The effects of illegal immigration in Britain and France - Research Paper Example

There dozens of nations across the globe, which are known to have millions of people who have entered to them illegally.1 Most potential immigrants believe that the costs or risks of migrating to a different country are lower while compared to chances of migrating to them successfully. As a result, they regard the issue of immigration as being a better option to them. The benefits that immigrants take into account target improvements in living standards and income as well as to gain future permits to reside in the country legally.

This is especially in cases where immigrants are offered with a path to citizenship or neutralization. However, there are certain costs that are associated with restrictions that are imposed to illegal immigrants in the host county. Some of these include abandoning their families, and abandoning their ways of life, as well as chances of being detained, an event which may result to sanctions.2 This paper will discuss the history of illegal migration to Britain and France, economic and social implications, as well as public policy changes that the two countries practice in order to curb the issue of illegal immigration.

Since the beginning of 1945, the number of illegal immigrants to the UK has been rising at a substantial pace. This is especially with respect to the case of Ireland among other British Empire territories and colonies such as Bangladesh, India, the Caribbean, Pakistan, Kenya, South Africa, and Hong Kong. Other known immigrants into the country are those who come seeking for Asylum, especially those who act as refugees and other residents of European Union. Approximately half of the rise in population from 1991 to 2001 was as a result of foreign immigration.

3 Today, it is not an easy task to identify the number of people who are living in Britain with appropriate authorization. In 2001, the Home Office undertook a census whereby it identified the