Gurugram: The Haryana government plans to introduce legislation aimed at cracking down on unlawful immigration practices, in the upcoming Budget session of the state Assembly amid a growing number of illegal Indian immigrants being deported by the US.
The Nayab Saini-led government’s move follows increasing scrutiny of fraudulent travel agents and human smuggling networks in the state that have been duping youngsters on the promise of sending them to the US through the so-called “donkey route”.
Since 5 February, three US military aircraft have landed at the Amritsar airport, carrying nearly 333 Indians caught illegally entering the US. Of these, 110 were from Haryana.
Many deportees have recounted how unscrupulous travel agents charged a hefty Rs 30 lakh to Rs 40 lakh fee to send them to the US through illegal means, putting their lives at risk in the process.
Modelled on an earlier bill, the proposed legislation aims to crack down on these illegal activities. “The Haryana Registration and Regulation of Travel Agents Bill is to be brought in the upcoming budget session of the Haryana Assembly beginning on 7 March,” Haryana Home Secretary Sumita Misra told ThePrint Wednesday.
“The Centre had made some observations in the (earlier) bill. Now, we have prepared a fresh draft by incorporating the observations made by the Centre in the new bill,” Misra said.
She said most of the observations were general but the major one was that the Centre wanted to include a provision for an Ombudsman in the bill. “We have made all those provisions, including that of the Ombudsman in the fresh draft,” Misra added.
A senior state home department official said the new law is expected to incorporate stricter provisions to regulate travel agents and curb illegal immigration. It will make registration of travel agents mandatory, introduce stronger verification mechanisms for agents before issuing licenses, and impose heavy fines and sentences in cases of violation.
Travel agents involved in human smuggling, document forgery or misrepresentation could face prison sentences of three to 10 years, along with hefty fines between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 5 lakh. Besides, properties and assets acquired through fraudulent immigration activities may be confiscated and those affected by immigration fraud may be entitled to financial compensation.
The government is likely to retain other provisions from the earlier bill including a mandatory condition for travel agents applying for registration certificates to submit a bank guarantee of Rs 25 lakh. The move will ensure that funds swindled from unsuspecting youngsters could be recovered from the guarantee, if necessary.
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Hotspot for immigration-related fraud
The home department official said Haryana has been a hotspot for immigration-related fraud, with several reports highlighting how travel agents exploit unemployed youth by offering fake study visas, work permits and job placements abroad.
Many fall prey to these scams, only to find themselves stranded in foreign countries without legal status. In recent months, a wave of deportations has brought back several such victims, exposing the magnitude of the problem.
The bill’s statement of objects and reasons says that innocent and unemployed youth of Haryana are being lured into traps of illegal immigration on a large scale through illegitimate means. Unscrupulous and unregistered travel agents deceive such people by promising them easy and quick immigration to foreign countries. These agents promise to arrange work visas, work permits and study visas through offer letters from universities and colleges in foreign countries, but in many cases, they fail to deliver on their promises.
These agents often provide fake offer letters and sometimes even form fake or unrecognised universities or colleges.
They charge exorbitant fees and demand huge amounts of money at different stages. Many a time, these agents send innocent people to foreign countries illegally, who are then caught and put behind bars by the police of those countries. Therefore, there is a dire need to curb the illegal activities of such travel agents, the statement said.
“In the interest of public at large, a legislation i.e. ‘The Haryana Registration and Regulation of Travel Agents Bill’ to provide for measures to check and monitor the unlawful and fraudulent activities of travel agents and to provide a mechanism to punish such wrong doers as per law and for matters connected therewith and incidental thereto, is required. Hence, this Bill,” says the bill’s statement of objects and reasons.
Last year, the Haryana government under the then Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar introduced The Haryana Registration and Regulation of Travel Agents Bill, 2024 in the Vidhan Sabha to establish strict regulations for travel agents, curb illegal immigration and prevent fraudulent practices. The Assembly passed the bill, but the Union Government raised objections, preventing the bill from becoming law.
As illegal immigration continued to escalate, the current administration revisited the legislation with necessary modifications.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
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