Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has said that New Delhi is ready to return undocumented Indians to the United States. His comments came after a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, during which one of the issues discussed was illegal immigration.
Saying that New Delhi strongly opposes illegal migration, he told reporters that “We have always taken the view that if there are any of our citizens who are not here legally, if we are sure that they Our citizens, so we have always been, you know, ready for their lawful return to India.” He said that this is a stance that India adopts with every country.
Jaishankar was addressing a press conference in Washington on Wednesday, a day after meeting Rubio.
After taking office, US President Donald Trump issued executive orders aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration and deporting those living in the US illegally.
According to the Pew Research Center, Indians formed the third-largest group of unauthorized immigrants in the US in 2022, after Mexicans and El Salvador. They were estimated to number 725,000.
Analysts see India’s proactive stance on facilitating the return of illegal Indian immigrants to the US as a move to address a key concern of the Trump administration as New Delhi prepares to tackle more complex issues including trade and tariffs.
According to Harsh Pant, Vice President of India, “Among the many issues where India and the US differ, this is one area where India can show that it is doing something transparently, giving it room to maneuver in other areas.” So that we can get more space.” Study at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi. “In other areas, such as the economy and trade, it is very difficult to do the things the new Trump administration wants India to do, and it will take time.”
Jaishankar said New Delhi is currently verifying the identities of those eligible for deportation and the exact number of illegal immigrants cannot be determined.
Bloomberg reported earlier this week, citing people familiar with the matter, that the United States has identified about 18,000 undocumented Indian migrants to be sent back home, for whom India will verify and begin the deportation process.
Deportations of Indians lacking proper documentation in the United States are occurring – for example, a group of Indian citizens were deported by the US in October.
Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar also spoke in support of legal migration channels.
“As a government, we are obviously very supportive of legal mobility because we believe in the global workplace. “We want Indian talent and Indian skills to get maximum opportunities at the global level,” he said in his press conference.
The H-1B visa program, which brings skilled foreign workers to the United States, has been the subject of debate in the US in recent years, with some strongly criticizing the program for having a negative impact on American workers. Proponents say skilled workers benefit American companies and employers. Indians, most of whom are professionals working in the technology industry, are among the biggest beneficiaries of the visa program.
Analyst Pant says India is in a “strong position” as far as H-1B visas are concerned. Pant said, “On this issue, India is also getting support from US companies, so politically, it is a safe issue for India to handle because there is a domestic support base for India.”
Elon Musk is among those who have expressed strong support for the program. Trump, who has been critical of the program, spoke in favor of it last month.
