ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION; A SOCIO-LEGAL ANALYSIS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING.

Illegal immigration is rampant and an issue of immediate concern for both, developed and developing countries. Conservative estimates reveal that there is a population of around 11 million irregular migrants worldwide. Fear that strangers can create problems as illegal immigrants is the reason a number of countries refuse visas to people from the third world. Illegal migration is a subcategory of international migration whose distinguishing feature is the legal status defined by the rules adopted by national governments and intergovernmental organizations. Illegal immigration creates a second class of citizenship. The benefits of economic development have clearly not trickled down to the marginalized sections of the society which is why millions of people still live below the poverty line. The hunger and poverty caused by this marginalization has resulted in women and children of poorer sections of society become more vulnerable to human trafficking.