Question

Aliens and Illegal Immigration

An illegal alien is an alien who has entered the U.S. or some other country in violation of the law. An alien is any person, who is not a citizen, but is not necessarily a person who is entering the U.S. or some other country illegally. Different countries have different opportunities for persons with or without skills to earn higher wages than they would receive for the same work in their own countries. If illegal aliens can double their pay, they have a strong incentive to remain in the country, even though they have an illegal status.

Discuss the following questions on the basis of your understanding of immigration:

In your opinion, who can be categorized as an alien, illegal immigrant, a legal alien, and a citizen? Why would you categorize them like this?

When you travel to a foreign country, would you be considered an alien or an illegal alien? Why?

If an American woman was traveling to a foreign country and she gave birth, would the child be a citizen of the U.S. or would the child be a citizen of the country where it was born? Justify your answer.

Explain the factors that induce people to enter a country illegally, or, if visiting, to stay beyond their authorized time. Would you hire an illegal alien to increase your profit line? Why? If you were to hire such a person, how would you justify doing so?

Explain how illegal immigration affects your employment? Provide examples to support your answer.

Analyze whether illegal immigrants have any impact on the labor market and your standard of living? Why?

Answer 1

Alien , illegal immigrants and their categorisation:-

Illegal immigrants are defined as people who migrate into other countries:-

a) by violating immigration laws of that country

b) illegally entering that country

c) or illegally staying in that country even after their legal tenure of staying in that country expires .

There are four categories of illegal immigrants :-

1- FAMILY CLASS - People from the family of any person who lives in that country .

2) ECONOMIC IMMIGRANTS - Skilled , Unskilled labours

3) REFUGEES - People seeking shelter because of any dangerous circumstances going in their country

4) Immigrants on Humanitarian grounds - People relocating due to wars in Syria

Does travelling to a foreign country makes a person illegal immigrant ?

No travelling to a country with documents like VISA will not make a person an illegal immigrant , however if a person extend their stay without legally extending the VISA then he will be categorized as illegal immigrant.

A women travelling to a different country - Birth of baby and question of citizenship :-

1) If a child is born over open ocean , it is generally considered a citizen of the country where the parent has legal citizenship in .

2) However if the baby is born in American aerospace , it is a U.S. citizen.

3) Giving birth on land of different country - There are 29 countries in the world including U.S. who give their citizenship to the babies if they are born in the territory of their country . Such babies are called Anchor Babies.

Factors that induce illegal immigrants :-

Following are the factors that induce illegal immigrants :-

1) Better opportunities of employment

2) A greater degree of freedom

3) Avoidance of political oppression

4) freedom from violence

5) Famine

6) Family Reunification

7)Economic incentive

8) Poverty

9) Wars and Asylum

Hiring of illegal immigrants - correct or incorrect ?

Hiring illegal immigrants can lead to many severe penalties such as :-

a) Criminal and civil fines

2) Loss of business licenses

Illegal immigrants- Effect on employment , labour market and standard of living :-

​​​The main effects of illegal immigration are :-

1) A strain on public utilities.

2) Reduction in wage rate - As shown in the diagram , increased supply of labour leads to reduction in the wage rate as they are willing to work at lower amount than the market rate .

3) Loss of jobs of Locals - The number of jobs are limited ,however increase in the population leads to reduction in employment opportunities for the locals

4) Loss of tax revenue

5) Increase in criminal activity