New Delhi says no to London MOU on deporting illegals

AHEAD OF the first India-uk home affairs dialogue on May 4, New Delhi is learnt to have rejected London’s proposal to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on immigration and organised crime, which includes a provision for deportation of illegal Indian immigrants.

According to government sources, London was keen to formalise the agreement — “Cooperation and exchange of information for the purpose of combating international criminality, tackling serious organised crime and pursuing immigration functions”.

“In December last year, they provided a draft of the agreement, but (Indian) security agencies pointed out that some of the clauses were against Indians settled in UK,” said a senior government official.

According to information shared by UK authorities with their Indian counterparts, there are nearly 35,000 illegal Indian immigrants in different parts of Europe. London conveyed that there is an urgent need to deport these people.

But immigration officials in India said they have come across several cases of deportation from UK, where the people are actually from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan or Sri Lanka. “They claim to be Indian in the hope that they will be treated well. But without any proper documents, it is very difficult to establish their

File Narendra Modi with Theresa May.