
India on Friday reiterated its position that it supports legal migration and will take back its nationals, from anywhere provided their nationality can be verified as Indian.
This comes in the wake of US President Donald Trump directing government agencies to prepare to "immediately repel, repatriate, and remove" undocumented immigrants as part of a broader effort to combat what he called an "invasion" at the southern border. The Trump administration subsequently deported hundreds of migrants and arrested 538 more during a large-scale crackdown.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that New Delhi is against illegal immigration — especially “because it is linked to several forms of organised crime.”
“For Indians not just in the United States, but anywhere in the world, if they are Indian nationals and they are overstaying, or they are in a particular country without proper documentation, we will take them back provided documents are shared with us so that we can verify their nationality and that they are indeed Indians," Jaiswal said.
He was also asked about ongoing discussions regarding the return of illegal immigrants from the US and whether this would affect India’s commerce and industrial ties.
"Illegal migration and trade are two separate issues. Our approach, policy, and stance on illegal migration are very clear. We are against illegal migration because it is linked to organized crime," said Jaiswal.
Irregular migration was one of the issues flagged by Secretary of State Marco Rubio in his first bilateral meeting with External Affairs Minister Dr S jaishankar.
On being asked about President Trump’s tariff threats, the spokesperson pointed out that the United States and India share a strong multifaceted relationship, and the economic ties are “very special.”
Speaking about the upcoming visit of Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to China, Jaiswal said, “The visit is scheduled for January 26 and 27. The Foreign Secretary will meet his counterpart, the Vice Minister in China, where all issues of bilateral interest will be discussed.”
He explained: “This meeting follows the understanding reached by the leaders in Kazan, and since then, we’ve had meetings at the special representatives' level, as well as foreign minister-level discussions. We will provide a readout of what was discussed after the meetings, but all issues of mutual interest will be addressed.”
Answering a question on Bangladesh border fencing, the spokeperson said the objective is to tackle issues such as human smuggling, cattle smuggling, and other illegal activities, working towards a “crime-free" border.
“Our understanding is that Bangladesh will approach this positively and complement our efforts. We aim to create a crime-free border by addressing issues like human smuggling, cattle smuggling, and other criminal activities," he said.