Zero tolerance against travel agents behind human trafficking: Dhaliwal

“The state government has zero tolerance against travel agents who indulge in human trafficking. We are committed to taking stern action to break their nexus that has wings across the globe,” said Punjab Minister for NRI Affairs Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal.

On the deportation of 104 Indian nationals from the US, Dhaliwal condemned the manner in which the US authorities handcuffed and shackled them while sending them to India.

“I am not in favour of illegal migration, but they should not be treated as criminals. The way they were handcuffed and chained during their flight from the US to Amritsar is nothing short of a violation of human rights,” he said.

The minister said the police had cracked the whip on a travel agent based in Amritsar, Satnam Singh, by registering an FIR against him on a complaint of a deportee, Didar Singh of Rajasansi. The travel agent’s office was sealed as he was found absconding.

“The police are on the hunt for the agent and he will be arrested soon,” he said.

He called upon the other deportees to come forward and register complaints with the police against agents who fleeced them by promising them green pastures.

He said the NRI Department could also be contacted for assistance in lodging complaints.

“The police will be helpless in the absence of a complaint. In a majority of the cases, the victims are not coming forward to lodge complaints against agents. They are again being duped by the agents in the name of compensation,” he said, adding that “we are already on the job to identify them”.

Amid reports that more illegal migrants would be deported by the US, Dhaliwal said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar should intervene and prevail upon the US government to ensure that the Indians were handed over to the Indian consulates for their safe return and meted out better treatment.