Illegal immigration : analyzing the threat

Abstract

The world has seen increased levels of globalization in recent decades. As a result, there have also been increased levels of migration, both legal and illegal. This increase in migration has created larger populations of illegal immigrants in foreign nations. The increase in illegal immigrant populations has caused concern among national citizens. This concern is due to the perceived threat caused by the presence of illegal immigrants. This thesis seeks to answer a question surrounding the threat posed by illegal immigrants in foreign states. Is the perceived threat of illegal immigrants greater than the actual threat posed by their presence? There is a great amount of research on the economic and security aspects related to legal and illegal migration. The purpose of this thesis is to expand upon that through an analysis of social identity issues that can be caused by immigration. Through the analysis of social identity issues, I hope to show the connection between threat to individual and group identity and the perceived threat of illegal immigration. By establishing this connection, I believe I will be able to prove that the threats to individual and group identity security are the greater, underlying concerns of citizens and are expressed through economic and individual security rhetoric. I believe this is a great time to look deeper into the threats created by the presence of illegal immigrants due to the current political atmosphere worldwide regarding the issue of illegal immigration. These threats include the threat to social identity and cohesion of natural born citizens of a state. I will be looking to uncover what generates these threatening feelings for state citizens while also analyzing what threats to physical security exist. To accomplish this goal, I will be examining various published works discussing identity theory. This literature will cover topics like individual and group identity, threats-to-care, perception of threat, and the optimal distinctiveness theory. Fallowing the discussion on identity-based threats of illegal immigration I will move to a discussion of the actual threats, or lack of threats, caused by legal and illegal immigration. In an effort to assess the threat of illegal immigration, I will be comparing its effects to the effects of legal international immigration. Legal immigration is a largely encouraged event and has been seen to have positive effects in many areas of the world. Through a comparison of the economic effects and security risks of legal and illegal migration I will be able to show the actual effect illegal migration has on both state security and the economy. It is my belief that at the conclusion of my research I will be able to confidently show that the perceived threats of illegal migration are greater than the actual threats. I have chosen to focus my analysis on Great Britain. This selection was based on Great Britain's unique history as a world empire, a state of emigration, and, more recently, a state of immigration. The physical nature of Great Britain as an island state also adds a unique dynamic to the discussion. While the goal of this thesis is to ascertain the relationship between perceived threat and physical threats (economic and individual security), a significant portion will focus on the Muslim community within Great Britain. The Muslim community consists of legal and illegal immigrants as well as British citizens. It also represents the largest ethnic minority within Great Britain. As we will see in the following pages, the relationship between the Muslim community and British nationals has a long history and has helped shape both the political and national views of immigration in Great Britain.