It’s become common today for employers of labour to give work to female illegal immigrants. The migrant work industry accounts for many types of employment, female migrant workers take. From cleaning toilets and menial factory work to babysitting and housekeeping. Women are natural home carers who unite people. That characteristic has in this day and age been misused of its virtue by unscrupulous criminals who thrive on cheap and free labour.

When women become migrant workers, they often do it in foreign, far away countries where there’s little support for them, an estranged culture to them and a menacing culture shock. A lot of these workers come from developing countries where there’s no governmental support for the poor and abject poverty is among the worst in the whole world. Their families consist of many children and often include relatives. With the male heads of the homes being too burdened by the job to feed all, due to their own working poverty, the wives are left with no choice but to take on work themselves. Many developing countries lack mass employment, especially for the working class, the poor and youths. Therefore emigrating arises as the only viable option for the utterly desperate mothers.

Industrialized countries that have high numbers of female illegal immigrants are the U.S.A., Germany, France, Britain and Italy. As all illegal immigrants do, the women stay under the radar and keep a low profile. They work around the clock, regularly sleep for 6 hours or less and are paid 50% or less of their actual productivity output. They’re illegally taxed at exorbitant rates by their supervisors and have no choice but to take what’s given, due to their illegal immigration status and desperation. Without a social life, their reality is dire. Socializing, taking weekends off or going on holidays are forbidden. To make things easier for themselves, working and living together is commonly practiced. That means that as illegal workers, they rely on each other for support. This is instinctive human nature. Another issue is their diet. Being able to cook well, their draconian work schedule however prompts them to cook few times during the week for themselves or each other and instead stretch out small rations of the food across all days of the week. When they fall ill, they have no medical insurance to cover them. It’s left to sort itself out.

When female illegal migrant workers do get paid, they send at least 60% of it back to their families. Being illegal means they have no valid identity and travel documents. Thus using e-wires like Western Union or Moneygram are out of the question. The money is sent through middle men back home. These people take a commission and further weigh down on the already troubled plight of the poor souls. Apart from all the problems they go through, they lastly have to deal with homesickness and the longing to see and be with their kids and families again. The overall goal is met at the high cost of the improved welfare of the families at the expense of the mothers and wives.

Typically, voters in industrialized countries are racial towards and complain against illegal immigrants but don’t talk when they benefit from the good of the latter working in sweat shops to produce cheap clothing, produce and services. That’s the reality in this world and we’re all complicit in the dastardly crime because turning a blind eye to it, involuntarily endorses the multi-billion Dollar illegal immigration industry to continue. Female illegal migrant workers are carers and providers of the highest order. They have my heart and support!

Recommended further reading:

CNN: “Illegal Immigrant Women Face Risks, Study Says”
Fort Morgan Times: “7 Facts About Illegal Immigrants In The United States”
Princeton University study: “Gendered Vulnerabilities, Discrimination & Abuse Among Women Migrants”
Global Migration Group: “Working To Prevent And Address Violence Against Women Migrant Workers”
Dare.Uva.Nl: “Illegal Immigration: How Gender Makes A Difference”
OECD Observer: “Where Do Illegal Migrants Work?”
ILO: “Women & Men Migrant Workers: Moving Towards Equal Rights & Opportunities”
IOM.INT: “International Migration & Human Rights” “5 Reasons To Grant Amnesty To Illegal Immigrants” “Illegal Immigration To The United States”