By enacting a new law, the government is “seriously considering” establishing a framework that will promote “safe, orderly, and regular migration for overseas employment.” The expulsion of over 100 Indian migrants who arrived in Amritsar yesterday on a US military C-17 aircraft, shackled and chained, has sparked uproar.
The Lok Sabha received a report from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, which was chaired by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. The report’s provisional title is “Overseas Mobility (Facilitation and Welfare) Bill, 2024.”
104 Migrants Arrested in the United States
As part of a massive US campaign against illegal immigration, 104 individuals from various Indian states were arrested. Thirty-three were from Gujarat and Haryana, thirty were from Punjab, three were from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and two were from Chandigarh. Thirteen children, including a four-year-old boy, a seven-year-old girl, and a five-year-old girl, were also on the deportation flight together with 19 women.
The government’s strategy for Indian students overseas
The Indian government keeps a careful eye on the number of Indian students studying abroad and makes sure they are secure, especially in emergency situations, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar reassured. He underlined that the government frequently sends warnings and has backup plans to evacuate citizens when needed, citing such initiatives in Ukraine. In Parliament, he declared, “We are prepared for any situation in which we have to conduct flights.”
Shashi Tharoor Criticizes the United States
While acknowledging that deportations of illegal immigrants are not new, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor questioned the harsh treatment of Indian people in this specific case. He noted that although the Biden administration had deported more than 1,100 Indians the year before, the aggressiveness of this case garnered more attention.
Increasing Deportations of Indians
More Indian citizens are being detained for unauthorized entrance as a result of the crackdown on illegal immigration and the tighter US immigration regulations. Many Indians still travel across Mexico and Central America in quest of better prospects, even though there are legal migration routes.
