In the 18 months till October 31 this year, the Haryana Police arrested 1,018 people in cases related to illegal immigration. He was arrested after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed in April 2023.
A total of 2,606 cases related to fake travel agents and illegal immigration have been registered in Haryana in the last six years. 213 cases were registered in 2019, followed by 582 in 2020, 183 in 2021, 300 in 2022, 750 in 2023 and 578 cases by the end of October this year. Karnal district has the highest number of 658 infected in the last 6 years. Kurukshetra saw 574 cases, Ambala 457, Kaithal 256, Yamunanagar 217, and Panipat 106 during this period.
According to the police, a helpline number – 8053003400 – has been launched, and keeping in view the seriousness of these cases, an officer of DSP rank has been designated as the nodal officer in each district. Along with this, senior police officers including the Superintendent of Police have been instructed to take strict action against the travel agents. It has been instructed to monitor the number of complaints received, registration of FIRs, arrested criminals and recovery of money from criminals. There is also a provision to confiscate the houses, shops and other properties of travel agents involved in illegal immigration activities.
Modus operandi
Travel agents send unemployed people abroad on education visas and work visas with the assurance of employment. Often, after the person has paid the money and applied for the visa, they are informed that their visa has been rejected. The travel agent then suggests the ‘donkey route’. In this process, most of the people are arrested at the border, detained and sent back to India. In some cases, victims are illegally detained, and their families are forced to pay more money. In addition, travel agents can provide fake tickets and fake visas, thereby denying a person air travel. Sometimes, people are misled by fake job offers and documents submitted through emails etc. Also, agents can send individuals to countries such as Russia and Ukraine by claiming to obtain a visa from another country.
What is illegal immigration?
When a person, in violation of immigration laws, leaves their country of origin to settle in another country, it is called illegal immigration. This is a sensitive and important topic. Mostly innocent and unemployed youths are caught in the trap of illegal immigration in the name of foreign employment. According to the police, the number of such incidents is comparatively higher in Punjab and Haryana. According to the police, there has been an increase in the number of illegal immigrants in Haryana every year for the past six years. In such cases, the number of people from rural areas is comparatively higher. However, the police say that due to strict action, there has been a decrease in such incidents in 2024.
Appeal of Haryana DGP
Haryana DGP Shatrujit Kapur says that people should be wary of such fraudulent travel agents and should not trust any travel agent without investigation. He further says that for the convenience of the general public, a list of authorized and unauthorized travel agents has been uploaded on the Haryana Police website – https://haryanapolice.gov.in/login. Further, if any person is still a victim of such fraud, they should immediately inform the nearest police station or helpline number (8053003400). He warned that the carelessness of a person can not only save his life but also endanger the life of his family.