Illegal immigration is a contentious issue in the United States.  In the last few years, some have proposed that illegal immigrants living in the country should be given citizenship.  There are both pros and cons to this particular proposal.

The United States is not the only country in the world that deals with this issue.  Illegal immigration is a problem all around the world.  Wherever there is a significant disparity in economic opportunities between a country and its neighbors, illegal immigration seems to be a problem.

Western European and European Union countries have faced illegal immigration from Eastern Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.  South Africa has attracted illegal immigrants from other African countries- Zimbabwe in particular.  Other popular destinations for illegal immigrants around the world have included Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Russia, Brazil, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Barbados, the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic.

In the United States, the largest source of illegal immigrants is the Mexican border.  Millions of Mexicans have crossed the border illegally.  The Mexican border has also provided a transit point for immigrants from other countries to cross into the United States.  Many of these other illegal immigrants come from Central American countries like El Salvador.  Others come to Mexico from overseas with the intention of using the country as a springboard for entering the United States illegally.

Some immigrants, most notably those from Cuba and Haiti, have tried to reach the U.S. by boat.  This strategy, however, has been less effective than the land crossings of the Mexican-U.S. border.  Others come with false identification or overstay travel visas.  Some come via the northern Canadian border.

Authorities have been unable to stem the tide of illegal immigration.  It seems that they are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people that illegally cross the long Mexican border each year.  Illegal immigrants who are caught and deported back to Mexico can simply try again.

In the United States, employers have created a demand for illegal immigrants.  Americans have been quick to take advantage of the availability of cheap illegal labor.  This includes, not only business owners, but average citizens who employ illegal immigrants as gardeners or housekeepers.

Many illegal immigrants take low-status, low pay jobs that are shunned by Americans.  When businesses employ illegal immigrants at lower than average wages, it can result in cost savings for the consumer.  In these ways, illegal immigration benefits American citizens.

In addition, authorities have generally been unable to stem the flow of illegal immigration.  Many gainfully illegal immigrants already live in the country.  These people work and contribute to the society.  As a result some have argued that illegal immigrants should be legalized, and given American citizenship.

There are, however, several problems with this argument.  First of all, illegal immigrants are attractive to employers precisely because they are illegal.  Employers hire illegal immigrants because they can pay them less than minimum wage.  If all illegal immigrants were made legal, then they could demand proper wages and proper treatment.  This would mean that they would no longer be any more attractive to employers than the average American citizen.

Another problem with legalizing illegal immigrants is that it would send a bad message to other potential immigrants.  Many legal would-be immigrants go through a long and arduous process to become American citizens.  Meanwhile illegal immigrants, according to some, should be rewarded for their illegal actions by being allowed to skip ahead in the immigration line.

Finally, legalization of illegal immigrants would most likely attract even more illegal immigrants to the country.  If people know that all they need to do to become a citizen is reach American soil, they may come in droves.

There are both pros and cons to the legalization of illegal immigrants.  Legalization would be a recognition of the fact that authorities have been unable to prevent illegal immigration and that millions of illegal live and work in the United States.  On the other hand, legalization is not guaranteed to stem the tide of illegal migration.  In fact, it may simply encourage more illegal immigrants while discouraging those who go through the legal immigration process.