Illegal migration

I was unsatisfied with my life and work in Vietnam. I wanted to achieve something bigger and better. After all, everyone keeps saying that nothing ventured, nothing gained. Naturally, I took a risk, and also convinced my family that I am worth taking that risk. If only had I known back then how complicated our world really is… I don’t even know the meanings of all the words that people kept throwing at us – illegals, victims of trafficking, victims of smuggling. Pretty scary. I was happy to get back home safe and sound. Phew, what a carousel. Tuan from Vietnam

 

• Irregular migration consists in entering, staying or working in a country without the necessary authorisation.
• It is also prohibited and punishable to foster irregular migration by facilitating irregular entry (smuggling), employing a foreign national who lacks a legal basis for staying in the country, or engaging in human trafficking, i.e., forcing someone by violence or fraud to work or take part in other activities (begging, prostitution).
• Irregular migration is also the case when a foreign national crosses an international boundary without a valid and/or with a forged travel document and/or visa. 

It is estimated that there are about 50 million irregular immigrants around the world; 25 million people are working illegally and 2,5 million have been illegally smuggled into a country (IOM).

The main form of irregular immigration in Estonia is not irregular entry, but misuse of the visa system.