WASHINGTON, JAN 22 (DNA): India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is taking proactive steps to cooperate with US President Donald Trump’s administration to boost bilateral ties and avoid a trade war between New Delhi and Washington, The News reported on Wednesday.
A significant aspect of this cooperation involves the repatriation of Indian citizens residing illegally in the US.
The Indian government, as claimed by a Bloomberg report citing sources, is prepared to work with the Trump administration to identify and take back all its citizens residing illegally in the country.
The report added that the two countries have together identified some 18,000 Indian migrants who are in the US illegally and could be sent back home.
The development comes as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar regarding concerns related to “irregular migration” on Tuesday, said the State Department.
“Secretary Rubio also emphasised the Trump administration’s desire to work with India to advance economic ties and address concerns related to irregular migration,” read the official statement.
New Delhi’s willingness to work with Washington on the said issue comes against the backdrop of executive orders issued by President Trump — who made immigration a key issue of his election campaign last year — aiming to clamp down on illegal immigration and advance his goal of deporting millions of immigrants who are in the US illegally.
India, separately on its part, has said that the movement of skilled professionals is an important part of India-US ties and benefits both countries amid a debate over H-1B visas on which Trump and his billionaire backer Elon Musk offered support to the visas.
India, known for its massive pool of IT professionals, many of whom work across the world, accounts for the bulk of H-1B visas issued by the US.
Trump says he fully backed the programme opposed by some of his supporters after Musk vowed to go to “war” to defend it.
India received about 78% of the 265,777 H-1B visas issued by the US in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023.
This move is seen as a strategic effort by India to appease the Trump administration, which has been vocal about its intentions to crack down on illegal immigration.
India hopes that by cooperating on the issue of illegal migration, the Trump administration will reciprocate by protecting legal immigration channels, including student visas and the H-1B programme for skilled workers.
India’s cooperation is also driven by its desire to maintain a strong relationship with the US, which is crucial for its economic and strategic interests.
The Indian government’s efforts are also influenced by its concerns about secessionist movements overseas. For instance, the Khalistan movement, which seeks to establish a separate Sikh state on Indian soil, has been a subject of concern for Indian authorities.
By taking back illegal migrants, India hopes to disrupt the support networks of such movements and prevent them from gaining traction.
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