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Illegal immigrants arriving from US: They should have given them permanent residency, says minister Dhaliwal
A US military plane with 200 illegal immigrants will land in Amritsar. Punjab officials will assist deportees, expressing concerns over their status.
With a US military plane carrying around 200 “illegal” immigrants set to land at the Amritsar airport on Wednesday, Punjab NRI affairs minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal is likely to receive the state natives at the airport on behalf of the state government. People familiar with the development said special counters will be set up to ferry the Punjabis to their native places.
Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav, who attended a meeting of the SSPs and commissioners of police chaired by chief minister Bhagwant Mann, said while responding to a question in a press conference that the issue was discussed during the meeting and the state authorities would receive those deported.
“The chief minister said from the Punjab government’s side, we will receive our immigrants and set up counters (for them) there,” he said. “We are in touch with the Centre. As and when information comes, we will share,” the DGP added.
Dhaliwal expressed disappointment over the US decision to deport these people, saying they have contributed to the US economy and should have been granted permanent residency, instead of being deported. In an official statement issued in Amritsar, Dhaliwal said many Indians had entered the US with work permits, which later expired, making them illegal.
The NRI affairs minister said he plans to meet the external affairs minister next week to discuss the concerns and interests of Punjabis living in the US. He also appealed to Punjabis not to travel abroad through illegal means, stressing the importance of acquiring skills and education to access opportunities worldwide.
Many people from Punjab had entered the US through the “donkey route” or other illegal means by spending lakhs of rupees and are now facing deportation.
There are reports that a US C-17 military aircraft, carrying 205 illegal immigrants hailing from Punjab and neighbouring states, will land in Amritsar on Wednesday. US law-enforcement agencies have launched a crackdown against illegal immigrants after Donald Trump became President. (With PTI inputs)
