New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has now started tightening the noose on people living illegally in his country. Recently, he sent two ships full of Colombian illegal immigrants to their homeland. However, Colombia returned these ships, after which America has increased the tariff on Colombia in return. In the coming days, this threat is also looming over illegal Indians living in America. In such a situation, if Indians are stuck abroad and want to return to their country, then this story can be of use to you. Here we will tell you the ways by which your return to the country can be possible. Know the whole process.
What is the crisis looming over 7.25 lakh Indians in America
According to the US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP), 1,49,000 Indians were detained between February 2019 and March 2023 for trying to enter the US illegally. Most of these people were from Gujarat and Punjab. At the same time, according to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, more than 7,25,000 Indians are living illegally in the US.
Illegal Immigrant
Nearly 1 lakh Indians were caught crossing the border
According to the USCBP, Indian citizens are the fifth largest group of illegal immigrants entering the US from the southwest border. Between October 2022 and September 2023, 96,917 Indians were caught crossing the border illegally into the US. Of these, 30,010 were caught on the Canadian border and 41,770 on the Mexican border.
Make sure you have your passport at all costs
The Indian government has set up several mechanisms to bring back Indians stranded abroad. These include Madad Portal, Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra, 24x7 helpline, Indian missions and some other types of centers. Not only America, Germany, India, but people of all countries of the world need two things the most to travel to other countries. First passport and second visa. Without a passport, not only a common man but even the President or Prime Minister cannot travel to any country.
What advice does the Ministry of External Affairs give, know these important things
Keep a photocopy of your passport (including visa pages), insurance policy, traveler's cheques, visa and credit card number. Keep it in a different place from the original documents and also keep a copy with someone at home. Follow the laws of the country you are going to. Report immediately if your passport is lost, stolen or damaged. Carry extra photos for the passport.
Stay in constant touch with the Indian Embassy
Any Indian should stay in touch with his friends and family at home. Give them the details of your insurance policy and a copy of your foreign travel details. If you are going to stay abroad for a reasonable period of time, contact the local Indian Embassy / Consulate for registration before leaving India or immediately after arriving, so that you can get better consular assistance and updates. Anyway, there are 12 lakh Indians who dream of America, who are still waiting for Green Card Visa.
Take 'help' from the Ministry of External Affairs, complain
If you are stuck abroad or have any other problem, then the victim and his family members can directly contact the Ministry of External Affairs of Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar. They can register their complaint on the ministry's 'madad@gov.in' portal. On the Madad portal, you can register a complaint about any problem happening abroad. You can register a complaint with information like mobile number, email ID.
You must check this once before going abroad
Check the expiry date of your passport before going on a foreign trip. Generally, your passport should be valid for at least six months before entering a country. Also check whether a tourist visa is required in the country you are going to.
Do a thorough research about the country you are going to. Understand the rules and regulations there.
Before going on a foreign trip, get your medical examination done. Also carry the necessary medicines with you.
Inform your bank about your trip. Also inform the credit card company.
Keep all the necessary government documents with you including your passport, Aadhar card, ID, visa.
Know who are in more trouble
According to the data of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), till November 2024, there were 20407 people who were in America 'without documents' or 'incomplete documents'. In such a situation, the 'final removal order' can come anytime regarding these Indians. Out of these, 2,467 Indians are locked in the detention camp of US Immigration, while America calls 17,940 Indians 'paperless'.
What is the donkey route and how dangerous is it?
Donkey route or donkey flight is a way to travel illegally from one country to another. This way one can reach America, Canada and some European countries. Donkey route means the backdoor way to go abroad. Every year thousands and lakhs of people adopt the illegal way of 'donkey route' to go abroad. This is extremely dangerous and life threatening. There is no guarantee of reaching the destination.
9 thousand people had to lose their lives in this illegal migration
Dunki comes from the Punjabi word 'Dunki', which means to jump, to leap or to hop. That is, in this journey, people are sent to different countries with frequent stops. Last year, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has said that in the year 2023, 8,565 migrants died while traveling on land and sea routes around the world. IOM said that the number of migrant deaths increased by about 20% in the year 2023 as compared to the year 2022.
Some people become food for wild animals
Many times people have to pay the price for this by giving their lives. Even if someone reaches through this route, he is either sent back or put in jail. The journey associated with the Dunki route is very dangerous. There are dangers like lack of clean water, wild animals and criminal gangs on this route. Women are always at risk of rape and robbery. During the journey on the Donkey route, some people die by getting trapped in a snowstorm, while some drown while crossing a river or sea. Some are eaten by wild animals.
Reaching America via Panama means inviting death
Travel agents used to arrange direct flights for Indians from Delhi to Serbia, where they used to land in Belgrade. After this, they were taken to Hungary and then to Austria. Austria shares its border with Italy, Switzerland and Germany. In such a situation, Indians used to reach there illegally. After crossing the Panama jungle from here, the next stop is Guatemala. Guatemala is the biggest hub of human trafficking, from where the Donkey people are handed over to another agent. From here, they are taken to the border of Mexico, where the agents smuggle them into America or Canada illegally. Shahrukh Khan's film Donkey was based on this.
