Illegal migration is unstoppable

Santo Koesoebjono, Economist, Demographer, Wasenaar, The Netherlands

Illegal migration affects all countries, whether they be migrants' origin and destination or simply places of transit. People enter a country illegally as border trespassers, as visitors who overstay their visa or as fake asylum seekers.

Unauthorized migrants comprise of less skilled and highly trained individuals. Restrictive regulations only slow down migration flows -- more restrictive regulations means more people using illegal routes. As long as illegal migrants are expedient for both countries of origin and destination, measures to prevent this will prove ineffective.

In Southeast Asia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand are the main destinations for migrants, who are mostly from Indonesia and the Philippines. These migrants form just 1 percent of the total population of this region but it is estimated that around 40 percent of this group is illegal. The figure is expected to rise.

Quite a number of illegal workers come from Indonesia, causing tensions with its neighbors, Malaysia and Singapore. Beside being a country of origin, Indonesia is also a country of destination and transit for diverse types of migrants. The number of people coming to work and settling in Indonesia will increase with the emergence of free trade in the region.

As borders control fade away "illegal migrants" will just become ordinary migrants. The rising flows of migrants will cause problems, such as the migrants from Asian and African countries involved in drug dealings and debt-collecting in Jakarta. Others come to Indonesia on transit but end up staying illegally, like hundreds of asylum seekers from Afghanistan stranded on Java on their way to Australia.

More developed countries such as members of the European Union, North America, Australia and New Zealand are receiving a disproportionate share of migrants. This trend has raised anxiety among policy makers and caused xenophobia -- an instrumental condition for the rise of extreme conservative movements.

The basic reason for developed countries to enforce restrictive measures is to protect their welfare state. In a number of Western European countries, illegal migrants having stayed for a period of time are legalized. Then they are entitled to legal status and enjoy similar rights and privileges as the native population including social welfare benefits and family reunions. The latter increases the burden on the welfare state, such as the costs for education, health care and housing.

To control illegal migration a plan has been endorsed at the recent European Union summit to conclude an agreement with countries "supplying" illegal migrants. Its implementation requires the cooperation of those countries of origin. As a reward for this cooperation they will be given financial support to fight illegal migration and take these people back home. In case of non-cooperation, measures will be taken.

The effectiveness of the agreement is still to be seen. Migration flows will continue as long as there is a big gap in standards of living among countries and as long as there is a demand for and supply of workers between countries. Developed countries need manpower for jobs shunned by locals, such as in agriculture, construction and services -- in restaurants, hotels and household work.

Indonesian women working as maids in Dutch households are just one example. As long as this need persists, employers will continue recruiting people from developing countries despite penalties for employing illegal workers.

On the other hand developing countries see illegal migration not as their problem but of the receiving countries. Developing countries support their people to migrate to reduce the pressure in the labor market and to increase income from foreign currency. This standpoint tends to oversee the risk of losing skilled and trained manpower.

Unless government take the necessary measures they will lose their best men and women. This implies stronger surveillance and punishment of dubious intermediates and payment of a deposit for those leaving the country using legal routes, to be returned when they come back.

Illegal migration remains unstoppable. Legalization of those migrants, who prove economically indispensable, is an option for countries of destination. Others should be expatriated. Such a policy is a clear statement for those who plan to enter illegally.

Countries of origin will face a flux of returnees and publicity about how appallingly they control their human resources. The effectiveness of the regulations strongly depends on the integrity of officials at all levels, including border officials. An agreement between countries of origin and destination, as envisaged by the European Union, could hopefully facilitate repatriation. Recently such an agreement was concluded between China and the Netherlands, resulting in the repatriation of the first batch of identified Chinese illegal migrants.

One option to contain illegal migration is to apply the proverb "set a thief to catch a thief" -- hire a man-trafficker to help the government. They can map the network and the process of illegal migration, starting from the recruitment of potential migrants until their arrival at the place of destination. This intermediate can pinpoint the crucial spots in the migration process where the government countries concerned (origin, destination or transit country) can intervene.

The trafficker knows only too well the regulations and routes to take since they make a living from transporting illegal migrants to the right destination. They also know which officials are "negotiable" in this international business of trafficking.