'Will bring them back': India responds after US launches crackdown on illegal immigrants

India said it will "bring back" its citizens who are "overstaying" in the United States or any country after US President Donald Trump's administration launched a crackdown on illegal migrants on Friday (Jan 24).

The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India is against illegal immigration as it is connected to organised crime.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

“For Indian nationals, whether in the United States or elsewhere, if they are overstaying or residing in a country without proper documentation, we will bring them back, provided the necessary documents to verify their nationality are shared with us,” Jaiswal said in a press briefing on Friday (Jan 24).

When he was asked about the number of people being taken back from the US, Jaiswal said, "Any discussion about numbers is premature.”

Jaiswal was further asked about the ongoing discussion of the return of illegal immigrants from the US and the further plan to settle them back. He said, “Illegal migration and trade are two separate issues. Our approach, policy, and stance on illegal migration are very clear. We are against illegal migration, and the reason for this is that it is linked to organized crime."

'Can't risk future'

After the inaugural ceremony of Donald Trump on January 20, many Indian students in the US, who used to do odd jobs after college, quit due to the fear of being deported. The students said that although the jobs were highly important for them to survive in the US, they could not risk their future as they took loans to study abroad.

Although the US regulations allow international students, who are on F-1 visas, to work up to 20 hours a week on campus, many students take off-campus jobs such as at restaurants, petrol stations, or retail stores.

(With inputs from agencies)