Borders separate countries and can span hundreds of miles, with official crossings for legal entry. Cross-border workers and commuters regularly cross for work, shopping, or visiting family. Legal documents allow for quick passage, but illegal crossings can lead to danger and arrest, with potential jail time and a ban on legal entry.
The imaginary lines that separate two countries are referred to as borders. In many countries, such as the United States, borders span hundreds of miles and are not visibly marked along most of the Canadian and Mexican border. There are, of course, official border crossings where people can legally leave and enter the country. The term “cross-border” in the United States can refer to someone who frequently crosses the border legally or someone who enters the country illegally along much of the unmarked portion of the border.
Many people live close to borders between countries and have a reason to cross the border on a regular basis. A cross-border worker can be someone who is a citizen of one country, but is permitted to work or do business in the adjacent country. A cross-border commuter can also be someone who simply crosses the border regularly to shop, visit family or attend school.
When a frontier worker is authorized to cross the border regularly into the neighboring country, he may have the equivalent of a border crossing card. For example, there are several documents that can be issued by the United States, Mexico or Canada that allow you to enter the country. Every country has a card or document that allows for relatively quick passage for people who pass regularly.
An illegal cross border is someone who crosses the border from one country to another without permission. Every year, many people attempt to enter the United States without permission by crossing the border into unguarded areas or attempting to enter a vehicle without being detected at an official border crossing. Unfortunately, those who choose to attempt the crossing over the unguarded section of the border risk a variety of dangers, such as drowning, starvation and dehydration, which lead to numerous deaths each year.
Aside from the immediate dangers faced by illegal cross-border workers, within the US, they also face capture and arrest by US Border Patrol agents. Most illegal aliens caught entering the country are simply sent back to their country of origin, although criminal charges can also be filed. A conviction for illegal entry could result in jail time, as well as a ban on applying for legal entry for anywhere from five years to life.
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