India Ready To Takeback 18,000 Nationals From US!

In a bid to avoid a trade war and strengthen bilateral ties, India is trying to collaborate with the Trump administration to repatriate Indian citizens residing illegally in the US.

According to estimates, 18,000 Indian migrants are set to be deported. The actual number could be higher than estimated, reports Bloomberg.

This proactive measure by India is to appease the Trump administration, which is strongly planning to crack down on illegal immigration.

India hopes that by cooperating on the issue of illegal migration, the Trump administration will protect legal immigration routes, like student visas and H-1B visas for skilled labour.

Trump has already begun fulfilling his poll promises, pushing to end birthright citizenship and allocating troops to the US-Mexico border.

The move to repatriate Indian citizens reflects India’s desire to maintain a strong relationship with the US, in view of its economic and strategic interests.

India is planning to cooperate to with the US on migration issues, in the wake of its concerns about secessionist movements abroad.

The Khalistan movement seeks to establish a separate Sikh state in India and this has been a concern for India.

By taking back illegal migrants, the Indian government is viewing likelihood disruption of support networks to such movements.

At the same time, there are risks in repatriation. The large number of Indian migrants deported to the country could lead to social and economic disruptions in India. The returnees should be provided with adequate aid and rehabilitation. This move could also have an impact on India’s labour and mobility agreements with other countries, that could be affected by the country’s cooperation with the US regarding migration.