noun HSK 5
fēi mín
illegal immigrant · undocumented immigrant · illegal immigration

Meaning

This term refers to people who enter or remain in a country without legal authorization, or the phenomenon of such migration. It's a formal, somewhat legalistic term commonly used in news, policy discussions, and official contexts.

Usage

This is the standard term in mainland China for discussing unauthorized immigration. It appears frequently in news media, government policy documents, and academic contexts. The term carries a neutral to negative connotation and is more formal than colloquial. In casual conversation, people might simply say 'illegal入境' or use other descriptive phrases.

Examples

  1. 01
    政府正在加强边境管理以防止非法移民
    Zhèng zhèng zài jiā qiáng biān jìng guǎn fáng zhǐ fēi mín.
    The government is strengthening border control to prevent illegal immigration.
  2. 02
    这些非法移民在没有工作许可的情况下打工。
    Zhè xiē fēi mín zài méi yǒu gōng zuò de qíng kuàng xià gōng.
    These illegal immigrants are working without work permits.

Characters

Measure words

  • míng三名非法移民
  • 一个非法移民

Common collocations

  • 非法移民问题
    fēi mín wèn
    illegal immigration problem
  • 打击非法移民
    fēi mín
    to crack down on illegal immigration
  • 遣返非法移民
    qiǎn fǎn fēi mín
    to deport illegal immigrants

Antonyms

Origin

Compound of 非法 (illegal, unlawful) and 移民 (immigrant, migration). The term emerged in modern Chinese as legal and administrative vocabulary developed to address international migration issues.

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