New Delhi, US to cooperate in repatriating undocumented Indian migrants

New Delhi: New Delhi has signalled a willingness to work with the United States to identify and repatriate Indian individuals who are illegally residing in the country, Bloomberg stated on Tuesday.

This demonstrates India's willingness to avoid any future trade issues with the Trump administration. Bloomberg claimed that authorities in both countries had identified around 18,000 undocumented Indian migrants in the United States for deportation, citing unidentified sources.

The actual figure could be greater because the entire number of undocumented Indian immigrants in the United States is unknown.

Despite strong relations with Trump, Modi's government is reportedly concerned about any unexpected US actions that may spark a trade war, Scroll.in reported.

On September 17, Trump referred to India as a "very big abuser" of the trade relations between the countries. Trump has criticised India's high import taxes and threatened reciprocal tariffs. Shortly after his inauguration, Trump underlined his commitment to combating illegal migration by proposing an end to birthright citizenship and increased border security.

India hopes that its collaboration will protect legitimate immigration pathways for its residents, particularly student visas and the H-1B visa program for skilled professionals. According to official figures, Indian individuals made up approximately 75% of the 3,86,000 H-1B visas issued in 2023.

According to Bloomberg, failure to facilitate the repatriation of illegal migrants might damage India's labour and mobility agreements with other countries such as Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and Israel. These agreements are critical to tackling India's unemployment issues.

“As part of India-US cooperation on migration and mobility, both sides are engaged in a process to deter illegal migration,” Bloomberg quoted Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, as saying.

“This is being done to create more avenues for legal migration from India to the US,” Jaiswal added.

Talking about the repatriation in October, the spokesperson said: “The latest deportation of Indian nationals from the US by a chartered flight is a result of this cooperation.”

According to Bloomberg, while Indian citizens account for only around 3% of all illegal crossings seen by US border officials in fiscal year 2024, their numbers are increasing, particularly along the northern border.

According to US Customs and Border Protection data, Indians account for roughly 25% of all unlawful crossings at this less-trafficked entrance site, making them the largest group of unauthorised migrants stopped there.

According to a Department of Homeland Security assessment from 2022, there are an estimated 220,000 undocumented Indian immigrants in the United States. India has taken a cooperative approach to US border enforcement, particularly throughout the Biden administration, with over 1,100 Indian people deported in the year preceding October 2024.

According to Niskanen Centre analysts, factors propelling Indian migrants to the northern US border include Canada's comparatively accessible visa system and El Salvador's decision to stop visa-free travel for Indians in 2023, as reported by Bloomberg.