NAPA asks Punjab government to take action against agents facilitating illegal immigration
The statement comes on a day when a plane carrying 117 illegal immigrants from the US will land at the Amritsar airport on Saturday, the second such batch of Indians to be deported by the Donald Trump administration as part of its promised crackdown on illegal migration.
The North American Punjabi Association (NAPA), has raised concerns over the ineffective anti-human smuggling laws in Punjab that have led to rampant ‘illegal migration’ to foreign lands.
The statement comes on a day when a plane carrying 117 illegal immigrants from the US will land at the Amritsar airport on Saturday, the second such batch of Indians to be deported by the Donald Trump administration as part of its promised crackdown on illegal migration.
While 65 are from Punjab, 33 are from Haryana, eight from Gujarat, three from Uttar Pradesh, two each from Goa, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
On February 5, a US military aircraft carrying 104 illegal Indian immigrants landed at the Amritsar airport. Of them, 33 each were from Haryana and Gujarat, and 30 from Punjab.
Satnam Singh Chahal, executive director of the NAPA said despite repeated warnings and tragic incidents, the government has failed to implement effective measures to curb illegal migration.
“The NAPA has been vocal about this crisis since 1995 when approximately 300 young men from Punjab drowned in the Malta Sea while attempting to migrate illegally. Yet, decades later, the situation remains unchanged. Several young men from Punjab have been missing for several years after attempting to cross the Mexico-US border—a direct consequence of the government’s negligence,” Chahal said.
He added that while the Punjab government is now making noise on the issue, these reactions come too late and remain ineffective.
“Punjab’s two anti-human smuggling laws passed in 2010 and later amended in 2012, have failed to curb illegal migration. Instead, the human smuggling business continues to flourish in Punjab, operating openly under the very nose of the authorities,” he said.
He claimed that the Punjab has become the headquarters of human smuggling, and yet, no concrete actions have been taken to dismantle this network.
“The government must take immediate steps to strengthen enforcement, increase awareness, and work closely with international agencies to put an end to this crisis.”
NAPA urged the Punjab government to take decisive action to shut down these smuggling networks and protect the lives of young Punjabis who are falling victim to this dangerous trade.
Recommended Topics