A US Air Force transport plane landed in India today with 104 illegal Indian immigrants in handcuffs and shackles, according to media reports. Speaking with reporters, a deportee said: “For 40 hours, we were handcuffed, our feet tied with chains and were not allowed to move an inch from our seats. After repeated requests, we were allowed to drag ourselves to the washroom. The crew would open the door of the lavatory and shove us in.”
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| Illegal Indian Immigrants Deported in Handcuffs and Chains. Source: News18 |
The inhumane treatment meted out to citizens of India, a US ally, has sparked a lot of anger against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. The critics are citing the example of Colombia, a small South American nation, whose president protested similar treatment of its citizens by the Trump administration. Colombian President Gustavo Petro turned back the US military planes carrying deportees and then sent his own aircraft to transport them back home in Colombia.
Illegal immigration from India to the US has dramatically increased on Prime Minister Modi's watch. A Pew Research Center report said that as of 2022, India ranked third, after Mexico and El Salvador, on the list of countries with the largest number of undocumented immigrants — 725,000 — living in the U.S.
India has a serious unemployment problem, particularly for the young people entering the job market by the millions each year. This problem is concealed by headline economic growth figures highlighted by the Modi government. At the same time, India is losing its best and brightest in a massive brain drain.
"Leave India! It's High Time!!" screams out a recent Reddit post that has gone viral! The poster who claims to be an Indian entrepreneur warns of impending "terrible economic collapse" with a "massive depreciation of the Indian rupee".
The now-deleted post, written by a user named ‘u/anonymous_batm_an,’ urges high-earning professionals, especially innovators, to leave India for countries with better opportunities and governance, as reported by the Times of India. It recommends the UAE or Thailand as alternative destinations . The sentiments expressed in the post are already resonating with a large number of Indians. The non-resident Indians now constitute the world's largest overseas diaspora. Every year, 2.5 million Indians leave their country of birth, making India the nation with the highest annual number of emigrants in the world.
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| New Company Registrations in Dubai. Source: Khaleej Times |
Indian investors continued to top the list of new non-Emirati companies joining the Dubai Chamber of Commerce during the first nine months of 2024. A total of 12,142 new Indian companies joined the chamber during the period, data showed on Monday, according to the Khaleej Times. Pakistan ranked second on the list with 6,061 new companies joining between Q1-Q3 2024, while Egypt followed with 3,611 new companies registering as members of the chamber. The number of new Syrian companies joining the chamber during the first nine months of the year reached 2,062, placing the country fourth among the top nationalities of new member companies.
India is losing its best and brightest to the West, particularly to the United States, at an increasingly rapid pace. A 2023 study of the 1,000 top scorers in the 2010 entrance exams to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) — a network of prestigious institutions of higher learning based in 23 Indian cities — revealed the scale of the problem. Around 36% migrated abroad, and of the top 100 scorers, 62% left the country, according to a report in the science journal Nature. Nearly two-thirds of those leaving India are highly educated, having received academic or vocational training. This is the highest for any country, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
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| Example of The Great Indian Brain Drain. Source: Boston Political Review |
Brain drain is defined as the loss of precious human capital of a nation. It is a “consequence of an education system designed for ‘selecting’ the best and brightest in an economy that is still too controlled and cannot create opportunities for its best and brightest”, according to Indian economist Shruti Rajagopalan. High-profile examples of India's human capital loss include Satya Nadella (Microsoft), Sundar Pichai (Google), Shantanu Narayen (Adobe), Arvind Krishna (IBM) and Ajay Banga (World Bank).
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| Foreign-Born STEM Workers in America. Source: American Immigration Council |
Growing number of Indian students are going abroad for higher education each year and 90% of them never return home after completing their studies. In 2022, the number of Indian students leaving the country for higher education reached a six-year high of 770,000. And a 2021 report estimated that around two million Indian students would be studying abroad by 2024.
Many developing countries are experiencing brain drain. But India is losing its best brightest at a much faster rate than others. Some call it "The Great Indian Brain Drain". This is the reason why Indians in the United States are the best educated and the highest earning group. In a recently published book titled "The Other One Percent", authors Sanjoy Chakravorty, Devesh Kapur and Nirvikar Singh explain this phenomenon.
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43 comments:
Illegal returnees are considered criminals and were chained and handcuffed for the safety of planes and american citizens on board per my conversation to a person knowlegable to the transport.
Riaz Haq - you are an idiot for thinking India that is Bharat is losing its best brains to other countries. We will keep producing talented creative thinkers who will not get bogged down in thoughts of an after life with 72 hoors, rivers of wine and Hyderabadi breyani everyday with spices and dahee from Bharat.
Be patient. The illegal Pakis turn is coming. Hindus accept that those who overstayed their welcome in the USA must face the consequences of their actions. What will the Pakis say, apart from raising their cries of Islamophobia???
Of course, it needs to be highlighted that illegal Indian immigrants were returned in handcuffs and chains in the title, even if that's how Trump administration were returning Latinos and others as well. :) But if illegal Indian immigrants being deported in chains is a humiliation, illegal Pakistani immigrants drowning in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic would be a tragedy, no?
"Dying for a dream: Pakistan’s migrant crisis from GT Road to Europe"
https://www.dawn.com/news/1889070/dying-for-a-dream-pakistans-migrant-crisis-from-gt-road-to-europe
That said, I look at this deportation positively. For one, its a lesson for the would-be migrants not to go after illegal shortcuts, and instead look for legal ways to immigrate, or (better still) look for employment at home. With the 15 lakh INR (17,000 USD) they shelled out for this trip - enough to buy an expensive SUV in the Indian market - they could have started some business. And if they are facing difficulties in doing that, its time to start asking some hard questions to the govt.
Secondly, the spectacle of Indians being deported in handcuffs and chains is a well-deserved humiliation for the Modi govt and its cheerleaders, even if they don't wish to admit it. The fact that the Modi govt with its so-called assertive foreign policy and "strategic partnership" with US could not even put up a token resistance to facilitate a more humane and dignified return for the deportees was also laid bare. And to add further insult to the injury, more than half of the deportees were from BJP-ruled states like Gujarat, Haryana and UP, which left them no opportunity to turn this into a political slugfest against the opposition parties. Besides blowing a hole in the Modi govt's hype and propaganda on the economic front, this and the recent tax cuts in the Union budget points to the pressure piling up on the Modi govt. The economy is slowing down and it isn't creating jobs. They can't hide it anymore as even the traditional Modi/BJP supporters had started complaining about high taxes, rising expenses and lack of jobs. And that's a good thing.
(I must also add that except for the first two paragraphs, the rest of the article feels pretty much a copy-paste job from your previous articles with nothing new.)
Ashok Swain
@ashoswai
Trump has not deported a single illegal immigrant from China, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Nepal, but already has sent back 205 of them handcuffed and chained to India. Trump is bullying Modi like no one else.
https://x.com/ashoswai/status/1887625106458812556
I was at Cash & Carry in Silicon Valley to pick quick couple vegetables. I asked an Indian employee if there was any raid. He said those who didn’t have paperwork already left the store. Interestingly he said that his friends at Gas Stations stores says their sales drop $1500 per day as undocumented customers disappeared.
Suhasini Haidar
@suhasinih
"When we were asked to board the bus, we were handcuffed and our legs were shackled. We didn’t even know we were headed back to India till we landed in Amritsar,” says 45 year old Omi Devi.
In parliament EAM said US said they didnt handcuff women and children.
https://x.com/suhasinih/status/1887694154974831096
-------------
Suhasini Haidar
@suhasinih
Women, children were handcuffed too; deportees counter Government's statement, say they had feet tied with ropes, faces covered with masks during 40 hour journey on US Military transporter.
@AlishaDutta_AD
@al_lakshman
report
@the_hindu
https://x.com/suhasinih/status/1887687328023650491
I understand security concerns for the American crew on board, but it looks pretty bad and insensitive to me if they chose to handcuff women and children as well. Even in our part of the world, the authorities are expected to show some lenience to women and children under such circumstances. Particularly so, since its possible that many of these women and their kids may not have had a choice in this illegal immigration than to accompany their husbands or parents.
Mr. Anand
Thanks for posting your comments here.
I have some few simple and rational questions for you.
Q. 1 If Indians on average or as general are really creative and innovative then why when majority of the Indian students of computer science and IT after graduating from their universities are not able to get jobs in major and top High Tech and IT companies and organizations?
According to Indian news sources out of 100℅ of the total IT and engineering graduates from universities of India, hardly 4 or 5℅ of them are capable to pass job interviews and able to meet the hiring criteria of companies and organizations?
Q. 2 Since last 70 years after independence, how many scientists, engineers, researchers and mathematicians of India have won or achieved noble prizes in their fields?
Q. 3 If Indians are really that creative and innovative as you and other Indians brag about then why till now inspire of receiving so much financial support from foreign countries specially from America, Russia, Is real and other countries, still Indian military and defence is lagging behind?
Q. 4 Can you pls tell me how many anti-virus softwares, operating systems or even a programming language or any software or application that any IT company of India has so far designed and developed that has received a recognition and acceptance at global level?
Mr. Anand
Unfortunately Indians have poor and very weak degree of tolerance and sadly this level of intolerance that Indians have has caused great problems.
This issue of illegal Indians living in India is not just being highlighted by Indian media but it is an issue which even few foreign news channels are also highlighting.
Pls check the Indian news channels how Indian minister Mr. Jai Shanker who was feeling proud on his recent visit to Pakistan and who is well known for insulting and humiliating Pakistan in international forums was insulted when he just visited America few days ago. Mr. Marco Rubio who is a close official of President Trump and his administration was not happy when he received Mr. Jai Shanker.
Many Indians call Mr. Jai Shanker as waiter of PM Modi and your own Indian who retired from government services of India are making videos in which they are insulting and talking bad about BJP and PM Modi.
Did Mr. Trump call " PM Modi" after becoming President of America?
Did President Trump even invite PM Modi so he could attend his inauguration ceremony of US presidency?
Mr. Anand
Yes their are also and their might be Pakistanis living in America illegally but pls note that their numbers are very low.
I have never heard or seen any Pakistani who tried to enter America illegally using the border of Mexico.
Mr. Anand
Your own Indians and many westerns think and believe that Indians are very good in talking but when it come to actions or practicality then sorry to say Indians are lagging behind.
Mr. Anand
Their is a famous and great saying that actions speak louder than words.
More than 700,000 Indians are living or have entered America illegally which is a huge number specially for a country whose government, media and people very proudly claim that their countries economy is one of the fastest growing economy in the world.
Dear Sir
Mashallah the good news is that total illegal immigrants in America from Pakistan are around 100,000 or little more than this but many of them do not come under the category if illegal aliens because many of these Pakistanis have applied for asylum( political protection) in America as soon as they entered America illegally, so their cases of asylum are in the courts of America. And according to the law of America, any immigrant who is living in America illegally but he himself has filed a case for asylum in America automatically comes under the protection of the law of America. And government of America can't take them out or put their hands on such immigrants.
Fury in India over U.S. allegedly flying deportees halfway around the world in handcuffs and leg chains - CBS News
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-deported-indian-migrants-handcuffs-leg-chains-military-flight-india/
The U.S. deported more than 1,000 Indian migrants last year, but on commercial flights and without any reports of alleged mistreatment. It is standard practice for U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement to restrain adult deportees on flights out of the country, which the agency argues is to protect inflight security and the migrants themselves, by preventing riots and other safety issues.
Chief Michael W. Banks
@USBPChief
USBP and partners successfully returned illegal aliens to India, marking the farthest deportation flight yet using military transport. This mission underscores our commitment to enforcing immigration laws and ensuring swift removals.
If you cross illegally, you will be removed.
https://x.com/USBPChief/status/1886946028185682347
The deportation process for individuals in the United States, including those from Europe who are present unlawfully, follows standardized procedures established by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). These procedures are designed to ensure the safety and security of both the individuals being deported and the accompanying personnel.
Use of Restraints:
During transportation, particularly on deportation flights, it is standard practice for ICE to use restraints such as handcuffs and leg irons. This protocol applies universally, regardless of the individual’s country of origin, and is not specific to any particular nationality. The primary purpose of these restraints is to maintain safety during transit.
Detention Conditions:
Before deportation, individuals may be held in detention centers. Conditions in these facilities have been the subject of scrutiny and criticism. Reports have highlighted issues such as inadequate medical care, allegations of abuse, and poor living conditions. These concerns have been raised across various detention centers and are not limited to any specific group of detainees.
Legal Representation:
Access to legal representation is a critical aspect of the deportation process. However, many detainees face challenges in obtaining legal counsel, which can impact their ability to navigate the legal system effectively. This issue affects individuals from all backgrounds, including those from Europe.
In summary, while the deportation process is standardized, individual experiences can vary based on specific circumstances. The use of restraints during transportation is a common practice aimed at ensuring safety, and concerns about detention conditions and access to legal representation are prevalent issues affecting many detainees, regardless of their nationality.
Not sure about Hinduphobia term, but here’s the tree to bark on—Musk & MAGA…
https://youtu.be/P_Ms4BwERcQ?si=oQpTYg5Wu90p3bWf
MAGA Attacks Indian-Americans, Congressman Flags "Hinduphobia" | Vantage with Palki Sharma
Far-right supporters of Donald Trump are escalating online attacks on the Indian-American community. The row, which began over H-1B visas, has now turned into a racist MAGA meltdown. Will Donald Trump step in to shut down his racist supporters? Palki Sharma tells you.
Rasheed,
This is the best explanation I have read, and it makes sense.
However, Mexico and Columbia did differently; why did the Indian PM not take a similar step? It is this comparison that is making us offended that Indians were mistreated.
though last week, director of IIT (so called premier institute) said that GOMutra cures all diseases. Millions seem to believe that, given that during COVID time, this is what many Hindus did and India had highest COVID death due to these superstitions.
As a matter of fact, Hindu troll army was remarkably low profile during last few days.
Undocumented immigrant convicted in India-based fraud conspiracy scheme
https://www.firstalert4.com/2025/02/11/undocumented-immigrant-convicted-india-based-fraud-conspiracy-scheme/
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (First Alert 4) - An undocumented immigrant from India was convicted by a southern Illinois jury for his involvement in an imposter scam that victimized people across the Midwest.
Nirav B. Patel, 44, was convicted of of one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud and one count of illegal entry into the U.S. by an alien.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is working aggressively to prosecute illegal immigrants who break ours laws and exploit elderly victims,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “An imposter scammer may call, text, or email to convince you they are someone in authority, but government agencies typically initiate conversation with you through the mail. Unexpected contact or demands through any other method are more than likely a scam.”
The scheme targeted elderly victims with text messages and emails purportedly warning them their Amazon accounts were compromised. When the victims followed up, they were redirected to co-conspirators posing as federal agents who convinced them they were victims of identity theft and needed to withdraw their life savings to be held in phony U.S. Treasury or FTC trust accounts. The money was actually stolen and transferred to accounts controlled by scammers in India.
Hello Mr. Begg
Thanks for your comments, not sure where you are exactly from but pls allow me to comment on your post.
Sir hinduphobia is something which even existed in America in 1980s but later on as the political interest of the American government changed and as they knew that China is trying to emerge as a power by strenghtening it's military and economy. It raised alarm in US government and administration and to counter the growing influence of China, India was the best option.
You will notice that this same anti Indian or anti Hindu campaign which started in America in early and in mid 80s actually lost its rhythm and actually stopped.
Mr. Begg
Recently some Indians were hired by the President Trump and his administration at key positions, the AI policy advisor to President Trump is an Indian and the director of the FBI who has been recently appointed is an Indian.
The question is that why are these Indians who have been appointed at such high profile and key positions in America are actually silent on this level of racism or discrimination that is happening towards Indians?
Meanwhile, atleast another 16 Pakistanis are confirmed dead and 10 missing in the latest boat tragedy off the coast of Libya. There were 63 Pakistanis on board the vessel.
"16 Pakistanis confirmed dead in Libya boat tragedy: FO"
https://www.dawn.com/news/1891298/16-pakistanis-confirmed-dead-in-libya-boat-tragedy-fo
The bodies of 16 Pakistanis have been recovered with as many as 63 Pakistanis suspected on board a vessel that capsized off the coast of Libya, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Tuesday.
The incident comes on the heels of a similar tragedy last month in which a boat carrying 80 passengers capsized near Morocco. While the identities of at least 13 Pakistanis killed in the incident were confirmed, over 40 citizens were reportedly murdered by African human traffickers on the boat and only 22 survived the tragedy.
"According to unconfirmed reports, there were 63 Pakistanis on the boat and so far 16 dead bodies have been recovered and their Pakistani nationalities established on the basis of their passports."
"There are 37 survivors, including one in hospital and 33 in police custody. Reportedly, around 10 Pakistanis are missing in the accident. Three of the survivors are in Tripoli and being looked after by the Embassy," the statement said.
Vineeth: "Meanwhile, atleast another 16 Pakistanis are confirmed dead and 10 missing in the latest boat tragedy off the coast of Libya. There were 63 Pakistanis on board the vessel"
Pakistan's economic difficulties are well known and their impact on Pakistanis, including illegal Pakistani migrants taking enormous risks, is acknowledged by Pakistani officials and highlighted by Pakistani media.
However, the constant stream of stories of illegal Indian migrants drowning in the English Channel or freezing to death at US-Canada border or dying in the jungles of Central America (Darien Gap) does not make sense given the Modi government's tall claims of India being the "world's fastest growing major economy".
I don't remember hearing "constant stream of stories" of illegal Indian migrants drowning in the English Channel or freezing to death at US-Canada border or dying in the jungles of Central America. If my memory serves me right, the reports of such migrant tragedies involving Indian nationals were fewer in comparison to the frequent news I am hearing these days about Pakistani migrants drowning in the Mediterranean and Atlantic. The latest tragedy is perhaps the third or fourth I have heard within the last one year alone, and the number of Pakistanis who perished are in the hundreds.
But yes, I do agree the stories of Indian illegal immigrants being arrested and deported from US and Europe do blow a hole in the narrative that Modi & Co have been making about India's economic growth under his rule. Without doubt the Indian economy has been slowing down and is struggling to generate jobs. However, the difference between the challenges confronting the Pakistani and Indian economies lie primarily in the relative strength of their industrial base and the state of their macro-economic fundamentals. India's industrial base is much more developed in comparison to Pakistan's, and the country has maintained larger forex reserves as a buffer to absorb periodic shocks. Also from what I could understand about how and why the Pakistani economy ends up in a crisis every few years, the Indian govt seems to have been more prudent in how they manage their taxes, revenue and reserves. Pakistani governments on the other hand have a penchant of spending beyond their means with borrowed money. For example, in times of greater fiscal stress the Indian govt and its Central Bank would rather let INR slide in value to USD gradually and find its natural equilibrium (and only spending reserves in moderation to cushion the slide) rather than drain all the reserves in propping up the value of the currency artificially in Ishaq Dar fashion.
So yes, the Indian economy do face difficult challenges in stimulating economic growth and job generation, but on the overall the economy remains in a far better shape than Pakistan's.
Veneeth: "I don't remember hearing "constant stream of stories" of illegal Indian migrants drowning in the English Channel or freezing to death at US-Canada border or dying in the jungles of Central America"
The shocking death of 11 Indian workers at a resort in Gudauri, Georgia – a popular skiing and paragliding destination in the Caucasus mountains on the Georgia-Russia border – shook their home country.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/12/11-indian-workers-deaths-in-georgia-highlight-lack-of-safeguards-for-migrant-rights/
Indian family froze to death crossing Canada-US border
https://www.voanews.com/a/indian-family-froze-to-death-crossing-canada-us-border-/7866437.html
'Saw one die, another drown': Indians deported from US recall ‘donkey’ route ordeal
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/saw-one-die-another-drown-indians-deported-from-us-recall-donkey-route-ordeal/articleshow/117967681.cms
Indian migrant dies trying to cross English Channel after boat deflates
https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/migrant-man-dies-trying-to-cross-english-channel-after-small-boat-deflates-124102700506_1.html
From 2015-2022, 312 migrant deaths or disappearances were reported in Darien Gap and 229 deaths were reported between 2021 and 2023.
https://www.news18.com/world/what-is-darien-gap-a-dangerous-97-km-forest-area-which-migrants-cross-to-reach-us-border-9217977.html
"Walked 45 Kilometres, Saw Bodies On The Way": Indians Deported From US
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/walked-45-kilometres-saw-dead-bodies-on-the-way-indians-deported-from-us-7645107
"From 2015-2022, 312 migrant deaths or disappearances were reported in Darien Gap and 229 deaths were reported between 2021 and 2023...."
"Walked 45 Kilometres, Saw Bodies On The Way.."
"Saw one die, another drown.."
If you read carefully, you will notice that nothing in those three news reports you quoted (ToI, NDTV, News18) suggest that those deaths were Indians. As regards to those hundreds of fatalities in the Darien Gap, you'll find the same numbers mentioned in the CSIS report below where it obviously includes migrants of all nationalities.
https://www.csis.org/analysis/mind-darien-gap-migration-bottleneck-americas
"According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), at least 312 migrants have been reported missing or dead on the route between 2015 and 2022, with at least 229 disappearances between January 2021 and September 2023, including 146 in 2022 alone."
Moreover, South and Central Americans constitute lion's share of the migrants who use the route to illegally enter US, so most of the "deaths" and "dead bodies" the Indian returnees reported seeing could very well have been fellow migrants from those countries and not necessarily Indians.
https://www.cfr.org/article/crossing-darien-gap-migrants-risk-death-journey-us
"The majority of migrants were from Venezuela, followed by Ecuador and Haiti, but some hailed from as far away as Angola, Bangladesh, and Pakistan."
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/over-300000-migrants-crossed-latin-americas-darien-gap-2024-down-42-2025-01-02/
"Officials with Panama's National Migration Service told Reuters 302,203 migrants crossed the Darien last year, down 42% from the record 520,085 in 2023. Some 69% of migrants in 2024 were Venezuelans, they said."
https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/10/10/how-treacherous-darien-gap-became-migration-crossroads-americas
"Initially, migrants crossing the Darien Gap tended to be from Haiti or Cuba. From 2015 through 2021, approximately 79 percent of all arrivals were Haitian, Cuban, or the Brazilian- and Chilean-born children of Haitian migrants who had moved to South America in previous years. In 2022, though, the demographics changed. For the first time, most of those arriving in Panama after crossing the jungle were from Venezuela."
"Other top nationalities crossing through the first eight months of 2023 were Ecuadorians (nearly 45,000) and Haitians (slightly more than 35,000). Migrants from Venezuela, Ecuador, and Haiti have accounted for about 84 percent of all people crossing the Darien Gap so far in 2023."
"Since 2015, Panama has registered more than 100,000 extracontinental migrants from at least 60 African and Asian countries. In fact, in 2017 and 2018 most migrants through the Darien originated in Asia, and the most common nationalities were Indian, Nepalese, Bangladeshi, and Cameroonian. In 2023, country-of-origin trends have shifted, with the most common extracontinental nationalities now including Chinese (more than 13,000 through the first eight months of the year), Indian (3,300), and Afghan (2,600)."
Vineeth: " If you read carefully, you will notice that nothing in those three news reports you quoted (ToI, NDTV, News18) suggest that those deaths were Indians. As regards to those hundreds of fatalities in the Darien Gap, you'll find the same numbers mentioned in the CSIS report below where it obviously includes migrants of all nationalities."
Do you know that the Indians rank third among illegal immigrant populations in the United States? And lately, most of them have entered the US through the US-Mexico border (the Donkey Route)? The other two top populations of illegals in the US are citizens of Mexico and El Salvador, both of which are located north of the Darien Gap?
According to a report in the Times of India, data from the US Customs and Border Protection (US-CBP) showed that between October 1, 2023 and September 30, 2024 (US FY 2024), 29 lakh people were arrested trying to enter the United States through Mexico and Canada routes. Of them, 90,415 were Indian nationals, which is on an average 10 Indians were arrested per hour during this period.
Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/world/over-90000-illegal-indian-migrants-arrested-in-us-between-october-2023-september-2024-report-3248770
Sir, we were talking about migrant deaths, not arrests. In response to my comment about the recent boat tragedy involving Pakistanis in Libya, you had written this:
"However, the constant stream of stories of illegal Indian migrants drowning in the English Channel or freezing to death at US-Canada border or dying in the jungles of Central America (Darien Gap).."
I replied that I do not remember reading any "constant stream of stories" of Indian migrants dying akin to the recent spate of incidents where a large number of Pakistanis perished in boat tragedies in the Mediterranean and Atlantic while trying to enter Europe illegally.
You replied to that quoting some news reports from the Indian media as if to suggest that hundreds of Indians too had died while trying to enter US and Europe through the Darien Gap and elsewhere.
But that was not true, as from among the reports you had quoted only the cases of a family freezing to death at US-Canadian border, a migrant man dying at the English channel and the deaths of 11 Indian workers at Georgia (which incidentally did not happen while they were trying to enter the country) actually referred to Indian deaths. As for the rest, the 312 migrant deaths reported in Darien Gap from 2015-2022, and the 229 disappearances reported between 2021 and 2023 referred to migrants of all nationalities (and not Indians specifically), while the reports of deaths and dead bodies witnessed by Indian returnees also did not mention the nationalities of those deceased.
Other than that, I do not deny that there are a large number of Indian illegal immigrants who have attempted/managed to enter US and Europe.
Veneeth:
So if the 3rd largest group of illegal immigranrs coming to the Mexico border via Darien Gsp are Indians, doesn’t it follow that many of the dead seen there are Indians too?
But I won’t argue with you if you want to pretend that only non Indians die while crossing through the dangerous jungle.
- "So if the 3rd largest group of illegal immigrants coming to the Mexico border via Darien Gap are Indians, doesn’t it follow that many of the dead seen there are Indians too?"
First, can you quote any source to back up your assertion that the "3rd largest group of illegal immigrants coming via Darien Gap" are Indians? From what I could read, Indians crossing the Darien Gap have been far fewer in number than other nationalities from South and Central America like Venezuelans, Haitians, Ecuadorians etc who constituted the bulk of migrants. Indians likely prefer more safer routes such as through Canada.
Secondly, I haven't come across any news in either Indian or international media that reports a large number of deaths among Indian migrants. If you have any, please quote it.
- "But I won’t argue with you if you want to pretend that only non Indians die while crossing through the dangerous jungle."
I am not pretending anything. As I said, I have not come across reports that Indian migrants have died in large numbers in Darien Gap or other migrant routes. I am also aware that the reason that a large number of Pakistani migrants have perished during their trip to Europe within the past year is due to the perilous nature of their sea voyage in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic on unseaworthy vessels.
Indians fifth-largest group of US illegal migrants
(Note: Indians make up the bulk of migrant group crossing the Darien Gap. Most of the rest are from countries located north of it)
According to the US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP), Indians are the fifth-largest group of illegal migrants entering the US via its southwest border. Between October 2022 and September 2023, nearly 97,000 Indians were caught attempting to cross illegally, with over 30,000 detained at the Canada border and 41,770 at the Mexico border. The majority of these migrants hail from Punjab and Gujarat, states with a long history of migration to Western countries.
Risks of illegal migration
The ‘dunki route’ is fraught with dangers. Migrants face the risk of capture, imprisonment, and deportation, as was the case in the US. The journey itself is perilous, with harsh weather conditions, rugged terrains, and limited access to food and water.
https://www.business-standard.com/external-affairs-defence-security/news/us-deports-illegal-indians-what-is-dunki-route-migration-risks-explained-125020600326_1.html
I had posted a reply here requesting you to provide evidence or quote the source to substantiate your assertion - that "Indians make up the bulk of migrant group crossing the Darien Gap" - and I had also quoted multiple sources in my reply that explicitly mentioned South American nationalities like Venezuelans, Ecuadorians and Haitians as having constituted the vast majority of migrants using the route for the past several years. My reply was visible for a day, and now I see that it has suddenly vanished. I hope the disappearance of my comment was accidental and not because you could not find any sources to back up your statement.
U.S. plane carrying 119 Indian deportees likely to land in Amritsar on February 15
A U.S. plane carrying 119 illegal immigrants is likely to land at Amritsar airport on February 15, the second such batch of Indians deported by the Trump government as part of a crackdown it resolved to carry out when it was sworn in last month.
According to official sources, the plane is expected to land at the airport around 10 p.m. on Saturday (February 15, 2025).
Among the 119 illegal Indian immigrants, 67 hail from Punjab, 33 from Haryana, eight from Gujarat, three from Uttar Pradesh, two each from Goa, Maharashtra and Rajasthan and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, they said.
Another U.S. plane carrying deportees is also expected to land on February 16.
The development came days after a U.S. military aircraft carrying 104 illegal Indian immigrants landed at the Amritsar airport last week. Of them, 33 each were from Haryana and Gujarat and 30 from Punjab.
Most of the deportees hailing from Punjab had said they wanted to migrate to the U.S. for a better life for their families. However, their dreams were shattered when they were caught at the U.S. border and brought back in shackles.
After Donald Trump assumed office as the U.S. President, the country’s law enforcement agencies have launched a crackdown against illegal immigrants.
Ashok Swain
@ashoswai
Trump came to the the White House gate to receive Israeli PM, Jordanian King, and Japanese PM. To receive Modi, Trump sent his Secretary. Modi is an insult to 1.4 billion Indians and has ruined India’s reputation and stature!
https://x.com/ashoswai/status/1891464478392234036
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Trump Calls Modi ‘A Great Friend’ but Warns India Won’t Be Spared From Tariffs
https://time.com/7222446/trump-modi-meet-tariffs/
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump greeted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House with a bear hug on Thursday and called him “a great friend of mine,” but nonetheless warned that India won’t be spared from higher tariffs he’s begun imposing on U.S. trade partners around the world.
Trump, who had previously derided India as the “tariff king,” called the import levies imposed by Modi’s country “very unfair and strong.”
“Whatever India charges, we charge them,” Trump said at a joint news conference where he stood next to Modi. “So, frankly, it no longer matters to us that much what they charge.”
As he has while recently hosting other foreign leaders, Trump talked about ensuring that the U.S. erases its trade deficit with India. He suggested that could be done by increasing U.S. energy exports to India but also promised to restore “fairness and reciprocity” to the economic relationship and said he and Modi had begun working on a major trade deal that could be completed later this year.
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ICE Conducts Raids In Durham, Indians Picked Up - IndiaWest Journal News
https://indiawest.com/ice-conducts-raids-in-durham-indians-picked-up/
DURHAM, NC – A recent immigration raid in Durham has intensified concerns within the Triangle’s large Indian American community, as the Trump administration continues its crackdown on illegal immigration.
According to ABC News, neighbors in a north Durham neighborhood recorded video of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detaining three men believed to be of Indian origin. The footage shows ICE officers swarming a car and later entering a home. In total, ABC News confirmed that 11 individuals were taken into custody during multiple raids in the area.
“It always makes you anxious when people are coming in, visiting homes, and taking people into custody without knowing where they are. These are people we’ve known in our community,” Morrisville Councilmember Steve Rao told ABC News.
Rao highlighted the challenges faced by the region’s tech industry, where many companies rely on highly skilled H-1B visa holders. He noted that an expired visa or an overstay can quickly alter someone’s legal status, putting them at risk of deportation.
“I think it’s really important for businesses to learn from this and ensure they conduct thorough background checks, verify legal immigration status, and confirm that all paperwork is in order before hiring,” he said.
Community members also expressed concern over ICE’s tactics, particularly the practice of raiding homes. Many fear such operations create an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, further straining trust between immigrant communities and law enforcement, ABC News said.
"Ashok Swain
@ashoswai
Trump came to the the White House gate to receive Israeli PM, Jordanian King, and Japanese PM. To receive Modi, Trump sent his Secretary. Modi is an insult to 1.4 billion Indians and has ruined India’s reputation and stature!"
To be fair, being insulted or ignored by someone like Trump shouldn't really be seen as ruining the reputation and stature of India as a country (or of Modi as its leader) since Trump might behave worse with many left-liberal leaders of closely allied Western states. But for Modi, Trump's snub could be legitimately seen as a personal insult. Modi made two miscalculations - he didn't forsee Trump's defeat in 2020 nor his victory in 2024. So Modi went all in with "Namaste Trump" initially and then totally ignored him on Modi's US visits after the defeat.
But US-India relations clearly has more potent strategic drivers than the personal relations between Modi and Trump, so I don't expect Trump's "snub" to have any impact in the long term. After all, it was not long ago that PM Imran Khan was "snubbed" by two of the closest allies and benefactors of Pakistan, on being received by an Assistant Deputy somebody on his official visit to China and a regional governor on his visit to Saudi Arabia.
Trump’s tariffs present fresh headache for India’s slowing economy | Poverty and Development | Al Jazeera
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2025/2/18/trumps-tariffs-present-fresh-headache-for-indias-slowing-economy
Hours before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the White House, President Donald Trump announced that the United States would levy reciprocal tariffs on its trading partners.
It could hardly have come at a tougher time for India, which is already pressed by a slowing economy and sluggish demand.
At a joint news conference, Trump said India would buy F-35 fighter jets and oil and gas from the US. The two countries would also begin negotiations on the US trade deficit with India.
India runs a large trade surplus with the US and such negotiations and military and oil purchases could adversely impact its economy at a time when it is going through a slowdown.
With the Indian economy expected to grow at 6.4 percent in the year ending March, its slowest in four years, the Modi government announced income tax relief for the middle class in the annual budget earlier this month.
Days later, the country’s central bank cut its benchmark interest rate for the first time in nearly five years by 0.25 percent to 6.25 percent with Governor Sanjay Malhotra saying a less restrictive monetary policy was more appropriate in light of the current “growth-inflation dynamics”
Economists warn the tax relief may not be enough for the vast majority of Indians, whose income still falls below taxable limits and who may still be reeling from the impact of the COVID pandemic, which devastated their earnings.
“There is a vast base [of people] where recovery has not come back after the pandemic,” says Kaushik Basu, professor of economics at Cornell University. “We see this in data that the agricultural labour base has increased. And agriculture may well be just a parking spot.”
Basu was referring to people who left urban jobs during India’s tight and prolonged COVID lockdown and returned to their villages. Without enough well-paying jobs to return to in cities, they have stayed in their villages doing seasonal agricultural labour.
Dhiraj Nim, an economist at ANZ Bank expects the tax relief to have a 0.2 percent impact on the gross domestic product (GDP) growth.
“People will consume a little more, but they will also save more. Some personal loan repayment will happen,” he said. “I don’t think the boost in consumption will offset the one trillion rupees [$11.5bn] given in relief by too much.”
Moreover, any economic boost will be a short-term measure while the problems it seeks to address “are more fundamental”, warns Alexandra Hermann, lead economist at Oxford Economics. “There is nothing [in the budget] that addresses employment or skilling,” that will lead to broader and more sustained growth, she says. Just about 2 percent of Indians currently pay income tax and unemployment and underemployment have stayed high, she says.
Some of India’s slowdown could be attributed to a cyclical tapering in demand after the post-pandemic recovery when the economy grew sharply. Industry heads and government officials believed India was on a high growth trajectory. The country is already the world’s fifth-largest economy and is projected to become the third-largest by 2030.
But now the “issues beneath the growth” have been revealed, Cornell’s Basu says. “While there has been inequality for at least two decades, what we are seeing now has not been seen since 1947,” the year that India won its independence from the British.
Delicate economic juggle
The government has sought to spur growth through strong spending on infrastructure such as roads and bridges. But stimulus provided during the pandemic meant the government needs to tighten its belt to meet its fiscal deficit target of 4.5 percent by next year. This reduced spending could also take away from some of the boost provided by the income tax relief, Nim of ANZ says.
Trump’s tariffs present fresh headache for India’s slowing economy | Poverty and Development | Al Jazeera
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2025/2/18/trumps-tariffs-present-fresh-headache-for-indias-slowing-economy
Modi’s US visit comes amids this delicate economic moment in India. President Trump spoke of India’s high tariffs on American cars and other products meant to protect Indian industry and create domestic jobs.
India, like Mexico and Canada, will also enter negotiations to bridge its trade surplus, but this could involve concessions that could hurt Indian industry as well as purchases it can hardly afford. (New Delhi peremptorily reduced tariffs on Harley Davidson motorbikes in the budget.)
“It is notable that the Indian government has gone out of its way to avoid tariffs,” says Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center, a Washington, DC-based think tank. “A big reason for this is the fragile economic growth.”
The Indian government also accepted its first 100 deportees from the US without official protest, although they were sent in a military aircraft and in handcuffs. At their news conference, Modi said these were victims of human trafficking, which had to stop. He did not bring up with Trump their treatment by the US as some other countries have for their own deportees.
High tariffs on steel imports that the US has already announced are bound to affect Indian exports. However, the Indian economy is largely fuelled by domestic consumption compared to other Asian economies, says Oxford Economics’ Hermann.
That is the deeper problem that is now starting to emerge.
Kartik Muralidharan, Tata Chancellor’s professor of economics at the University of California at San Diego, says the government’s expanded food transfer programme has supported India’s bottom half and may have led to their participation in the economy.
However, he and others underscore the need for greater economic reform to encourage higher and more equitable growth.
“Generally, reforms come at a time of external challenges,” Muralidharan says, referring to how India’s economic reforms in 1991 came in the wake of the Gulf War and a balance of payment crisis. “We need another ‘91,” he says.
Cornell’s Basu suggests the rising inequality would best be addressed through “a little higher tax for the super-rich and use it to support small businesses.”
Basu also says small businesses have been affected by compliance costs for the Goods and Services Tax and could be simplified and lowered.
The government has said it expects a growth rate of about 6.7 percent for the year ahead, indicating strong growth in the current global landscape. But ANZ’s Nim says the “bigger concern should be growing per capita income and better distribution of that income so it reaches people who need it.”
Mr. Ashok Shine
Must also know that President Trump also came at the gate or at the main door of white House to even receive PM Imran Khan of Pakistan.
Hello Mr. Vineeth
Thanks for your comments, sir If you don't mind for the last many years I have noticed and observed on newspages of Pakistan on Facebook and on YouTube channels of Pakistan where Indians come and show their arrogance and brag about the economy of India claiming that it has one of the fastest growing economy in the world.
Don't you think that this fact about Indians being the 3rd largest illegal immigrants in America exposes the fact that economy of India is not as good and healthy as Indian government, Indian media and Indian people claim?
Doesn't this fact raise a big question mark on the overall performance of BJP government and on the economy of India?
For India, Bangladesh protests highlight dangers of jobless growth - CSMonitor.com
https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2024/0809/Young-educated-and-jobless-Is-India-s-unemployment-crisis-waiting-to-explode
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is under growing pressure to create jobs, particularly for India’s educated youth.
After months of rising unemployment and higher-education scandals, some young Indians say they’re losing faith in getting ahead through merit. And some opposition leaders say India could be heading in the same direction as Bangladesh.
Neighboring Bangladesh has been wracked by weeks of violent protests, led by students frustrated by limited job prospects. Both India and Bangladesh face persistent unemployment and inequality despite overall economic growth, and until this week, both were run by long-ruling prime ministers who’ve been accused of authoritarian practices in recent years.
“What happened in Bangladesh … has given a message to people in power,” said Uddhav Thackeray, former chief minister of Maharashtra, after Bangladesh’s prime minister fled the country. “Don’t test the patience of people.”
Mr. Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has described such comments as incendiary and even anarchist, and political analysts note there are important differences between India and Bangladesh, including the former’s size and sprawl. Nevertheless, jobs are a major part of Mr. Modi’s platform; his government’s recently proposed budget includes $24 billion for job creation over the next five years.
“The situation [in Bangladesh] does put pressure on the government to address the employment issue more carefully, which they have not been doing effectively,” says economist Arun Kumar, who calls the budget announcement “more of a show.”
But for him, watching both countries grapple with similar issues highlights the relative strengths of India’s democracy. Compared with Bangladesh, where the opposition boycotted the most recent elections citing political suppression, India has a robust opposition and more freedom for dissent.
“In Bangladesh, a combination of factors created an explosive situation, something that has not yet occurred in India,” says the retired Jawaharlal Nehru University professor. “While unemployment in India is acute and the youth are frustrated, there are still avenues for expression.”
Employment crisis on the brink?
Unemployment has exceeded 5% every month this year, reaching an eight-month high of 9.2% in June before dipping to 7.9% in July, according to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy. This was a key issue for voters during India’s recent general election; a prepoll survey by the Delhi-based Lokniti-Centre for the Study of Developing Societies found that 62% of respondents believed finding a job had become harder compared with five years ago.
It’s a burden young people feel acutely. The India Employment Report 2024, released by the International Labour Organization and the Institute for Human Development in March, found that India’s youth comprise nearly 83% of the unemployed workforce. The proportion of unemployed youth with secondary or higher education nearly doubled, from 35.2% in 2000 to 65.7% in 2022.
Mr. Modi’s supporters have dismissed this data as misleading. BJP spokesperson Syed Zafar Islam said at a recent press conference that India is a leader in job creation, citing the latest Reserve Bank of India report, which states that 50 million jobs were created in 2023-24 alone.
International Monetary Fund Executive Director Krishnamurthy Subramanian has also pushed back on the idea that young people are unhappy with India’s job market. “There is no doubt that we need to create more jobs, that is because we are a young population,” the former chief economic adviser told The Quint this week. “But just because there is an emphasis on employment and job creation does not mean in a binary manner that jobs are not being created. … That’s important to keep in mind.”
Stanford-educated CEO slams 'unreliable’ Indian employees: ‘I might never go to India again’ | Trending - Hindustan Times
Entrepreneur Hari Raghavan criticized the work ethic of Indian employees after a recent visit, suggesting they require constant monitoring.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/stanfordeducated-ceo-slams-unreliable-indian-employees-i-might-never-go-to-india-again-101740636504137.html
Indian-American entrepreneur Hari Raghavan has spoken in defense of the much-derided AI startup Optifye, built to monitor factory workers, by saying that Indian employees are unreliable and need constant tracking.
Optifye.ai, co-founded by Indian-origin entrepreneurs Vivaan Baid and Kushal Mohta, uses computer vision technology to track workers on assembly lines and provide factory managers with productivity data. The startup came under fire after its product demo for Y Combinator went viral online for all the wrong reasons.
In the US, thousands of people slammed the AI startup, calling it a “dystopian” product to promote sweatshop slavery. But one Indian-American CEO begs to differ.
Hari Raghavan slams Indian employees
Hari Raghavan, co-founder and CEO of Autograph and a Stanford alumnus, took to the social media platform X to slam the work ethic of Indian employees, implying that they are lazy, don’t like to work, and need constant monitoring.
Raghavan said that the startup might appear tone-deaf to Americans, but is a much-needed product in India where workers often cut corners, take leaves, lag behind on their work, and generally do not work the way Americans do.
“I grew up in India and I don't think y'all understand how unreliable the work ethic of the average Indian employee is,” the Indian-American CEO wrote. “I don't think it's an accident that the company has a bunch of Indian founders and my guess is that they're targeting the manufacturing base in India. I think their biggest mistake was not realizing that it would be seen as tone deaf when marketed to a US audience on X or LinkedIn.”
10 times less efficient
Raghavan said that the lax work ethic of Indian employees is apparent in both physical labour and knowledge work.
Speaking from his own experience, he said that the same exact work that Boston Consulting Group did in three days would take two months if done at BNP Paribas Chennai.
Referring once again to the Optifye product demo that caused a furor in the United States, Raghavan said: “If you show that video to literally anyone, in almost any walk of life in India, they will nod furiously and say ‘yes this is what we need.’”
“If you are managing a group of workers in India, you have to breathe down every single person's neck every 10 minutes... and then, if you're lucky, they will get about half as much done as an average US worker,” he opined.
The Indian-origin CEO said that on average, an Indian worker is 10 times less efficient than an American worker.
The entrepreneur continued his rant saying he visited India a few weeks ago and is still fuming from the “million small unprofessional and incompetent interactions” he had there.
He went so far as to say he may never visit India again.
“I just got back from India a couple weeks ago, and I'm still frustrated remembering the million small unprofessional and incompetent interactions that define the daily experience. I might never go to India again because I can't deal with it,” the CEO, who holds a master’s degree in management science and engineering from Stanford University.
Salam Sir
Sorry I made a mistake, the immigration consultants from India about whom I gave reference were just consultants, not attorney.
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