- Thursday, January 23, 2025
The external affairs minister said while the Indian government supports legal migration, it is “very firmly opposed” to illegal mobility and illegal migration
By: India Weekly
INDIA has always been open to the legitimate return of undocumented Indians to their country, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday (22), noting that New Delhi is still in the process of verifying those from the US who can be deported to India.
“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 a group of Indian reporters in Washington on the concluding day of his four-day US visit.
“Because you also know that when something illegal happens, many other illegal activities get joined onto it, which is not desirable. It is certainly not good reputationally. So, with every country, and the US is no exception, we have always maintained that if any of our citizens are there illegally, and if we are sure that they are our citizens, we have always been open to their legitimate return to India,” Jaishankar said.
The minister was responding to a query on news reports that India is working with the Trump administration for the deportation of some 180,000 Indians in the US who are either undocumented, or have overstayed their visas. He had attended the swearing-in ceremony of Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States on January 20.
“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,” he said.
“At the same time, I also told him 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 of waiting period to get a visa, I don’t think the relationship is well served by this. He (Rubio) also noted that point,” he said.
“But while I’ve seen some numbers… I caution you about them because for us, a number is operative when we can actually validate the fact that the individual concerned is of Indian origin,” Jaishankar added.
Bangladesh
Jaishankar said he had brief discussion on the current situation in Bangladesh with newly-appointed Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.
“Yes, we had a brief discussion on Bangladesh. I don’t think it’s appropriate that I get into more details,” Jaishankar told a group of Indian reporters.
The minister was responding to a query on whether treatment of minorities in Bangladesh came up during his meetings with Rubio and Waltz.
However, there was no discussion on the attacks on Indian consulates in the US or the threat to Indian diplomats here, Jaishankar said.
“I didn’t raise those issues on this occasion,” he said.
“But I do want to say that the attack on our consulate in San Francisco is a very, very serious matter. It is something for which we expect accountability, and we would like to see that people who did it are held responsible,” Jaishankar said.
Asked about two cases – one against a former Indian official and another against an Indian business tycoon – which have come up in US courts in the last two years, Jaishankar said, “No, the subject didn’t come up (during the meetings).”
India-US ties
Jaishankar said the new Trump Administration is keen about taking India-US relationship forward.
“Special Envoy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is naturally treated very well,” Jaishankar told reporters when asked about the front row seat that he was given during the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States on January 20.
“You are a partner with whom we can get things done because there is already a strong chemistry between the (US) president and the (Indian) prime minister. There is a history of working together,” Jaishankar said in response to a query.
Jaishankar was here at the invitation of the US government and represented India at the inauguration ceremony.
Over the last three days, the minister said he had an opportunity to meet about half a dozen cabinet ministers of the Trump Administration.
He had a bilateral meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and attended the Quad ministerial meeting along with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the US, the first of the Trump Administration.
“Clearly there is an interest in taking the relationship forward. Now the exact mechanics of it, as and when we have something to tell you we’d be happy to share with you. But I do remind you that the prime minister had a very early phone call with President Trump and that I had come last month and made the initial contact with the NSA. So, it should give you a direction in which the relationship is going,” Jaishankar said.
“I would say, one, it was very clear that the Trump Administration was keen to have India present at the inaugural itself and they’re clearly prioritising the bilateral relationship.
Team Trump ‘confident’
Jaishankar termed the new Trump administration as “very confident and upbeat”.
“What I saw was really a very confident and upbeat incoming administration. I mean that feeling that ‘look, we need to get things done’,” Jaishankar said.
“Given the buoyancy and confidence I saw in the last 48 hours, I feel it’s an extraordinarily active administration. And not just the last 48 hours, they were actually very active even before assuming office. Going by the energy I could experience, I can tell you in many ways that it is fully reflected on the Indian side, and we would certainly like to use it to take our relationship to a higher level,” he added.
Stating that he attended a presidential inauguration for the first time, Jaishankar said, “I was there at the Rotunda observing the swearing-in. It was obviously very impressive.” (PTI)
