While most of the advice here was gleaned from the American deportation system, it applies to other countries also. If you're an illegal immigrant in any country, these tips should make your eventual deportation more pleasant and bearable.
You have to be prepared mentally, emotionally and logistically. We will deal with mental and emotional preparation in depth at a latter date. You must think that you will get deported some day. Every day may be your last day as a free person in this country. That fear is what will get you motivated to be prepared. When the time comes, the process will be less painful than if you hadn't.
Lets think about logistics. What happens when you're captured and detained, during your detention and if you're unlucky, deportation; what can you do to be ready?
Here's the short story of immigration detainment and deportation. They can and will detain you wherever they find you. At your workplace, at home, at your friend's, at a restaurant, at a gas station, basically wherever you happen to be when they decide to take you after they stake out the places where you are likely to be. The worst case scenario is if they come to your home.
This normally means they'll do some snooping while they're inside to "let you" bring a few things such as your wallet. They might not let you bring your bug out bag either. So try not to be home very much, they might know your address so that's the first place they will stake out. Spend as much time outside of your home as possible.
You will be taken to the closest processing center, often this is the immigration center building. You will be processed here and then within the same day you will be taken to the detention center. Most likely you will not know how long you will be in detention for. At best you will know the day before you are deported that you're leaving in 24 hours. At worst, you will be woken at 5am and by 10am you are at the airport awaiting your flight.
When you're detained, your personal belongings will be kept for you. Your friends and family cannot give you anything other than clothes and money to be added to your personal belongings. When you're deported, you'll be allowed to have what you came in with plus the clothes and money your friends and family might have brought you while in detention. In short, you'll be deported with whatever belongings you had on you when you were detained and little else.
I don't recommend a huge, humongous bug out bag. But that is up to you. There is a pretty good chance you won't be able to bring this with you to detention center. But you should have it anyway. At least, this lets your friends and family know what you think are important for you to have. You should have this bag on you at all times.
The only thing that might suck is if they come to your home to detain you. They might let you bring it with you, but probably not. So other than when you're at home, have this bag on your person at all times. This way when you're detained, this bag could be with you, then when you're deported you get to keep the bag and its contents.
I am going to split what you need into two lists. What you carry on your person and what you need to carry with you at all times in a BOB (Bug out bag; a bag you grab to be with you when you're detained).
What to have and what not to have on you:
- some cash. At least a couple of $100 bills and at least $50 in small bills
- no fake IDs on you, it's best that you never had them. But I know some of you do
- a list of phone numbers, email addresses and contact info for your friends and family
- a debit card and/or credit card that works internationally. Preferably from an international bank (HSBC, Chase, etc)
- do not bring more keys than what you need. Leave keys to your extra vehicles, storage, safe, etc at home
In your BOB (Bug Out Bag):
- your important documents such as birth certificates, diplomas, etc
- your important digital data such as pictures, documents, your resume, etc. If they're on a computer, back them up to an external hard drive and carry it. If they're on a laptop carry it
- extra clothes (rain jacket, coat, light blanket)
- your bag shouldn't be obnoxiously large so that they might let you take it as carry on in the the plane
Be prepared at home for your friends and family to have to sell/store your stuff:
- put your keys together, easily labeled and easily found
- organize paperwork for your vehicle(s) and belonging
- things you want to keep clearly labeled or organized well, so you can tell your friends and family exactly what to keep and what not to keep
- it is best to have a "will" as it were, instructions for the people who will have to take care of your stuff. A list of what to do and where to find the things you need them to take care of
Remember, this list is just the minimum. The most important thing is that you are already thinking ahead about "what if I'm detained then deported". You will have to add your own personal touches. Maybe you want to bring some of your pen collections, or a favorite book. Just be smart, and be afraid. That fear will help you prepare, don't let it paralyze you. You've chosen to stay in a country other than your own illegally, be ready for the consequences.
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