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A question on someone seeking advice on how to get to relocate from Afghanistan to the USA without proper documentation was first asked on Travel, then migrated to Expats, where it has currently attracted one close vote:

Crossing from Russia to Alaska, no US visa

I am living in Afghanistan and I would like to immigrant to Alaska, here it is possible to get the Russia visa but I would like to know: is there any way to leave Russia and get to Alaska? I don't have a visa for the USA.

(NB: this question was edited. Original text here.)

One issue with this question is that it seeks advice on a nominally illegal activity. On the other hand, there are currently hundreds of thousands of migrants/refugees seeking to move from Asia and Africa to Europe; most do not follow a legal path, as many cross in dinghies and do not enter at official border crossing points; most also do not seek asylum in the first EU/Schengen country they arrive in, as they should de jure. However, after they arrive and seek asylum, they might get a resident permit (temporary or permanent) and the way they got there does not appear to be relevant.

It's a grey area.

Are questions on the practicalities of getting to a destination in order to seek refugee status on-topic, even if this might involve migration routes that do not follow official routes?

From the official Stack Exchange Content Policy:

Illegal Use. Stack Exchange may not be used for illegal purposes. Examples of this include using Stack Exchange for fraudulent purposes or operating a phishing site (used to obtain account and password information).

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  • I believe generally, giving illegal advice is considered off topic across stack exchange, although in practice it's sometimes hard to know (Eg tax laws).
    – Mark Mayo
    Nov 5, 2015 at 3:33
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    I don't know if travelling from Russia to the USA without proper documentation is illegal according to either Russian or US laws. For example, without any Schengen visa, one can legally turn up at the Russian-Norwegian border and seek asylum. But that's a land border. Is it illegal to travel to a US Point of Entry by boat or air and then seek asylum? The airline won't allow you to board, but that's a different problem.
    – gerrit
    Nov 5, 2015 at 14:22
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    @MarkMayo refugee conventions stipulate that refugees cannot be prosecuted for using irregular means to reach their destinations. If you can't be prosecuted for it, I would argue, it's not illegal. Therefore, it's arguably okay to discuss ways to, for example, find a good place for a refugee to swim across the Rio Grande.
    – phoog
    Feb 25, 2016 at 7:02
  • @phoog It's a mess.
    – gerrit
    Feb 25, 2016 at 13:07
  • @phoog I get what you're saying, but then how do we differentiate between refugees, and illegal immigrants posing as refugees? Will each question just start with "as a refugee..."? :(
    – Mark Mayo
    Feb 25, 2016 at 13:33

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