Illegal Entry

Illegal entry is the act of foreign nationals arriving in or crossing the borders into a country in violation of its immigration law.

Migrants from nations that do not have automatic visa agreements, or who would not otherwise qualify for a visa, often cross the borders illegally in some areas like the United States–Mexico border, the Mona Channel between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, the Strait of Gibraltar, Fuerteventura, and the Strait of Otranto. These methods are often dangerous: migrants have been known to suffocate in shipping containers, boxcars and trucks, sink in shipwrecks caused by unseaworthy vessels or die of dehydration or exposure during long walks without water.

Human smuggling is the practice of intermediaries aiding unlawful migrants in crossing international borders for financial gain, often in large groups. Human smuggling differs from, but is sometimes associated with, human trafficking. A human smuggler will facilitate illegal entry into a country for a fee, but on arrival at their destination, the smuggled person is usually free. Trafficking involves a process of using physical force, fraud, or deception to obtain and transport people, usually for the purpose of forced labor or prostitution at the destination.