Attempts by several Indians to enter the US without legal documents MIGMG News

The number of Indians reaching the US border without a visa has seen a remarkable increase during 2022. India’s middle class is thriving, so why do Indians risk moving to America illegally?

India, the second most populous country in the world, has a growing middle class. In such a situation, the number of Indian citizens who arrived in the US illegally or without travel documents increased dramatically last year. After all, why are these people willing to take the risks of coming to the United States illegally?

Indian-Americans are considered a “role model” for immigrants to the United States. According to data from the US Customs and Border Patrol, the number of Indian nationals who tried to enter the US illegally last year, 2022, has increased remarkably, and this number was 63 thousand 900. Twenty-seven. Which was double compared to 2021. It should be noted that the southern US border, which meets Mexico, is the main point of arrival for asylum seekers.

According to the 2022 report by the US Migration Policy Institute (MPI), from October 2021 to September 2022, US border officials stopped Indian migrants 18,300 times at the US southern border. That was an increase of 2,600 over the previous year.

Lupita Nath, a professor of history and Asian studies at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas, said the increase could undermine positive Indian immigration to the United States.

In a statement to DW, he said: “If the number continues to grow as fast as it is growing now, the Indian diaspora in the US will not be very happy about it, because it is legal. It is also a source of stigma for immigrant residents.”

According to the report of the American “Migration Policy Institute” (MPI), by 2021, 2.7 million Indian immigrants lived in America. Most of the Indian immigrants to the US are highly educated and skilled for whom their employers arrange temporary H-1B visas. After the number of foreign students at American universities, Indian students are in second place. According to this report, compared to citizens of other countries, the rate of citizens of Indian origin coming to the US and taking US citizenship has so far been low.

Rohat Biswas, a lawyer and immigration law expert based in New York, told Deutsche Welle that as the rules for obtaining citizenship or citizenship in the US become more stringent, the chances of illegal entry of Indians into the US or their visas being violated are increasing. of the laws.

On the other hand, the president of the International Institute for Migration and Development based in the southern Indian city of Thiruvananthapuram, S. Arudya Rajan said strict US visa rules and organized migrant smuggling networks are also contributing to this increase. .

According to the Migration Policy Institute of America, Indian immigrants are present in large numbers in the US labor market. Both Nath and Rajan said the recent emergence of a new middle class in India has allowed more residents to shoulder the costs of migration.