12

Feb

Immigration Racket : Mass Awareness , curb  on Illegal  Agencies needed

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Prof Shivaji Sarkar

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New Delhi | Wednesday | 12 February 2025

The multi-trillion-dollar illegal immigration racket thrives on the anonymity provided by private telecom company SIMs, fake bank accounts, corrupt policing, darknet networking, and the greed of the affluent.

 According to the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) March 2024 report, illegal profits from forced labour have surged by $236 billion since 2014, highlighting the exponential growth of labour exploitation and weak global surveillance. The report suggests that forced labour has become a multi-trillion-dollar industry.

The deportation of Indian migrants on February 5 last has sparked outrage in the Rajya Sabha. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s justification for their dehumanizing treatment—being handcuffed, shackled, and dumped on the floor of a military aircraft—shocked the nation. Critics expected the minister to condemn the U.S. actions, as Colombia did. Colombian President Gustavo Petro not only refused landing permission to the military aircraft but also condemned the U.S. for treating migrants who contribute to its economy like criminals. Brazil also denounced the practice, calling handcuffing a “flagrant disregard” for basic rights.

Further revelations indicate that the U.S. has been deporting illegal Indian immigrants since 2009. Deportations peaked in 2019, with 2,042 individuals sent back. Over 15,000 Indians have been deported since 2009. Strangely, successive Indian governments never informed the public, nor did they take serious action against illegal immigration agents until the February 2025 incident.

 

Article at a Glance
The article discusses the alarming rise of illegal immigration and human trafficking, particularly involving Indian migrants seeking better opportunities in the U.S. The International Labour Organisation's 2024 report reveals that profits from forced labour have increased by $236 billion since 2014, indicating a thriving multi-trillion-dollar industry. The deportation of Indian migrants from the U.S. has sparked outrage, especially after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's defense of their inhumane treatment. Many migrants, driven by aspirations rather than poverty, risk their lives and sell assets to fund dangerous journeys. Corruption among officials and the use of fake telecom SIMs facilitate these illegal networks, while superstitions also play a role in migration decisions. The article calls for increased awareness and stringent action against illegal immigration agents to combat this pervasive issue.

 

Illegal immigration from India, especially from Gujarat and Punjab, is not driven by poverty but by the desire for a perceived better life in the U.S. Each migrant reportedly spends around Rs 40 lakh or more, often selling land and assets, to undertake dangerous journeys, sometimes at the cost of their lives. A tragic example is the Patel family—Jagdish Patel (39), Vaishali Patel (37), their daughter Vihangi (11), and son Dharmik (3)—who were found frozen to death in Manitoba, Canada, near the U.S. border in January 2022. A Minnesota district court later found Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, also known as Dirty Harry, and Steven Shand guilty of human smuggling, sentencing them to 20 years in prison.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in 2022 uncovered firms collaborating with Canadian and U.S. colleges to send Indians abroad on student visas. One Mumbai-based firm referred 25,000 students to foreign colleges, while a Nagpur firm facilitated another 10,000. These firms had partnerships with over 262 foreign colleges and operated through 5,000 agents—1,700 from Gujarat alone—charging each aspirant Rs 55-60 lakh.

In 2024, ED raids in Gujarat, Delhi, and Maharashtra targeted agents running job rackets. These agents are legally required to register with the External Affairs Ministry, yet they have operated with impunity for decades. Thousands of affluent Indians have migrated through such networks, selling assets worth crores to reach the U.S. or other Western nations. Many travel on student visas, while others risk perilous routes. Despite frequent deaths, the demand for such illegal migration persists, fueled by organized syndicates operating worldwide.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) states that corruption is the key enabler of human smuggling and trafficking, suggesting that national officials should be held accountable. Local police are well aware of how these agents operate, but high-level collusion prevents crackdowns.

Superstition also plays a role in India’s migration obsession. At Ahmedabad’s Chamatkari Hanuman Mandir and Chennai’s “Visa Hanuman” temple, devotees offer their passports, believing it will grant them a U.S. visa. Tech professionals seeking H-1B visas frequent these temples, yet no one investigates whether such beliefs are exploited by immigration rackets.

Illegal immigration networks are deeply entrenched globally. Fake visa applications from Bengaluru are nothing new. In November 2014, the U.S. Consulate in Chennai helped bust a racket run by Yeshwantpur-based Citizens Comfort Services. Its director, Ravi Tejas, charged Rs 1.5-4.5 lakh to forge documents for U.S. visa applicants, on top of millions collected for their transport.

Cybercrime experts blame freely available “anonymous” SIMs for enabling illegal immigration. Telecom companies issue multiple SIMs using fake IDs, facilitating illicit businesses and job scams. Despite this, governments have not taken significant action against telecom firms.

To curb this rampant exploitation, authorities must raise awareness among potential migrants and launch a stringent crackdown on illegal immigration agents. Only decisive action can end this multi-trillion-dollar international racket.

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