Life without papers

It is difficult to find a job, and when you finally find one, the working conditions may feel like slavery. Because the employer knows that the risk you take is much higher than his own.

Finding suitable accommodation is even more difficult. Many migrants without papers stay with friends for months or even years. Others sleep in poor conditions with 10 or 15 other irregular migrants in the same room.

There's a rush when illegal immigrants get the chance to obtain legal paperwork

If you are young and healthy, you might endure these difficult circumstances. But migrants without papers have no access to the medical care system. Often a doctor's prescription is needed to buy appropriate medicine.

For the migrants, illegality is a vicious circle. Some European politicians have started realizing this, and countries like Spain or Italy periodically introduce legalization campaigns that grant papers to many irregular migrants. Other governments still reject this idea.