Media Center

LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 1029
ANSWERED ON- 05/12/2025

CHECK ON ILLEGAL MIGRATION

1029. SHRI MURARI LAL MEENA

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state :-

(a) whether large-scale financial fraud is being committed against Indian citizens in the name of sending them abroad through the so-called "Donkey Route”;

(b) if so, the number of such cases registered in various States during the last three years;

(c) whether the Government has data regarding the countries from which Indian citizens, who reached abroad through the "Donkey Route”, have been deported back to India handcuffed or detained during the last three years, if so, the details thereof;

(d) the details of the concrete steps taken by the Central Government so far to curb incidents of human trafficking and illegal migration of this nature; and

(e) whether the Government has launched any special drive or international cooperation initiative against such agents, travel companies or touts and if so, the details thereof?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a) to (e) Data relating to registration of cases of trafficking to other countries including through ‘Donkey Route’, is not maintained by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Most of the foreign countries do not share details of Indian deportees. As and when complaints of illegal migration/human trafficking are received, they are referred to the State Government for investigation and prosecution under the relevant legal provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The number of Indian nationals deported from the US to India on various grounds including illegal stay, overstay, criminal conviction, etc., in the last three years is placed below:

Government accords utmost priority to the safety, security and well-being of Indian nationals abroad and encourages only legal form of migration from India. MEA routinely organizes outreach programs to sensitize various stakeholders about benefits of safe and legal migration and on possible ways of preventing illegal migration through fake or unregistered recruitment agencies. Information about illegal agents is also uploaded and updated on regular basis on the eMigrate Portal. MEA also issues advisories, media briefings and tweets about fake job rackets from time to time. Such communications are also issued by concerned Indian Missions/Posts abroad through their websites and social media handles and through the print media.

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has undertaken several measures to tackle the issue of illegal immigration and border security along international borders. MHA, through its border guarding forces, has adopted a multi-pronged approach to tackle illegal immigration and strengthen border security, which include enhanced border surveillance, strengthening border infrastructure, regular patrolling & checkpoints, intelligence & coordination, regulated cross-border movement, community engagement & awareness and cross-border cooperation.

The State/UT governments are primarily responsible for prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of crimes related to human trafficking and illegal migration. The Central Government supplements the initiatives of the States/UTs through advisories, public awareness and information sharing, in coordination with 16 Protector of Emigrants (PoEs) offices across India. Several State/UT law enforcement agencies, in coordination with central agencies have conducted joint raids and taken strict action against illegal agents and networks involved in illegal migration, including filing of FIRs. Central agencies, including NIA have also identified several individuals for the purpose of filing FIRs in the matters related to human trafficking, which is an ongoing process.

*****