Introduction
The development and expansion of economic, social and political interactions among countries has necessitated the need to adopt effective measures of enhancing human relations. Nations have adopted friendly ways of promoting peace among them and this promotes interactions among their citizens.
As a result, people have migrated to foreign countries to seek employment, education, treatment and leisure. Even though, migration to foreign countries is not a crime it results in other activities that threaten human life. This discussion examines the negative impacts of illegal immigrants on America’s economy.
Definition
An immigrant is a person who moves to a foreign country in search of employment, leisure, treatment or education. There are procedures that allow individuals to migrate to other countries for whatever reason. These procedures include the acquisition of travel permits that describe the purpose and duration of visit. In addition, the document gives a detailed description of the person’s background and close family relatives.
This information is essential for assisting an individual in case something terrible happens. However, some people travel to other countries without obtaining these documents while others travel using fake documents. Whichever the case, the above situations result in illegal immigrants. These people pose significant risks to the economy of host countries.
Consequences of Illegal Immigrants in America
Cases of illegal immigrants are on the increase in America leading to serious economic threats to its citizens. One of the key threats to illegal immigrants is loss of jobs.
The influx of people to Americas has exhausted the available job opportunities and rendered job seeking a hurdle to overcome. Many students graduating from universities and colleges spend most of their first years seeking employment in various firms. This has become a nightmare to them since securing employment has become tricky due to the high demand for few job opportunities.
In addition, illegal immigrants seek alternative ways of survival including offering cheap industrial and domestic labor. They give employers an opportunity to compromise workers’ benefits and considerations. They are ready to work in poor conditions despite the meager salary they earn.
They are an easy target to unscrupulous employers who seek cheap and affordable labor. Most illegal immigrants have inadequate education, skills and experiences; therefore, they are ready to accept any payments as long as they get money for their upkeep. Most of them allow their employers to mistreat them provided they earn salaries at the end of the month.
However, some critics have argued that illegal immigrants promote America’s economy by offering cheap and available labor. This is true since employers spend less on hiring illegal immigrants than Americans or legal immigrants. The government does not recognize them; therefore, they cannot access essential servicers like health and property ownership. This explains the presence of cheap labor in America while the same people fail to work under same conditions in their own countries.
Increase in Crime
Money is an essential means to various ends in life. People must work to earn salaries that will enable them fulfill and satisfy their needs. However, the presence of illegal immigrants in America makes money a luxury only affordable to privileged individuals. The absence of adequate employment opportunities for locals and foreigners is a fertile ground for crime to thrive in America. Money has become a precious commodity that determines future life. Therefore, people work tirelessly to earn salaries and make ends meet.
However, the absence of adequate employment opportunities for locals and foreigners has forced people to engage in criminal activities. First, people who are lucky to secure jobs struggle to get promotions and salary increments. However, this is not as easy as it sounds and many workers become corrupt to earn money. These activities include bribery and canvassing that hinder effective service delivery.
Secondly, most illegal immigrants migrate to America thinking there are many employment opportunities than in their countries. However, when they arrive in America, they discover nothing comes easily. They have to work tirelessly to make ends meet and help their families back in their counties. They try working in few organizations and realize they will take longer than expected to raise enough money to transform their lifestyles.
As a result, they resort to criminal activities that have many promises. Eventually, such people start engaging in drug trafficking as cheap alternatives to make quick money. This leads to an increase in drug related crimes like bribery and smuggling. As a result, such people find themselves always on the run from policemen. These cases increase with an increase in illegal immigrants, in America.
Moreover, the immigration departments of America and other countries require their citizens and foreigners register at their offices when leaving and arriving in any country. However, illegal immigrants will not dare register themselves in these departments for fear of deportation.
Therefore, they decide to keep quite and play hide and seek with the authorities. Such people engage in criminal activities without being identified. The fact that the immigration department of the foreign country does not have their details makes them engage in criminal activities without fear.
In addition, inadequate employment opportunities coupled with poor pays force people to move to the streets and engage in prostitution. Prostitution is the exchange of an individual’s body for monetary allowances and other favors. Most men and women are ready to pay their clients to get sexual gratification.
Controlled prostitution is not a threat to society. However, illegal immigrants cannot access quality services from the government since they are not supposed to be in America. Therefore, they fear seeking government intervention in their activities; therefore, exposing their clients and themselves to health and security risks.
Lastly, unemployment leads to petty crimes like shoplifting, pick pocketing and burglary. As security tightens the perpetrators of these crimes change tactics and start armed and violent robbery. Eventually, this leads to daytime robberies kidnapping for ransom and car jacking.
Illegal immigrants are pushed beyond tolerance limits due to social and economic pressures; therefore, they end up risking their lives while trying to rob high end establishments. For that reason, people start engaging in petty criminal activities like shoplifting and getting away with them. As the desire to earn money increases, they engage in serious robbery incidences and soon find themselves robbing commercial investments like banks. Eventually, they become wanted criminals leaving behind trails of murder and destruction.
Conclusion
Illegal immigrants expose America to extreme economic crisis in terms of unemployment. America cannot offer adequate employment opportunities for its citizens, legal and illegal immigrants. Therefore, the excess population resorts to illegal means of earning income to satisfy their needs. This leads to increase in criminal activities, in America.