The United States of America is one of the most attractive countries for immigrants for many reasons:
- Most people believe that the United States is the place where they can fulfill their dream.
- The US has a well-developed system of social assistance and protection.
- There are various tools aimed at successfully assimilating and integrating migrants into American society.
However, despite all these advantages of migration to the United States, not everyone who arrives in the country is able to get the appropriate documents. Thus, the US government should provide immigrants with the papers to ensure successful integration and living conditions.
Illegal immigration is one of the most acute problems for host countries and the United States in general. This type of migration involves the movement of labor across the border in a way that violates the country’s laws (Facchini et al., 2017). Most illegal migrants live on the state’s territory with an expired visa or without any documents at all. This form of migration leads to several negative socio-economic consequences. First, illegal migrants most often occupy poorly paid positions. Moreover, on average, illicit visitors are paid less than legal or local workers. These factors lead to the fact that these people start to form a significant poverty level, which adversely affects the state itself. The issuance of valid documents for the residence in the host country will help to solve this problem. According to the law, a person who has an appropriate document indicating his right to be in the United States will receive a salary. Therefore, employers will not be able to pay their employees less than the US living wage, which will reduce the level of poverty.
Another problem of illegal migration is related to the attitude of the local population to the newcomers. Many Americans do not consider migration a critical issue, but they are concerned about its illegal component. There is an opinion that illegal immigrants take away jobs from the local population, do not pay taxes, and do not want to integrate into society successfully (Facchini et al., 2017). All this creates an unfavorable situation within the country, which can lead to severe conflicts. However, the local population is more favorable to legal migrants who have received a residence permit or other necessary documents. Thus, the relevant papers can influence the attitude of the people towards migrants and promote peaceful coexistence.
Moreover, many people who have arrived in the country illegally have children who receive American citizenship according to their birthright. In some cases, law enforcement agencies learn about the parents’ illegal status and deport them back to their homeland. Thus, it creates a serious problem with abandoned children who are forced to live in orphanages or other special institutions. The separation of families causes many indignation and protests both from human rights organizations and from the sympathetic population in general. In turn, this again leads to a conflict situation in the country and the deterioration of the entire state’s image. If the state initially provides the migrant with all the necessary documents, such problems can be avoided.
In conclusion, illegal migration creates many problems related to the state’s socio-economic stability, including an increase in the population’s level of poverty. Moreover, the local population’s hostility to illegal migrants can lead to a conflict situation in the state. The problem of separated families also leads to dissatisfaction with human rights organizations and the entire society. Thus, in order to effectively solve the existing problems, the state should issue particular documents to migrants that will allow them to integrate into society and live peacefully successfully.
References
Facchini, G., Mayda, A. M., & Puglisi, R. (2017). Illegal immigration and media exposure: evidence on individual attitudes. IZA Journal of Development and Migration, 7(1), 1-36.