Domestic laws may discriminate against individuals who are not citizens of the country in which they live, especially regarding the rights to freely leave and re-enter the country, to be joined by family members, and to benefit from government social welfare schemes.
Discrimination against immigrants and aliens may occur in housing, education, employment, public services, politics and before the law. It may also take the form of restricted entry or expulsion of immigrants and aliens, or exclusion from citizenship. Discrimination fosters segregation, lack of integration of foreigners and immigrants into society, and social and racial conflict when immigrants cannot find employment but are eligible for social security benefit; they are resented by the indigenous population which is unwilling to pay, through taxes, for the maintenance of foreigners or naturalized citizens.
All unsettled groups who live among settled peoples have always seemed to be convenient scapegoats.