Most people know that there are millions of illegal or undocumented immigrants currently present in the US, but what are the 10 countries where most of the illegal immigrants came from?
The topic of illegal immigration has resulted in hotly contested debates over how the situation should be handled. Of course, we all know that President Donald Trump built his entire campaign on the influx of illegal immigrants and how he would abolish that practice. After winning the election, he continued on the path, determined to weed out the undocumented immigrants, turning his ire on the so-called sanctuary cities, which harbor and attempt to protect their undocumented population. And while people thought that he might slow down now that it’s been a few weeks since he took office, the reality begs to differ. In fact, newly leaked memos have emerged, which suggest that Trump won’t only focus on the deportation of those undocumented immigrants who are creating trouble in the country, he is actually focused on eradicating all illegal immigrants from the nation, a move which will see the population decrease by an incredible 11 million!
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But why is there such vitriol towards the illegal immigrants? I mean, I understand that they entered the country illegally and, in doing so, broke the law, but are they actually causing any significant harm to the nation? Those who are in support of Trump’s actions claim that not only do illegal immigrants result in greater crime in the area, they also cost the city billions due to benefits. However, while it may be a bitter pill to swallow for the naysayers, reports actually show that the illegal immigrants make a significant contribution to the economy of the US, to the tune of more than $11 billion annually. These contributions come from property taxes as well as sales and excise taxes. In fact, the same report goes on to suggest that if all the illegal immigrants in the country were allowed to become legal, natural citizens, a further contribution of more than $2 billion could be expected. Thus, it may be true that the 15 States with the Most Illegal Immigrants per Capita have strong economies due to the presence of undocumented workers, not in spite of it.
But the question that pops into the mind of many is why would anyone risk their lives, their security, their freedom and everything they have in order to illegally enter a new country? After all, how bad can things be in their own country? The answer, as it turns out, is pretty bad. For example, 11.5 million refugees have emerged from Syria, with most of them moving to European countries in order to avoid civil war, in addition to the terrorist threat posed by ISIS. Many others move because it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to find jobs in their own country, while others move to avoid persecution for their identity, such as religion.
To learn more about the countries where most of the illegal immigrants came from, we scoured the web and found a report by the Migration Policy Institute, which provides a detailed analysis of the illegal immigrant population in the nation. This report also showed the countries of birth of the illegal immigrants, with Central America and South America having the most countries present on this list of countries where most of the illegal immigrants came from.
10. Colombia
Undocumented population: 137,000
Colombia gained international infamy after Pablo Escobar successfully made the country a hub for the production and smuggling of cocaine, a move which saw laws and regulations in the country defiled by the cartels, making it a dangerous place to live in while providing impetus for the residents to leave the country in order to save their lives. Colombia has now become a hub for human smuggling, and while many Colombians have moved to the US illegally, people from other countries also enter the US illegally through Colombia.
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9. Ecuador
Undocumented population: 146,000
Ecuadorians began migrating to the United States after the financial crash of the country’s economy back in the 1990s. The crash left many Ecuadorians in poverty, who then sent their children, both legally and illegally, to the United States, so that they could earn in dollars and remit their savings back to their homeland, which would provide sustenance for their families. Due to the vast number of Ecuadorians in the United States, the country has made some efforts to offer “protected” status to those currently present in the country, which would save them from deportation that could be a likely occurrence in Trump’s America. Now, let’s see what’s next on our list of countries where most of the illegal immigrants came from.
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8. South Korea
Undocumented population: 192,000
Despite the fact that South Korea is a first world country with a bustling economy and an excellent education system, many people simply want to leave the country no matter what the consequences, which is why illegal migration to the US has boomed. This is mainly due to the fact that competition in the country is so cutthroat, even highly educated citizens can face strict competition for places and might even remain unemployed for a while. A large number of illegal immigrants in the US has drawn concern from the country’s own newspapers, regarding their imminent deportation.
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7. Philippines
Undocumented population: 197,000
The Philippines, next on our list of countries where most of the illegal immigrants came from is another country from which people have decided to move to the US in search of better standards of living and job opportunities. While legal immigrants from the country are often highly educated and can hold lucrative positions, the illegal immigrants generally barely have an education and work lower level jobs from which they earn a living. However, due to the exchange rate, the money they send back is actually worth a lot in the Philippines, and this manner of living helps them ensure that their families are well taken care of.
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6. India
Undocumented population: 284,000
We are continuing our list of countries where most of the illegal immigrants came from with India that has one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and yet hundreds of thousands of Indians have preferred to move illegally to the United States instead of remaining in their own country. One of the primary reasons for this decision is that there is a startlingly high level of poverty in the country, and a glaring lack of opportunities as the country is yet to be able to provide the necessary facilities to its 1.2 billion population. This has resulted in Indians, especially those with a large disposable income, moving to places with better opportunities.
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5. China
Undocumented population: 285,000
Yes, the world’s second-largest economy is also one of the countries where illegal immigrants often come from into the US! The illegal Chinese population in the United States has seen a vast increase in recent years, primarily through America’s border with Mexico on the Californian side. Most of the Chinese that move to the country do so through the vast illegal smuggling industry, which has seen smugglers charge over $50,000 to transport the Chinese. Many wealthy Chinese are looking to move from China and take part in opportunities overseas, where they can spend their fortunes. Others, however, may escape from the country, which has notoriously strict laws in order to enjoy a more relaxed living.
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4. Honduras
Undocumented population: 317,000
More than 60% of the total Honduran population living in the United States is actually living there illegally. However, Hondurans in the United States are actually pretty recent phenomena with more than half of the population moving to America in just the past 16 years. Due to an extremely high murder rate, poor educational opportunities and vast poverty, many of the citizens of Honduras flee the country to search for a better life elsewhere.
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3. El Salvador
Undocumented population: 704,000
Surprisingly, illegal immigrants belonging to El Salvador, one of the countries where most of the illegal immigrants came from actually decreased in between 1990-2000. However, they have since increased by over 200%, and this increase shows no sign of abating, mainly due to the belief that the current gang war in the country could turn into a national civil war, which would be destructive for El Salvador. The rate of El Salvadorians entering the US is so high, that ten people from El Salvador are held at the border for every Mexican held, and currently, more people from El Salvador face deportation trials than any other nationality.
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2. Guatemala
Undocumented population: 704,000
As mentioned earlier, Central American countries dominate this list, and Guatemala, which has the second highest American population from Central American countries, also has one of the highest illegal populations in the country. Most of the Guatemalans in the country arrived decades ago when civil war broke out in their home country, which forced many people to flee in order to protect themselves and their families. Since the country itself does not share a border with the US, it enters through the Mexican-US border, after first entering Mexico through the notoriously susceptible Mexico-Guatemala border.
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1. Mexico
Undocumented population: 6,194,000
Unsurprisingly, it is Mexico which tops the list of 10 countries where most of the illegal immigrants came from. More than half of the population of undocumented immigrants has come from Mexico, which is why Trump has placed so much emphasis on making it impossible for Mexicans to move to the US through illegal means.
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