Immigration rules were tightened in 2004 to prevent illegal stay of migrant workers.

Fingerprints would be taken from persons arrested while illegally crossing the border or detained during an illegal stay.

In 2012-2013 the Swedish police randomly asked for identity documents in crowded places, stating suspicion of illegal stay by foreign citizens as reason.

According to allegations, skin color was used as indication of illegal stay (an indication of crime is needed to justify identity document checks).

The Japanese Ministry of Justice maintains a websiteand hotline (English reference) for "receiving report on illegal stay foreigner."

Ladies and gentlemen, it can be stated that the visa system is an effective means for the successful prevention of illegal entry to or illegal stay in European Union Member States.

The obligation on the Member States' authorities to stamp the travel documents of third country nationals systematically will make it possible to use the lack of an entry stamp as evidence of an illegal stay.

Stepped-up controls on the borders, stiff new penalties for those who try to reenter the country after an illegal stay and other restrictive laws may now have slowed the traditional shuttle between home countries and the United States.

Furthermore, EU laws provide that the member states need to define illegal stays in any EU state as a criminal offence which may be prosecuted in the courts of any other EU state, e.g. an illegal stay in Greece consitutes an offence under Swedish laws.