Immigration is the movement of people from one nation-state to another. While human migration has
    existed throughout human history, immigration implies long-term permanent residence (and often eventual
    citizenship) by the immigrants: tourists and short-term visitors are not considered immigrants. However,
    seasonal labor migration (typically for periods of less than a year) is often treated as a form of immigration.
    The global volume of immigration is high in absolute terms, but low in relative terms.

    The UN estimated 190 million international migrants in 2005, about 3 percent of global population. The
    other 97 percent still live in the state in which they were born, or its successor state.

    The modern idea of immigration is related to the development of nation-states and nationality law.
    Citizenship of a nation-state confers an inalienable right of residence in that state, but residence of
    immigrants is subject to conditions set by immigration law. The nation-state made immigration a political
    issue: by definition it is the homeland of a nation defined by shared ethnicity and/or culture, and in most
    cases immigrants have a different ethnicity and culture. This has led to social tensions, xenophobia, and
    conflicts about national identity, in many developed countries. Illegal immigration refers to immigration
    across national borders in a way that violates the immigration laws of the destination country. Under this
    definition, an illegal immigrant is a foreigner who either illegally crossed an international political border, be
    it by land, sea or air, or a foreigner who legally entered a country but nevertheless overstay their visa in
    order to live and/or work therein.

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Mark Aubin, age 3