Firms face US visa curbs over 'illegal' immigration

The US state department on Monday announced visa restrictions on owners and officials of travel agencies in India who have "knowingly" facilitated illegal immigration to the United States, the latest in a series of steps by Washington aimed at tackling the issue.

- Rezaul H Laskar

NEW DELHI:

There was no immediate word on how many individuals and travel agencies would be impacted by the move, with the US state department signaling its intention to hold accountable people who violate American laws, including "facilitators of illegal immigration".

A spokesperson for the US embassy added: "We cannot provide a list of individuals or travel agencies the United States is taking steps to impose visa restrictions on due to visa record confidentiality."

The move comes in the wake of the deportation of more than 300 Indians from the US in three military flights early this year—the first time that Washington used military aircraft for such an operation—and the deportation of some 50 Indians to Panama.

There was no immediate response from Indian officials to the measure announced by the US state department on Monday.

A majority of the deportees are from Punjab and Gujarat, sent abroad on so-called "donkey routes" by travel agents. A special report by Hindustan Times on January 5 of the deportees found that most had paid between ₹30 lakh and ₹45 lakh, with preferred routes being India-Dubai-Columbia-Panama-Costa Rica-Guatemala-Mexico-US, and India-Dubai-Brazil-Guyana-Ecuador-Columbia-Panama-Mexico-US.