In US, PM Modi says India ready to take back illegal immigrants, blames human trafficking
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asserted the need to fight against the “ecosystem” of human trafficking that lures people from ordinary families with big dreams and promises, and brings them to other countries as illegal immigrants.
This is not a question about India only but is a global issue, Modi said on the issue of illegal immigration during a joint press conference with US President Donald Trump in the White House on Thursday.
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#WATCH | Washington, DC: On the illegal immigration issue, PM Narendra Modi says, "...Those who stay in other countries illegally do not have any legal right to be there. As far as India and the US are concerned, we have always said that those who are verified and are truly the… pic.twitter.com/Qa0JEnAjyp
— ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2025
In the press conference on Thursday, PM Modi urged dialogue to eradicate human trafficking, which he blamed for illegal immigration. He said India was “fully prepared” to take back any verified Indian who was in the US illegally. On the illegal immigration issue, PM Narendra Modi said, "...Those who stay in other countries illegally do not have any legal right to be there. As far as India and the US are concerned, we have always said that those who are verified and are truly the citizens of India - if they live in the US illegally, India is ready to take them back. But it doesn't stop just there for us. These are people from ordinary families. They are shown big dreams and most of them are misled and brought here. So, we should attack this entire system of human trafficking. Together, it should be the effort of the US and India to destroy such an ecosystem from its roots so that human trafficking ends...Our bigger fight is against that entire ecosystem, and we are confident that President Trump will fully cooperate with India in finishing this ecosystem."
Trump had prioritised handling illegal immigration while India advocated for US visas for skilled professionals. Indians account for the bulk of H-1B visas, which Trump supports.
Earlier, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said: “Yes, it (issue of illegal immigration) did figure during the discussions today."
"During the discussions, the Prime Minister said that India has made its stand very clear that if there are illegal immigrants proven to be Indian citizens in any country abroad, we will take them back," Misri said.
Misri added that Modi did emphasise during the discussions that the return of illegal immigrants is not the end of the story.
A US military aircraft carrying 104 illegal immigrants from various states landed in Amritsar in Punjab earlier this month, the first such batch of Indians deported by the Trump government as part of a crackdown against illegal immigrants.
With agencies inputs
