External affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday that India has always been open to the “legitimate return” of undocumented Indian immigrants to their home country, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday, reported news agency PTI.
S Jaishankar also noted that the government was still in the process of verifying those from the US who could be deported to India and added that they had not determined a number yet.
“As a government, we are obviously very much supportive of legal mobility because we do believe in a global workplace. We want Indian talent and Indian skills to have the maximum opportunity at the global level. At the same time, we are also very firmly opposed to illegal mobility and illegal migration,” Jaishankar told reporters.
The minister said India had always maintained, with the US and other countries, that if any Indian citizen was present as an illegal immigrant, they were welcome to come back to their home country through legitimate processes.
He added that illegal immigration can be linked to other illegal activities which are damaging to the reputation of the country.
Earlier, it was reported that India was working with US President Donald Trump’s administration to deport 1,80,000 Indians in the US who are either undocumented, or have overstayed their visas.
“This position is not unique to the United States. I do understand that right now there is a certain debate going on, and a resulting sensitivity which is there, but we have been consistent, we have been very principled about it and that remains our position. I conveyed that clearly to Secretary (of State, Marco) Rubio,” said Jaishankar on the Trump administrations crackdown on immigration.
Jaishankar stated that, during bilateral talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, he mentioned that it was in the mutual interest of both countries to find solutions which would legally aid mobility.