Abstract
The link between immigration and crime is one of the most popular topics in contemporary research. This paper discusses an idea to criminalize asylum-seeking behaviors in the U.S. The paper evaluates the effects of immigration on crime in America and discusses the hidden dangers of America’s political asylum opportunities. The hidden drawbacks of the new law are discussed. The paper proposes a balanced solution to political asylum issues in America.
The current state of immigration laws in America
The link between immigration and crime is one of the most popular topics in contemporary research. That immigration is an essential factor of crime in the United States has been abundantly established. There is an emerging consensus that immigration laws in America do not meet American society’s legal and social demands. The situation is incredibly tricky with political asylum, which gives thousands of foreign criminals a chance to settle in the U.S.
A legal right of seeking political asylum
All foreigners coming to the U.S. have a legal right to seek political asylum. However, most, if not all, asylum-seeking behaviors need to be criminalized. There ought to be a law that limits the number of political asylum seekers in the U.S. There ought to be a law that sets a quota for the number of political asylum seekers coming to the U.S., and there are several reasons for this. First, immigration is one of the main factors of the complicated crime situation in the U.S. According to Siegel (2010), immigrants contribute to high crime rates in America. Therefore, they must be prevented from entering the U.S. territory (Siegel, 2010).
The current state of research suggests that, contrary to previous beliefs, immigrants commit fewer crimes compared with native born populations (Siegel, 2010). However, these ideas require further validation. In the meantime, political asylum opens America to those who seek to avoid political and legal responsibility for the acts committed in their home countries. Second, political asylum “is the most idealistic, almost uncontrollable, and most poorly managed of all features of the country’s convoluted immigration rules” (Simcox, 1995).
Political asylum is a safe haven for thousands of people who want to settle in the United States for reasons other than refuge (Simcox, 1995). Almost half of the U.S. asylum seekers do not appear for the initial hearing; others drop out of sight once their asylum petition is denied (Simcox, 1995). Asylum seeking behaviors are entirely legal, but most of them need to be criminalized to prevent criminals and illegal immigrants from settling on the U.S. territory.
Criminalization of asylum seeking behaviors
Indeed, the idea of criminalizing asylum-seeking behaviors is not without controversy. The hidden drawbacks of the proposed law are numerous. A decision to criminalize political asylum behaviors will necessarily encounter a liberal political opposition. There is a discussion among scholars, whether the right to seek political asylum is human or divine (Sinha, 1971). Once political asylum decisions are criminalized, the United States will have to give up its liberal image and say good-bye to its human rights reputation.
Thousands of people from developing countries with unfavorable political climates will have no opportunity to save their lives and protect themselves from political and legal persecution. However, there is always some room for political and social compromise. The United States could criminalize immigrant behaviors that do not meet the basic legal criteria and threaten social stability in the country.
Also, immigrants’ attempts to use political asylum opportunities as the means to escape criminal liability in their home countries must be criminalized. Applicants coming from the countries with adequate human rights protections must be denied an opportunity to apply for political asylum in the U.S. (Simcox, 1995). In this way, the United States will be able to protect foreigners’ basic human rights without sacrificing the right of native-born Americans to live in peace.
Conclusion
All foreigners coming to the U.S. have a legal right to seek political asylum; however, most, if not all, asylum-seeking behaviors need to be criminalized. There ought to be a law that sets a quota for the number of political asylum seekers in the U.S. since immigration is a continuous factor in America’s complex crime situation. Also, many political asylum seekers come to the U.S. for reasons other than a refuge. Indeed, the decision to criminalize asylum-seeking behaviors will meet a liberal opposition and disrupt the U.S.’s global humanitarian image. However, there is always some room for political and social compromise. The U.S. must protect its citizens from the negative consequences of mass immigration and crime.
References
Siegel, L.J. (2010). Criminology, 10th ed. Wadsworth: Cengage Learning.
Simcox, D. (1995). Political asylum: The Achilles Heel of immigration reform. NPG Forum Series. Web.
Sinha, S.P. (1971). Asylum and international law. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers.