NEW DELHI: Last December, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the Department of Homeland Security added India to its list of ‘uncooperative’ countries, intensifying the Trump administration’s focus on nations like Cuba, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, and Venezuela. The ICE removes individuals subject to final removal orders to their country of citizenship.
The US government requests that foreign governments take necessary actions to verify the citizenship of individuals suspected to be their nationals. This may include conducting interviews, issuing travel documents and accepting the return of nationals via scheduled commercial flights or, if needed, special charter flights.
A lack of cooperation from the country of origin can delay and obstruct the removal process. Countries that fail to cooperate with ICE are classified as “uncooperative” or “recalcitrant.” Factors leading to this classification include refusal to take the necessary steps to facilitate the removal, such as verifying citizenship or issuing the required travel documents.
India said that it will accept the return of all its nationals who overstay in any country after verifying their nationality. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal said that India is firmly opposed to illegal migration, particularly when it is linked to other forms of organized crime.