In the past five years, US authorities have encountered over 200,000 illegal Indian immigrants, with the highest number, 96,917 cases, reported in 2022-23, according to information presented in Parliament by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), citing data from American homeland security. Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan disclosed that the US encountered 8,027 illegal Indian immigrants in 2018-19, 1,227 in 2019-20, and 30,662 in 2020-21. The figures for 2021-22 stood at 63,927. These encounters are based on US Customs and Border Protection statistics, aligned with the US fiscal year (October to September). While the MEA has prioritized the safety of Indian nationals abroad, data on the number of Indian nationals losing their lives while crossing the US border is not available.
Muraleedharan highlighted initiatives to promote legal migration, including the Pravasi Bhartiya Bima Yojna (PBBY) and Pre-Departure Orientation and Training (PDOT). The ‘Surakshit Jayen Prashikshit Jayen’ (Go Safe, Go Trained) campaign, launched in 2018, aims to raise awareness among prospective emigrants. India has entered migration and mobility partnership agreements with several countries, emphasizing the need to harness India’s demographic dividend. Additionally, labor mobility partnership agreements or memoranda of understanding have been signed with various nations. The MEA collaborates with state governments and stakeholders to disseminate information on safe and legal migration, addressing complaints of illegal migration and human trafficking through referral to state police for investigation and prosecution.
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