Resumo

PASPALANOVA, Mila. Undocumented vs. Illegal Migrant: Towards Terminological Coherence. Migr. Inter [online]. 2008, vol.4, n.3, pp.79-90. ISSN 2594-0279.

This article offers a terminological reflection on the expression "illegal immigrant." In particular, it argues against the arbitrary choice of terminology used to refer to undocumented migration in academic and scientific texts. On the basis of certain legal, linguistic, and sociopolitical concerns, it suggests that the use of "illegal migrant/ alien" should be seriously reconsidered and replaced with alternative terms, such as "undocumented" or "irregular immigrant," which are both terminologically correct and lack the negative social implications of the phrase "illegal immigrant/alien" or "clandestine alien".

Palavras-chave : Undocumented migrants; irregular; migrants; terminology; conceptual analysis; "illegal migrants".