Illegal Immigration Abroad

America is not the only country struggling with illegal immigration. Last week, conservative French president Nicolas Sarkozy announced that in the past year, more illegal immigrants had been deported than ever before. In 2011, 32,912 illegal immigrants were deported, a 17.5% increase from 2010. An ABC News article reports that 35,000 deportations is the goal for 2012.

While many immigrants do come to France legally, the number is shrinking as fewer residency permits were issued this past year. As in America, however, immigration policy and debate remain highly controversial. Those who object to the law- and Sarkozy’s campaign for the upcoming election- disagree with deporting illegal immigrants in this manner. A French anti-racism group is quoted as saying “The serious problems confronting our country will not be resolved by
applying a policy of quantified expulsions, which attack human rights.
Behind each expulsion, there is a life that is ending.”

What do you think? Is the deportation of illegal immigrants a human rights issue? How would Enrique respond?