New Delhi to assist US in repatriating 18,000 undocumented Indian migrants: Report

New Delhi has expressed readiness to cooperate with the United States to identify and repatriate Indian citizens residing illegally in the country, reported Bloomberg on Tuesday.

This indicates India’s willingness to avoid potential trade conflicts with the Trump administration.

Authorities from both nations have identified approximately 18,000 undocumented Indian migrants in the US for deportation, Bloomberg reported citing unidentified persons. The true number could be higher because the total population of undocumented Indian immigrants in the US is not clear.

Despite friendly relations with Trump, Modi’s government is reportedly wary of any unexpected US actions that could lead to a trade war. On September 17, Trump called India a “very big abuser” of the trade relationship with his country. Trump has criticised India’s high import taxes and threatened reciprocal tariffs.

Shortly after his inauguration, Trump reaffirmed his intent to crack down on illegal migration by proposing an end to birthright citizenship and enhancing border security.

India hopes its cooperation will safeguard legal immigration channels for its citizens, particularly student visas and the H-1B visa programme for skilled workers. Indian citizens accounted for nearly 75% of the 3,86,000 H-1B visas issued in 2023, official data shows.

Failure to facilitate the repatriation of illegal migrants could jeopardise India’s labour and mobility agreements with other nations, including Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Israel,…

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