External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar has clarified India’s position on the return of Indian nationals living illegally abroad, including in the United States. He emphasized that India is open to the "legitimate return" of such individuals, provided they are verified as Indian citizens.

India’s Position on Illegal Immigration

At a press conference in Washington DC on Wednesday, Jaishankar stated that India has always been willing to facilitate the return of citizens who are living abroad without proper documentation. “We have always taken the view that if there are any of our citizens, who are not here legally, if we are sure that they are our citizens, we have always been open to their legitimate return to India. So it's not a position unique to the US,” Jaishankar explained. He made it clear that this stance applies to all countries, not just the US.

Consistent and Principled Approach

Jaishankar reaffirmed that India’s position on the matter is both consistent and principled. He explained that he communicated this clearly to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “I understand right now that 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, and I conveyed that very clearly to US State Secretary Marco Rubio,” he added.

Support for Legal Migration

The EAM also stressed India’s commitment to promoting legal migration, especially for skilled professionals. “As a government, we obviously are 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 a global level,” Jaishankar said. India firmly opposes illegal migration, citing its negative effects. Jaishankar noted that illegal migration often leads to other unlawful activities. “At the same time, we are also very firmly opposed to illegal mobility and illegal migration. Because you also know that when something illegal happens, many other illegal activities get joined into it... this is not desirable. It's certainly not reputationally good... So we have with every country, and the US is no exception,” he explained.

Visa Waiting Times Impact Relations

During his meeting with Marco Rubio, Jaishankar raised the issue of long visa waiting times and their negative impact on India-US relations. He emphasized that reducing wait times for visas would benefit both countries. “I also told him (Rubio) that, while we understand all of this, and I also accept that these are autonomous processes, it is in our mutual interest to facilitate legal and mutually beneficial mobility. If it takes 400-odd days waiting period to get a visa, I don't think the relationship is well served by this. So I think he also noted that point,” Jaishankar said.

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