Hello,today we are going to talk about illegal immigration.

These are the topics that we are going to approach: first of all we are going to explain what is illegal
immigration. Secondly, we are going to talk about illegal immigration in the mediterranean, then ways
to help illegal immigrants and at the end we are going to see the countries with the most illegal
immigrants

Most people in the world have had the experience of leaving the place where they grew up.
Maybe they will only move as far as the next village or city. But for some people, they will need to
leave their country for a short time, but sometimes forever. Every day, all over the world, people make
one of the most difficult decisions in their lives: to leave their homes in search of a safer and better
life.
We all are aware of what is immigration but this process requires some legal procedures and most of
the time refugees or asylum seekers don’t have time or money to be legal immigrants
But what is illegal immigration? Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation
of the immigration laws of that country or the continued residence without the legal right to live in that
country. Illegal immigrants are also referred to as undocumented immigrants.
People decide to move to another country for several reasons, the main ones are:
Poverty: several times people face financial difficulties or extremely poverty, specially in non
developed countries
Overpopulation: it occurs when population growth outstrips the carrying capacity of an area,
causing food and water shortages
War: the beginning of a war in a certain country causes safety issues and even displacement,
as we can see in ukraine.
Asylum seekers: if you apply for asylum in the country of destination,you will be granted
refugee status and if the country denies you any kind of legal protection status, then you may be
forced to leave the country or stay as an illegal immigrant.

As you know it is extremely dangerous to cross a country's border illegally, some of the risks are
disappearance,loss of contact with family and friends,immigrants may face human rights
violations,when crossing the borders. there is also a risk of forced labour a knock-on effect could be
an increase in the exploitation of labour, where immigrants may be forced to work to pay off their large
debts with the smugglers. Illegal residence in another country creates the risk of detention,
deportation, and/or other sanctions.

There is also a large variety of issues concerning these immigrants, which include language barriers,
difficulty finding new job opportunities, transportation and health care. Many illegal immigrants are
afraid to seek services because of the possibility of being discovered and deported. Most illegal
immigrants remain uninsured and have limited access to care. Medical issues often affecting this
population include infectious diseases, inadequate prenatal care, and mental health concerns. They
may also face discrimination or xenophobia when they arrive at a new country. Illegal immigrants
primarily are attracted to destinations of economic opportunities and intend to search for work there.

It is important to understand the difference between a refugee and an asylum seeker. So an

asylum seeker is a person looking for protection because they fear persecution, or they have
experienced violence or human rights violations, but sometimes they are denied asylum, ending up
becoming illegal immigrants while a refugee is a person who asked for protection and was given
refugee status. When the procedures are not strictly followed they both face illegal immigration.

Conditions you must meet to enter Portugal legally

To enter Portugal for residence purposes, you must meet the following conditions:
have a passport valid for at least three months beyond the duration of the stay;
have a valid visa appropriate to the purpose of the stay;
not have any legal impediment to enter Portugal
 The number of illegal immigrants has been increasing over the years
This development has had a profound impact on Europe’s criminal landscape, with criminal networks
substantially increasing their involvement in migrant smuggling. More than 90 % of the migrants
fleeing to the European union used facilitation services. In most cases, these services were offered
and provided by criminal groups.
Criminal networks exploit the desperation and vulnerability of migrants seeking to escape
armed conflict, persecution and deprivation.
They offer a broad range of facilitation services such as transportation, accommodation and
fraudulent documents at excessively high prices. In many cases, migrants are forced to pay for these
services by means of illegal labour.Organised crime networks as well as individual criminal
entrepreneurs are profiting from mass migration.
Migrant smuggling networks have proven flexible and resilient, adapting to law enforcement
actions by quickly changing the routes they use to smuggle migrants to the European Union. These
routes are constantly diversifying and changing. More than ever before, law enforcement authorities
have to rely on situational awareness and an intelligence picture that is updated in real time and that
can be maintained only through effective intelligence sharing.

Illegal immigration in the mediterranean

Every year, thousands of immigrants from poor and war-stricken countries attempt a risky
journey by boat for what they hope will be a better life in Europe, risking their lives.
Many immigrants travel very long and perilous journeys through several countries before
embarking on their final journey by boat. More than 10 thousands immigrants have died crossing the
mediterranean sea during the last two decades, specially coming from Africa.Many are fleeing
potentially dangerous situations at home, and as conflicts around the world have changed, so have
the national origins of immigrants by sea, for instance.
In 2022, it was estimated that more than 2 thousand immigrants died while crossing the
Mediterranean Sea. Worldwide, it was estimated that eight thousand people died in the attempt of
fleeing their country.The Mediterranean Sea was the deadliest migration route. Indeed, over the last
couple of years, the Mediterranean Sea held the largest number of casualties and missing people.

Now we are going to share some ways you can help immigrants crossing borders:
One of the most commons ways to help is to volunteer in a border relief agency or in an organization,
this way you can help immigrants cross the ocean safely.
You can donate to several organizations. It helps them continue its work to ensure that immigrants,
refugees, and asylum seekers have access to the fundamental legal protections and due process
rights. You can also raise awareness, by sharing some real life cases and signing petitions

Which country has the most number of illegal immigrants?

In 2021 Russia had the highest net immigration figures in Europe, while Turkey had the lowest with
negative net-migration
Germany, France, Greece and Spain host 68% of illegal immigrants in European Union
Germany claims the highest number of non-EU illegal immigrants and France is second

Thank you for your attention!!!