2=Andy | title=Republicans and Democrats have different top priorities for U.S. immigration policy | website=Pew Research Center | date=2024-04-14 | url=https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/09/08/republicans-and-democrats-have-different-top-priorities-for-u-s-immigration-policy/ | access-date=2024-08-04}}</ref> In short, immigration issues are extremely polarizing for voters. 

The Republican Party's harsh line against undocumented immigration from the southern border, most exemplified today by [[Donald Trump]]'s proposals for a border wall and to use the National Guard to deport between 15 million and 20 million people<ref>{{cite web | last=Wolf | first=Zachary B. | title=Analysis: Trump explains his militaristic plan to deport 15-20 million people | website=CNN | date=2024-05-01 | url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/01/politics/trump-immigration-what-matters/index.html | access-date=2024-08-04}}</ref> (a number that is notably greater than the actual undocumented immigrant population), is a relatively recent phenomenon. While President [[Dwight Eisenhower]] implemented a mass deportation program called "Operation Wetback",<ref>{{cite web | last=Peralta | first=Eyder | title=It Came Up In The Debate: Here Are 3 Things To Know About 'Operation Wetback' | website=NPR | date=2015-11-11 | url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/11/11/455613993/it-came-up-in-the-debate-here-are-3-things-to-know-about-operation-wetback | access-date=2024-08-04}}</ref> Republicans such as Ronald Reagan and [[George H. W. Bush]] took a softer approach. Reagan ruled out "putting up a fence", and Bush said he didn't want undocumented immigrant children "made to feel that they're living outside the law."<ref name="repevol">{{cite web | last=Gonyea | first=Don | title=The GOP's Evolution On Immigration | website=NPR | date=2018-01-25 | url=https://www.npr.org/2018/01/25/580222116/the-gops-evolution-on-immigration | access-date=2024-08-04}}</ref> Reagan went on to sign the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which offered amnesty to all 2.9 million undocumented immigrants who entered prior to 1982 (and thereby a path to citizenship), an action that would be unheard of from a Republican president today, and certainly would be worthy of excommunication from the Party since Trump took office.<ref>{{cite web | title=A Reagan Legacy: Amnesty For Illegal Immigrants | website=NPR | date=2010-07-04 | url=https://www.npr.org/2010/07/04/128303672/a-reagan-legacy-amnesty-for-illegal-immigrants | ref={{sfnref | NPR | 2010}} | access-date=2024-08-04}}</ref> [[George W. Bush]] also attempted to overhaul the immigration system to make it easier for noncitizens work legally in the United States.<ref name="repevol"/> The legislation died in Congress. 

[[File:President commemorates 200 Miles of Border Wall Constructed - 50044705953.jpg|thumb|left|345px|President Trump visits new border wall construction in Arizona, June 2020.]]

Ari Fleischer, former press secretary for George W. Bush, stated his belief that the Republican backlash against immigration intensified due to the [[Great Recession]], saying conservatives were worried about "a surge of people coming through illegally, a lower-priced labor force that would squeeze Americans."<ref name="repevol"/> On the other hand, Mark Krikorian, the head of the Center for Immigration Studies (and an anti-immigrant advocate himself) said that Republican voters were just always harder on immigration than past presidents from the party.<ref name="repevol"/> Regardless of why, harsh Republican measures against undocumented immigration intensified during the presidency of [[Barack Obama]]. 

One headline-grabber was [[Arizona]]'s S.B 1070, which famously authorized police to check the immigration status of anyone they suspected to be undocumented.<ref name="sb1070">{{cite web | last=MacAskill | first=Ewen | title=US justices block key parts of Arizona law but uphold immigration checks | website=the Guardian | date=2012-06-26 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jun/25/justices-arizona-law-immigration-checks | access-date=2024-08-04}}</ref> Legal racial profiling, in other words. Obama tried to have the bill ruled unconstitutional by the [[Supreme Court]] on the basis that only the federal government could set immigration policy. This was only partially successful; SCOTUS struck down aspects related to border policy but left the infamous racial profiling part.<ref name="sb1070"/> In 2013, Republicans in the [[House of Representatives]] refused to act on a bipartisan immigration overhaul bill which had recieved support from Senators like [[Marco Rubio]], [[John McCain]], and {{wpl|Lindsey Graham}}.<ref>{{cite web | last=Weissert | first=Will | last2=Licon | first2=Adriana Gomez | title=Immigration reform stalled decade after Gang of 8's big push | website=AP News | date=2023-04-03 | url=https://apnews.com/article/immigration-asylum-trump-biden-gang-of-eight-3d8007e72928665b66d8648be0e3e31f | access-date=2024-08-04}}</ref> 

[[File:2000- Border apprehensions at southwest border.svg|thumb|right|245px|Border apprehensions between 2000 and 2024.]]

President [[Donald Trump]] ordered the Justice Department to implement a "zero tolerance" policy, meaning that immigration offenses would be referred and prioritized for rapid prosecution.<ref>{{cite web | title=Q&A: Trump Administration’s "Zero-Tolerance" Immigration Policy | website=Human Rights Watch | date=2018-08-16 | url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/08/16/qa-trump-administrations-zero-tolerance-immigration-policy | ref={{sfnref | Human Rights Watch | 2018}} | access-date=2024-08-04}}</ref> People crossing the border without documentation were imprisoned in poor conditions, and officials confiscated their children.<ref>{{cite web | title=Family separation – a timeline | website=Southern Poverty Law Center | date=2022-03-23 | url=https://www.splcenter.org/news/2022/03/23/family-separation-timeline | ref={{sfnref | Southern Poverty Law Center | 2022}} | access-date=2024-08-04}}</ref> Trump's tough policies successfully made the United States a less attractive place to attempt to enter (he made the US a less attractive place in general), and border apprehensions declined to their lowest level in 17 years by 2017.<ref>{{cite web | last=Valverde | first=Miriam | title=Trump says illegal immigration lowest in 17 years | website=@politifact | date=2017-04-21 | url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2017/apr/25/donald-trump/illegal-immigration-lowest-17-years-trump-said/ | access-date=2024-08-04}}</ref> Border encounters with people attempting illegal entry then increased again during the [[COVID-19]] pandemic and increased still further after [[Joe Biden]] took office, hitting a record high at the end of 2023.<ref>{{cite web | last=Gramlich | first=John | title=Migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border hit a record high at the end of 2023 | website=Pew Research Center | date=2024-04-14 | url=https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/02/15/migrant-encounters-at-the-us-mexico-border-hit-a-record-high-at-the-end-of-2023/ | access-date=2024-08-04}}</ref> As Democrats were becoming more open to cracking down on the border in 2024, House Republicans squandered the opportunity by refusing an offered bill which had many items on their wishlist such as more funding for border security, restrictions on asylum seeking, and other policies to crack down on undocumented immigrants.<ref>{{cite web | last=Verdery | first=C. Stewart Jr. | last2=Contributor | first2=Opinion | title=History confirms Republicans rejected a once-in-a-lifetime immigration opportunity | website=The Hill | date=2024-02-10 | url=https://thehill.com/opinion/immigration/4458612-history-confirms-republicans-rejected-a-once-in-a-lifetime-immigration-opportunity/ | access-date=2024-08-04}}</ref> Biden later issued an executive order to bar migrants from being granted asylum any time the southern border had too much activity from undocumented people.<ref>{{cite web | last=Kim | first=Seung Min | last2=Long | first2=Colleen | last3=Spagat | first3=Elliot | last4=Groves | first4=Stephen | title=Biden rolls out asylum restrictions, months in the making, to help 'gain control' of the border | website=AP News | date=2024-06-04 | url=https://apnews.com/article/biden-asylum-migration-immigration-mexico-border-dec5f83b468b5795479bf1f5e49799d5 | access-date=2024-08-04}}</ref>

====Effects====
[[File:Latinxrally 2-28-17-6938 (33153169996).jpg|thumb|right|215px|An undocumented woman compares her status as a taxpayer to Trump's refusal to release his tax returns at a 2017 protest in [[Oregon]].]]
{{cquote|They took 'er jerbs!|||''[[South Park]]''.<ref>{{cite web | title="They took our jobs!" | website=South Park Archives | url=https://southpark.fandom.com/wiki/%22They_took_our_jobs!%22 | ref={{sfnref | South Park Archives}} | access-date=2024-08-04}}</ref>}}
Republican politicians like to highlight cases in which Americans were killed by undocumented immigrants, as they did during President Biden's 2024 State of the Union with Laken Riley, a 22 year-old nursing student from [[Georgia]] who was killed by an undocumented Venezuelan.<ref>{{cite web | last=Gringlas | first=Sam | title=How a Georgia nursing student's killing reached Biden's State of the Union | website=NPR | date=2024-03-08 | url=https://www.npr.org/2024/03/08/1237081955/how-a-georgia-nursing-students-killing-reached-bidens-state-of-the-union | access-date=2024-08-04}}</ref> This is intended to create a narrative that undocumented immigration is flooding the US with criminals. But data consistently shows otherwise. Stanford economist Ran Abramitzky published an in-depth research paper in 2023 showing that, since 1960, immigrants are 60% less likely to be incarcerated for crimes than native-born US citizens (and 30% less likely if just compared to white citizens).<ref>[https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w31440/w31440.pdf Law-abiding Immigrants: The Incarceration Gap Between Immigrants And The US-born, 1870–2020]. (Abramitzky et al., 2023). National Bureau of Economic Research.</ref> In 2020, the Cato Institute looked at [[Texas]] and found that criminal conviction rates of undocumented immigrants was 45% lower than that of native-born American citizens.<ref>{{cite web | title=New Research on Illegal Immigration and Crime  | website=Cato Institute | url=https://www.cato.org/blog/new-research-illegal-immigration-crime-0 | ref={{sfnref | Cato Institute}} | access-date=2024-08-04}}</ref> The most commonly suggested reason behind this is that undocumented immigrants fear being caught and deported and therefore do their best to avoid engaging in criminal activity that would catch the attention of the law.<ref>{{cite web | last=Garsd | first=Jasmine | title=Immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born Americans, studies find | website=NPR | date=2024-03-08 | url=https://www.npr.org/2024/03/08/1237103158/immigrants-are-less-likely-to-commit-crimes-than-us-born-americans-studies-find | access-date=2024-08-04}}</ref> 

Undocumented immigrants also benefit the US economy by participating as consumers and workers.<ref name="ecfis16">{{Cite book |title=The Economic and Fiscal Consequences of Immigration |date=September 21, 2016 |publisher=National Academy of Sciences |isbn=9780309444453 |editor1-last=Blau |editor1-first=Francine D. |language=en |chapter=9. State and Local Effects of Immigration |doi=10.17226/23550 |hdl=10919/83151 |access-date=May 25, 2019 |editor2-last=Mackie |editor2-first=Christopher |chapter-url=http://www.ncsl.org/documents/taskforces/NAS_EconomicImpactsStates_chapter9.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220609211558/https://www.ncsl.org/documents/taskforces/NAS_EconomicImpactsStates_chapter9.pdf |archive-date=June 9, 2022 |url-status=dead}}</ref> They also have the effect of reducing goods and services, which is a positive for American consumers. In 2016, the National Bureau of Economic Research published a paper indicating that implementing a pathway to legal residency would increase this economic contribution by at least 20%, which would form 3.6% of private sector GDP.<ref name="econtrib17">{{Cite journal|last1=Edwards|first1=Ryan|last2=Ortega|first2=Francesc|date=2017 |title=The Economic Contribution of Unauthorized Workers: An Industry Analysis |journal=Regional Science and Urban Economics |volume=67 |pages=119–134 |doi=10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2017.09.004 |hdl=10419/149225|s2cid=7870192|url=http://www.nber.org/papers/w22834.pdf|hdl-access=free}}</ref> Legalization is also likely to reduce untaxed labor in the informal economy.<ref name="ecfis16"/>

Another common myth is that undocumented immigrants get special benefits that US citizens don't because the government somehow cares more about them than American citizens.<ref name="pbsmyth">[https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/making-sense/4-myths-about-how-immigrants-affect-the-u-s-economy 4 myths about how immigrants affect the U.S. economy] by Gretchen Frazee (Nov 2, 2018 6:48 PM EDT) ''PBS''.</ref> (The reality, of course, is that the government cares about neither). In reality, undocumented immigrants aren't eligible for [[welfare]] due to being unlawful residents, and they still pay many forms of tax regardless.<ref name="pbsmyth"/> Undocumented immigrants also tend to fill jobs (such as field hands) that native-born Americans are reluctant to apply for due to low pay and hard physical labor.<ref name="pbsmyth"/>

===United Kingdom===
[[File:Small boats English Channel.jpg|thumb|right|385px|Migrants attempt to cross the English Channel in an inflatable raft, 2022.]]
====Statistics====
A 2019 Pew Research Report estimated, based on 2017 data, that the [[United Kingdom]] had between 800,000 to 1.2 million undocumented immigrants living within its borders.<ref name="ukpew">{{cite web | last=Greenwood | first=Shannon | title=Unauthorized Immigrants in the United Kingdom | website=Pew Research Center | date=2024-04-14 | url=https://www.pewresearch.org/global-migration-and-demography/fact-sheet/unauthorized-immigrants-in-the-united-kingdom/ | access-date=2024-08-05}}</ref> About half (52%) were from countries in Asia, while 20% were from sub-Saharan African countries, 11% were from the Middle East, and the remaining 16% were either from the Americas or other countries in Europe.<ref name="ukpew"/> The UK has also has asylum-seekers who live in legal limbo while their claims are slowly processed; over 56,000 people were being housed in random hotels in 2023.<ref name="smllcraft">{{cite web | title=How is the UK stopping Channel crossings and what are the legal routes to the UK? | website=BBC Home | date=2020-08-19 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-53734793 | ref={{sfnref | BBC Home | 2020}} | access-date=2024-08-05}}</ref> The government was also using ex-military sites and barges to house people. 

As of 2023, 52% of British citizens believed that immigration levels should be reduced, and 37% believed that the arrival of asylum seekers should be made more difficult.<ref name="migbill">{{cite web | last=Kwon | first=Talitha | title=Illegal Immigration Act: A Strain on the UK's Economy and International Law | website=Chicago Policy Review | date=2024-01-29 | url=https://chicagopolicyreview.org/2024/01/29/illegal-immigration-act-a-strain-on-the-uks-economy-and-international-law/ | access-date=2024-08-05}}</ref> 

====Political debate====
Backlash against immigration in general as well as undocumented immigration contributed to voters supporting the [[Brexit]] referendum. In a post-referendum survey, 33% of voters said they voted in favor of Brexit because they thought leaving the [[European Union]] "offered the best chance for the UK to regain control over immigration and its own borders."<ref>{{cite web | last=Ashcroft | first=Lord | title=How the United Kingdom voted on Thursday... and why | website=Lord Ashcroft Polls | date=2016-06-24 | url=https://lordashcroftpolls.com/2016/06/how-the-united-kingdom-voted-and-why/ | access-date=2024-08-05}}</ref>

[[File:Rishi Sunak holds a press conference on the Rwanda asylum plan, 22 April 2024.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Sunak with his dumb "stop the boats" podium.]]

Prime Minister [[Rishi Sunak]] placed undocumented immigration at the center of his promises to the British people, saying in his first major speech that "We will pass new laws to stop small boats, making sure that if you come to this country illegally, you are detained and swiftly removed".<ref name="sunakboat">{{cite web | last=Gentleman | first=Amelia | title=How the Tory war on immigration backfired | website=the Guardian | date=2024-07-01 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2024/jul/01/how-the-tory-war-on-immigration-backfired | access-date=2024-08-05}}</ref> This was in reference to undocumented immigrants entering the United Kingdom by crossing the English Channel in small watercraft. Crossing this way is extremely dangerous, and the International Organization for Migration estimated that at least 177 migrants died attempting the journey between 2018 and mid-2024.<ref name="smllcraft"/> Since 2018, nearly 120,000 people entered the UK using this method, with 29,437 of them arriving in 2023.<ref name="smllcraft"/> Meanwhile, Rishi had gotten himself a stupid-looking podium branded with a "stop the boats" logo.<ref>{{cite web | last=Demianyk | first=Graeme | title='Dystopian': Rishi Sunak's New 'Stop The Boats' Lectern Prompts Backlash | website=HuffPost UK | date=2023-03-07 | url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/rishi-sunak-lectern-stop-the-boats_uk_640778abe4b0bbbc6b2f3f65 | access-date=2024-08-05}}</ref> Good progress there, buddy. 

Sunak's push against "boats" backfired when the public realized that his policies hadn't actually decreased Channel crossings.<ref name="sunakboat"/> Legal and illegal immigration had actually skyrocketed post-Brexit, a contributing factor being that the UK was no longer covered by an EU agreement that would return migrants to the first country they entered.<ref>{{cite web | last=Rob Picheta | first=Luke McGee,Christian Edwards | title=Britain sees record net migration levels, increasing pressure on government | website=CNN | date=2023-05-25 | url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/25/uk/uk-net-migration-figures-gbr-intl/index.html | access-date=2024-08-05}}</ref> While 96% of immigrants arrived legally, messaging from the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives]] convinced voters that undocumented immigration was a much greater problem than it actually was.<ref name="sunakboat"/>

In July 2023, the Conservative government passed the contentious "Illegal Migration Bill", which sought to send asylum seekers and migrants to Rwanda (the only "safe third country" that agreed) while their claims were processed.<ref name="migbill"/> The bill was actually dumb on its face, since only 10,000 people would be removed to Rwanda annually, leaving tens of thousands in legal limbo within the UK.<ref>{{cite web | title=The Truth about Channel crossings and the impact of the Illegal Migration Act | website=Refugee Council | date=2023-09-29 | url=https://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/information/resources/the-truth-about-channel-crossings-and-the-impact-of-the-illegal-migration-act/ | ref={{sfnref | Refugee Council | 2023}} | access-date=2024-08-05}}</ref> The Tory-controlled Home Office also claimed the bill would make it "unambiguously clear that, if you enter the UK illegally, you should not be allowed to remain here" by making it easier to detain people for longer periods of time.<ref name="migbill"/> Regardless, the UK's top court ruled the plan unlawful on the basis that Rwanda was, suprisingly, not safe.<ref>{{cite web | last=Lawless | first=Jill | title=UK top court says a plan to send migrants to Rwanda is illegal. The government still wants to do it | website=AP News | date=2023-11-15 | url=https://apnews.com/article/uk-migrants-rwanda-deportation-supreme-court-6e9e99a33dc47d16cf128a226a84acac | access-date=2024-08-05}}</ref> (Rwanda unsafe? Who could've seen that coming?) The Conservatives then lost the 2024 general election in a landslide, and incoming Prime Minister [[Keir Starmer]] ended all further consideration of the Rwanda plan.<ref>{{cite web | last=Francis | first=Sam | title=Sir Keir Starmer confirms Rwanda plan 'dead' on day one as PM | website=BBC Home | date=2024-07-06 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz9dn8erg3zo | access-date=2024-08-06}}</ref>

===The European Union===
[[File:LE Eithne Operation Triton (18833934641).jpg|thumb|right|375px|An [[Irish]] patrol vessel intercepts a migrant boat off the coast of [[Libya]], 2015.]]
====Statistics====
Pew Research Center estimated that 3.9 million undocumented immigrants lived in the [[European Union]] in 2017, although it acknowledged that the number could have been as high as as 4.8 million.<ref name="peweust">{{cite web | last=Connor | first=Phillip | last2=Passel | first2=Jeffrey S. | title=Europe’s Unauthorized Immigrant Population Peaks in 2016, Then Levels Off | website=Pew Research Center | date=2019-11-13 | url=https://www.pewresearch.org/global-migration-and-demography/2019/11/13/europes-unauthorized-immigrant-population-peaks-in-2016-then-levels-off/ | access-date=2024-08-06}}</ref> Either number still represents less than 1% of the EU's population, which is over 500 million. The number also includes asylum seekers waiting in the EU for a decision on their applications; these people have done nothing wrong.<ref name="peweust"/> 

This high number of undocumented immigrants is the result of a surge in migration that peaked in 2015 with 1.5 million asylum applications to various countries in the EU.<ref name="peweuasl">{{cite web | last=Connor | first=Phillip | title=Number of Refugees to Europe Surges to Record 1.3 Million in 2015 | website=Pew Research Center | date=2016-08-02 | url=https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2016/08/02/number-of-refugees-to-europe-surges-to-record-1-3-million-in-2015/ | access-date=2024-08-06}}</ref> [[Germany]] was the primary intended destination country for migrants, having received 442,000 applications in 2015.<ref name="peweuasl"/> After Germany were, [[Hungary]] (174,000 applications), and [[Sweden]] (156,000).<ref name="peweuasl"/> Men and boys made up 54% of undocumented immigrants (60% in Germany), and 65% were younger than 35.<ref>{{cite web | last=Connor | first=Phillip | last2=Passel | first2=Jeffrey S. | title=2. The origins, time in country and demographics of unauthorized immigrants in Europe | website=Pew Research Center | date=2019-11-13 | url=https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2019/11/13/the-origins-time-in-country-and-demographics-of-unauthorized-immigrants-in-europe/ | access-date=2024-08-06}}</ref>

====Political debate====
Immigration in general has become a divisive topic in the EU. Pew Research Center explored the issue in 2019, finding that 53% of Europeans believe immigration makes their countries stronger, but also that 57% believed that immigration increased the risk of [[terrorism]] in the EU.<ref>{{cite web | last=Wike | first=Richard | last2=Fetterolf | first2=Janell | last3=Fagan | first3=Moira | title=Europeans Credit EU With Promoting Peace and Prosperity, but Say Brussels Is Out of Touch With Its Citizens | website=Pew Research Center | date=2019-03-19 | url=https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2019/03/19/europeans-credit-eu-with-promoting-peace-and-prosperity-but-say-brussels-is-out-of-touch-with-its-citizens/ | access-date=2024-08-06}}</ref> In several countries, like [[France]], [[Poland]], and Hungary, younger generations are more likely to be anti-immigration than older generations.<ref>{{cite web | last=Clark | first=Alex | last2=Duncan | first2=Pamela | title=Young more anti-immigration than old in parts of Europe, polling shows | website=the Guardian | date=2024-05-28 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2024/may/28/young-more-anti-immigration-than-old-in-parts-of-europe-polling-shows | access-date=2024-08-06}}</ref> This contributed to the results seen in the 2024 European Parliament elections, in which far-right anti-immigrant parties like Germany's [[Alternative für Deutschland]] (AfD) make major gains and even outpace some traditional parties.<ref>{{cite web | last=Ioanes | first=Ellen | title=Why Europe is lurching to the right | website=Vox | date=2024-06-10 | url=https://www.vox.com/politics/354601/european-parliament-elections-macron-afd-national-rally-far-right-fidesz-france | access-date=2024-08-06}}</ref> It is clear that the immigration issue is fueling support for the far-right, creating an extremely dangerous situation for a continent that has [[Nazi Germany|a very bad history]] with [[Benito Mussolini|the far-right]].

The EU has taken a number of measures to slow down the pace of undocumented immigration, such as paying [[Turkey]] and Tunisia to prevent migrants from crossing the Mediterranean in small craft.<ref>{{cite web | last=Daragahi | first=Borzou | title=EU nations turn to authoritarian states to solve migrant boat crisis | website=The Independent | date=2023-06-29 | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/eu-migrants-rwanda-greece-italy-poland-tunisia-b2365878.html | access-date=2024-08-06}}</ref> The EU also paid Turkey to hold migrants within its own territory and prevent them from taking routes into [[Greece]], but it isn't clear what Turkey was actually spending that money on.<ref>{{cite web | last=Cook | first=Lorne | title=Auditors say it's hard to tell how Turkey is using EU refugee funds. Some officials aren't helpful | website=AP News | date=2024-04-23 | url=https://apnews.com/article/eu-turkey-migrants-deal-education-auditors-69a817f320ec2181d5429dc05c8f2df6 | access-date=2024-08-06}}</ref> 

Member countries have implemented anti-migrant policies as well. In 2023, [[Italy]] implemented policies meant to slow down the pace of missions to rescue migrants stranded in the Mediterranean.<ref>{{cite web | last=Glinski | first=Stefanie | title=EU policies partly to blame for 3,000 deaths in Mediterranean last year, say rights groups | website=the Guardian | date=2024-02-15 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2024/feb/15/eu-policies-partly-to-blame-for-3000-deaths-in-mediterranean-last-year-say-rights-groups | access-date=2024-08-06}}</ref> In the same year, the Greek government put 24 foreign aid volunteers on trial for rescuing migrants, accusing them of human trafficking.<ref>{{cite web | last=Balaskas | first=Panagiotis | last2=Becatoros | first2=Elena | title=Greek trial of volunteer migrant rescuers to resume Friday | website=AP News | date=2023-01-10 | url=https://apnews.com/article/legal-proceedings-turkey-netflix-inc-yusra-mardini-greece-69b54bc8d53b3ffb9dd72573a0b9f283 | access-date=2024-08-06}}</ref> There have also been numerous reports of Greek vessels abandoning migrants at sea.<ref>{{cite web | last=Trilling | first=Daniel | title=One EU policy the Tories are happy to emulate: cracking down on refugees | website=the Guardian | date=2023-05-29 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/may/29/eu-policy-tories-happy-to-emulate-crackdown-refugees | access-date=2024-08-06}}</ref> France passed a 2023 law to make it easier to reject asylum claims and streamline the deportation process, while Germany passed similar legislation that also granted police greater powers to search private residences for undocumented people.<ref>{{cite web | title=How Europe is Slowly Closing Its Doors to Asylum-Seekers | website=The Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS) | date=2024-04-30 | url=https://cmsny.org/how-europe-closing-doors-to-asylum-seekers/ | ref={{sfnref | The Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS) | 2024}} | access-date=2024-08-06}}</ref> 

In 2024, the EU overhauled its asylum process by toughening pre-entry screening, speeding up deportations, and implementing speedy rejections for asylum claims with "low chances of being accepted".<ref>{{cite web | last=Gozzi | first=Laura | title=EU approves major overhaul of migration rules | website=BBC Home | date=2024-04-10 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68779387 | access-date=2024-08-06}}</ref> Human rights groups criticized the new policies, claiming they would result in more people being detained in poor conditions and sent back to unsafe countries.<ref>{{cite web | last=Trilling | first=Daniel | title=Daniel Trilling | website=the Guardian | date=2024-04-16 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/apr/16/eu-migration-pact-intended-neutralise-far-right-europe | access-date=2024-08-06}}</ref>

====Effects====
[[File:Flashmob gegen Männergewalt, Köln-5833.jpg|thumb|right|375px|Protests in Cologne after the wave of sexual assaults on 2016 New Year's Eve.]]

Crime, and especially sexual assault, have been a major concern for European countries with large numbers of undocumented immigrants. The issue exploded into the mainstream during the 2016 New Year's Eve assaults in Cologne Germany, in which gangs of migrants from North Africa and the Middle East were responsible for 511 sexual assaults and 28 rapes.<ref>{{cite web | last=Bosen | first=Ralf | title=New Year's Eve in Cologne: 5 years after the mass assaults – DW – 12/31/2020 | website=dw.com | date=2020-12-31 | url=https://www.dw.com/en/new-years-eve-in-cologne-5-years-after-the-mass-assaults/a-56073007 | access-date=2024-08-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=A 'new dimension' of sexual assault in Cologne – DW – 01/05/2016 | website=dw.com | date=2016-01-05 | url=https://www.dw.com/en/a-new-dimension-of-sexual-assault-in-cologne/a-18959299 | ref={{sfnref | dw.com | 2016}} | access-date=2024-08-07}}</ref> The incident was widely publicized, creating a backlash against Germany's migrant acceptance policy and a new set of government procedures to make it easier to deport people.<ref> {{cite web | title=Cologne attackers 'could face deportation' – DW – 01/07/2016 | website=dw.com | date=2016-01-07 | url=https://www.dw.com/en/german-justice-minister-threatens-foreign-cologne-attackers-with-deportation/a-18964436 | ref={{sfnref | dw.com | 2016}} | access-date=2024-08-07}}</ref> Overall, Germany saw consistent increases in crime rates since then, reaching a 15-year high in 2024.<ref name="deutscrim">{{cite web | last=Martin | first=Nik | title=Germany: Violent crime reaches 15-year high | website=dw.com | date=2024-04-06 | url=https://www.dw.com/en/germany-violent-crime-reaches-15-year-high-report/a-68758122 | access-date=2024-08-07}}</ref> However, authorities attributed this trend not only to migration but also to a worsening economy, and rising [[antisemitism]] and [[xenophobia]].<ref name="deutscrim"/>. 2017 statistics, though, show that people classified as "asylum applicants or civil war refugees or illegal immigrants" were indeed responsible for a disproportionate amount of crimes, causing 8.5% of crime despite representing 2% of the German population.<ref name="duetpop">{{cite web | title=Reality Check: Are migrants driving crime in Germany? | website=BBC Home | date=2018-09-13 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45419466 | ref={{sfnref | BBC Home | 2018}} | access-date=2024-08-07}}</ref> German criminologists believe this is because migrants are disproportionately young and male. Dr. Dominic Kudlacek from the Criminological Research Unit of Lower Saxony said, "Whether they're asylum seekers or EU migrants, they are younger than the average population and mostly male. Young men commit more crimes in every society. They have social deprivation, they are alone and they spend most of their time with other people suffering from these risk factors."<ref name="duetpop"/> He also pointed out that many migrant crimes are committed against other migrants.

[[File:P1320969 Paris XVIII rue Dejean rwk.jpg|thumb|right|275px|Black French people at a commercial district in Paris, 2015.]]

Sweden has also seen a dramatic rise in crime and gang activity since 2013, although experts attribute this more to regional poverty and the availability of illegal guns from the Balkans.<ref>{{cite web | last=Sunnemark | first=Viktor | title=How gang violence took hold of Sweden – in five charts | website=the Guardian | date=2023-11-30 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/30/how-gang-violence-took-hold-of-sweden-in-five-charts | access-date=2024-08-07}}</ref> Between 2013 and 2018, 58% of men convicted in Sweden for rape or attempted rape were foreign-born, but in 2015, when Sweden took in its largest number of migrants, the number of rape cases went down 12%.<ref>{{cite web | title=Sweden rape: Most convicted attackers foreign-born, says TV | website=BBC Home | date=2018-08-22 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45269764 | ref={{sfnref | BBC Home | 2018}} | access-date=2024-08-07}}</ref> These fears led to the rise of a right-wing government in Sweden in 2022, which pledged to make it easier to deport migrants for a greater variety of reasons.<ref>{{cite web | title=Sweden mulls laws allowing govt to deport immigrants for ‘shortcomings in lifestyle’ | website=France 24 | date=2023-11-21 | url=https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20231121-sweden-mulls-laws-allowing-govt-to-deport-immigrants-for-shortcomings-in-lifestyle | ref={{sfnref | France 24 | 2023}} | access-date=2024-08-07}}</ref>

On the other hand, migrants are important economically, as in the case of Germany, where a lack of workers contributed to a poor economic performance in 2023.<ref name="eujobs">{{cite web | title=What is the economic impact of migration on Europe? | website=euronews | date=2024-01-22 | url=https://www.euronews.com/business/2024/01/22/the-economic-impact-of-migration-on-europe | ref={{sfnref | euronews | 2024}} | access-date=2024-08-07}}</ref> Europe is plagued by the twin problems of an aging labor force and low birth rates, raising the specter of pensions collapse and total economic stagnation.<ref name="euecon">{{cite web | title=Refugees are an economic benefit, not burden, to Europe | website=World Finance | url=https://www.worldfinance.com/special-reports/refugees-are-an-economic-benefit-not-burden-to-europe | ref={{sfnref | World Finance}} | access-date=2024-08-07}}</ref> Alexander Betts, Director of the Refugee Studies Centre at the University of Oxford, found in 2014 that introducing migrants to an area boosts the economy significantly due to the addition of workers and consumers.<ref name="euecon"/> The Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) also found that refugees from the [[Yugoslav Wars]] benefited the economy of Denmark despite initially taking unskilled jobs.<ref name="euecon"/> It also found in 2012 that foreign-born people in Germany paid far more in taxes than they received in state benefits, creating a surplus of €22bn ($27bn).<ref name="euecon"/> Europe, in other words, is in a position where it's putting up "Help Wanted" signs while simultaneously trying to block people from moving in.

===India===
[[File:Muslim Youth League CAA, NRC Protest in Kerala 2019.jpg|thumb|right|315px|Muslim youths in {{wpl|Kozhikode}}, {{wpl|Kerala}} protest the new citizenship bill, 2021.]]
[[India]]'s state of {{wpl|Assam}}, on the northeastern side of the country, is hemmed in by [[Bangladesh]] and [[Burma|Myanmar]]. As a result, it frequently sees influxes of undocumented immigrants, primarily [[Muslims]], fleeing worse conditions in those two countries.<ref name="cnewindia"/> This problem was exacerbated when Burma's military began a campaign of [[genocide]] against the country's Rohingya Muslim minority, causing 770,000 people to flee Burma.<ref>{{cite web | last=Sullivan | first=Daniel P. | last2=Sur | first2=Priyali | title=Shadow of Refuge: Rohingya Refugees in India | website=Refugees International | date=2023-06-17 | url=https://www.refugeesinternational.org/reports-briefs/shadow-of-refuge-rohingya-refugees-in-india/ | access-date=2024-08-09}}</ref> Indian authorities persecuted Rohingya refugees by destroying their camps, threatening them with violence, and conducting mass arrests that included children.<ref name="voaind">{{cite web | last=Rahman | first=Shaikh Azizur | title=Activists say Rohingya refugees are hounded in India | website=Voice of America | date=2024-07-17 | url=https://www.voanews.com/a/activists-say-rohingya-refugees-are-hounded-in-india/7701410.html | access-date=2024-08-09}}</ref> India has not signed the 1951 [[United Nations]] Refugee Convention.<ref name="voaind"/>

In 2019, India published its {{wpl|National Register of Citizens}} (NRC) and announced that anyone not on that list would be subject to detention and deportation on the basis that the government now considered them undocumented immigrants.<ref name="indnrc">{{cite web | last=Samuel | first=Sigal | title=India’s massive, scary new detention camps, explained | website=Vox | date=2019-09-17 | url=https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/9/17/20861427/india-assam-citizenship-muslim-detention-camps | access-date=2024-08-09}}</ref> The list also deliberately excluded Muslim families who had lived in Assam for many decades. This was enacted by India's ruling [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP), which is dedicated to [[Hindutva]], or the idea that India should be a nation based on [[Hinduism]] at the exclusion of Muslims.<ref name="bjp">{{cite web | last=Chakravarty | first=Udeepta | title=The Limits of Hindutva | website=Jacobin | date=2020-01-11 | url=https://jacobin.com/2020/01/hindutva-india-citizenship-amendment-bill-muslims-modi-bjp | access-date=2024-08-09}}</ref> India notably passed another law, the {{wpl|Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019}} (CAA), excepting non-Muslim refugees from the harsh detention and deportation measures and making it easier for them to gain citizenship.<ref name="bjp"/> As Gautam Bhatia, a lawyer in {{wpl|Delhi}}, says, the law divides migrants into Muslim and non-Muslim groups and "explicitly and blatantly seeks to enshrine religious discrimination into law".<ref>{{cite web | title=CAA: India's new citizenship law explained | website=BBC Home | date=2019-12-09 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-50670393 | ref={{sfnref | BBC Home | 2019}} | access-date=2024-08-09}}</ref>

In accordance with its new policies, the Indian government began construction on what were essentially 10 massive [[concentration camps]] intended to house people detained for being undocumented.<ref name="indnrc"/> The NRC branded 1.9 million people in Assam as noncitizens,<ref name="cnewindia"/> and India says it plans to extend the detention and deportation policies across the entire country.<ref name="indnrc"/> After the publishing of the NRC, {{wpl|Amit Shah}}, India's {{wpl|Ministry of Home Affairs}}, said the Indian government will not allow a single illegal immigrant to stay.<ref name="cnewindia"/>

==See also==
*[[Britain is full]], for British anti-immigrant nonsense
*[[The Great Replacement]], a conspiracy theory about immigration
*[[Know Nothing Party]]
*[[Mass immigration]]
*[[Myths and facts about immigration to the United States]]
*[[US Immigration and Customs Enforcement]]

==External links==
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZK7rayEptw The Icing on the Cake]
*[http://blog.ap.org/2013/04/02/illegal-immigrant-no-more/ "Illegal immigrant" no more], AP
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPNsS09NGg0 An animated series about a family dedicated to fighting illegal aliens].
*[https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/world/border-barriers/global-illegal-immigration-prevention/ Border security – Illegal immigration issues in Europe, and the U.S.]

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:Conspiracy theorist scapegoats]]
[[Category:Immigration]]
[[Category:Mexico]]
[[Category:Moral panics]]
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Racism]]
[[Category:Xenophobia]]

Categories: Conspiracy theorist scapegoats, Immigration, Mexico, Moral panics, Politics, Racism, Xenophobia