During a recent meeting with US President Trump, Indian Prime Minister Modi addressed the issue of illegal immigration from India to the United States. He recognized that both nations must confront the human trafficking networks that deceive people with false promises of prosperity.
Modi emphasized that anyone coming to the US illegally does not have the right to stay there and affirmed India’s willingness to accept back individuals verified as Indian nationals. He pointed out the need for cooperation to dismantle the systems that lead vulnerable people to be misled into illegal immigration.
Currently, India is the largest source of undocumented immigrants to the US, outside of Latin America, with over 725,000 individuals in that situation. Several hundred of these individuals are currently being returned to India. This has raised concerns among those in the legal immigration process, including students and professionals changing their visa status.
Indian officials are also working to counter the growing anti-immigrant sentiment in the US, especially regarding the more than one million Indian professionals and students predominantly holding valid visas like H1B, L, and F1. They want to highlight the significant economic contributions made by the Indian community in the US, which amounts to over $8 billion annually, creating numerous jobs in the process.
In their discussions, Modi and Trump agreed to enhance collaboration between educational institutions in both countries. They invited the US to set up offshore campuses of leading American universities in India, taking advantage of recent reforms in the Indian education system.
Both leaders committed to improving legal pathways for students and professionals, facilitating short-term visits for tourism and business, while also making a strong commitment to tackle illegal immigration and human trafficking. Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stressed that it is essential for both nations to work together against the illegal immigration racket and explore institutional cooperation between law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
Interestingly, during their talks, Modi met with several key figures, including Stephen Miller, known for his stringent immigration views, and Elon Musk, who has discussed the need for a more flexible approach to attract foreign talent to maintain technological supremacy in the US.
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US-India relations,United States,returning Indian nationals,PM Modi,Indian students in US,illegal immigration,human trafficking,H1B visa
