India Open to Legitimate Return of Indians Living 'Illegally' in US: Jaishankar's Big Remark

Washington: There were reports of India bringing back 18,000 Indian nationals living illegally in the United States, to placate Donald Trump amid trade concerns. In a latest development, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has broken his silence on the issue and has said that India is always open to legitimate return of undocumented Indians.

Indian Nationals to be Deported from US? EAM S Jaishankar Breaks Silence

India has always been open to legitimate return of undocumented Indians to their country, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday, noting that New Delhi is still in the process of verifying those from the US who can be deported to India and the number of such individuals cannot be determined yet.

"As a government, we are obviously very much supportive of legal mobility because we do believe in a global workplace. We want Indian talent and Indian skills to have the maximum opportunity at the global level. At the same time, we are also very firmly opposed to illegal mobility and illegal migration," Jaishankar told a group of Indian reporters here.

"Because you also know that when something illegal happens, many other illegal activities get joined onto it, which is not desirable. It is certainly not good reputationally. So, with every country, and the US is no exception, we have always maintained that if any of our citizens are there illegally, and if we are sure that they are our citizens, we have always been open to their legitimate return to India," Jaishankar said.

"This position is not unique to the United States. I do understand that right now there is a certain debate going on, and a resulting sensitivity which is there, but we have been consistent, we have been very principled about it and that remains our position. I conveyed that clearly to Secretary (of State, Marco) Rubio," he said.

"At the same time, I also told him that, while we understand all of this, and I also accept that these are autonomous processes, it is in our mutual interest to facilitate legal and mutually beneficial mobility. "If it takes 400-odd days of waiting period to get a visa, I don't think the relationship is well served by this. He (Rubio) also noted that point," he said.

"But while I've seen some numbers... I caution you about them because for us, a number is operative when we can actually validate the fact that the individual concerned is of Indian origin," Jaishankar added. 

India to Take Back 18,000 Indian Nationals Living Illegally in US?

Sources who spoke to Bloomberg said that with Trump becoming the US President, India has identified a total of 18,000 emigrants who have been illegally living in the United States and it intends to take them back. This step is being taken to ease Trump's pressures and placate him amid the trade concerns. As per the sources who informed Bloomberg, the government of India is collaborating with the US authorities and identifying Indian nationals who have been living illegally in the US, in order to deport them.

As per reports, this step by India is to show the country's eagerness and willingness to work in alignment with Donald Trump and his new administration and policies. The deportation will also protect the legal immigration visas for Indian citizens. The deportation of Indian nationals is being describe as a bid to placate Trump after the US President threatened of steep trade tariffs for the country as part of his America-first policy despite sharing a close relationship with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi . India is avoiding trade conflicts with the United States and deportation is a step in that direction.

There has been no official statement regarding the same by India or the United States but MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal did issue a statement on India working with the US to tackle the problem of illegal immigration. Jaiswal said, “As part of India-US cooperation on migration and mobility, both sides are engaged in a process to deter illegal migration. This is being done to create more avenues for legal migration from India to the US.”

(Inputs from PTI)