I🎀ndia has always been open to legitimate return of undocumented Indians to their country, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wedne🌺sday, noting that New Delhi is still in the process of verifying those from the US who can be deported to India and the number of such individuals cannot be determined yet.
"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 t🧔ime, we are also 🔯very firmly opposed to illegal mobility and illegal migration," Jaishankar told a group of Indian reporters here.
"Because you als൲o know that when something illegal happe♛ns, 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 ꦕto a query on news reports that India is working with the Trump administration for the deportation of some 1,80,000 Indians iꦜn the US who are either undocumented, or have overstayed their visas.
"This position is not unique to the Unit🌟ed States. I do understa🌟nd 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 th🥃ink the relationship is well served by this. He (Rubio) also noted th🐽at 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 valid🅠ate the fact that the individual concerned is of Indian origin," Jaishankar added.
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