Home  News National News Economic effect on illegal immigration
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Economic effect on illegal immigration |
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Sunday, 12 October 2008 |
According to a report from the Pew Hispanic Center, a Washington think-tank, the number of illegal immigrants entering the United States has declined significantly over the past two years, and is now less than those entering the country legally. According to the report, there are now 500,000 less immigrants in the country, falling from 12.4 million to 11.9 million in March of this year,
According to an AP report research into the reason for the decline points to the struggling US economy along with stronger enforcement of immigration laws. The weak economy has resulted in a sharp decline in jobs in construction, one of the areas that employed illegal immigrants. There was also a fall in demand for workers in service industries, like laundry mats, and restraints which have choked job opportunities for illegal immigrants.
During the years of economic boon that began some 10 years ago, the Pew Hispanic Center estimates that some 3.5 million illegal immigrants entered the country, brining the total estimated number of illegal immigrants to some 12 million, The center reported that around 800,000 illegal immigrants entered the US annually between 2000 to 2004, resulting in the total number of illegal immigrants soaring past legal migrants. The Center reported some years ago that illegal immigrants comprised about 30 percent of all immigrants, with about four in five coming from Latin America and the Caribbean, and the majority of this group from Mexico.
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