Editorial: Requiem for an immigrant dream

A few weeks ago, a tragic incident made headlines the world over when an Indian family of four was found dead in south Manitoba along the US-Canada border. A couple hailing from Gujarat and their two young children had perished from exposure to extreme cold while attempting to illegally cross over to the US from Canada. The ill-fated illegal migrants were stranded and stuck in a blizzard, as the temperature plummeted to -35°C. It was suspected that the family had paid upwards of Rs 1.5 cr to the trafficking agents for a safe passage to America. Subsequently, US law enforcement agencies had apprehended seven other migrants who were part of the aforementioned group who were trying to cross the border into the US.

The incident was not the first tragedy of human trafficking involving Indians, and it unfortunately may not be the last. In the rural hinterlands of states like Gujarat and Punjab, a widespread network of local agents has sprung up, who in turn work with international trafficking agents, to facilitate such illegal arrangements for border crossing for exorbitant sums. The so-called American dream for a better life has led thousands of families into undertaking such perilous journeys where they risk life and limb, often to be caught in the throes of an uncertain future, in limbo.

As per a report published last year by the American think tank, New American Economy, of the roughly 10.3 mn undocumented immigrants in the US, about 5,87,000 are of Indian origin. The report, which analysed the top five nations that contributed to the illegal immigrants tally, said Mexico was on top of the list with 4.2 mn, El Salvador with 6,21,000 followed by India at over half a million immigrants, trailed by Guatemala and Honduras. Interestingly, Indian immigrants were ranked second highest in terms of household income at $18.3 bn, spending power at $15.5 bn and contribution to tax revenue (federal, state and local) at $2.8 bn in 2019.

Having said that, as per US Border Patrol figures, the number of Indian citizens detained at the US-Mexico border has spiked from a double-digit figure of 76 in 2007, to over 7,600 in 2019. As compared to many migrants hailing from war-torn nations in Africa or even the Middle-East, who are fleeing violence, political persecution or economic hardships, a majority of the Indian immigrants attempting to enter the US via Mexico or other routes, do not fall into the poorest of the poor category. Many are in fact relatively well-off, do not face any threat to their lives or livelihoods, but have pooled in their life savings for a better tomorrow in the first world, a trade-off that extols a bigger cost.

The question here is what exactly compels Indians hailing from predominantly well-to-do families to pursue such lofty ambitions of building a life in the developed world, by any and every means possible. Can the answers be found in the marriage markets of cities like Hyderabad or Kochi, where the very tag of NRI or H1-B or Gulf-based is good enough to seal a deal - credentials, and background checks be damned? Or has India collectively failed as a nation on the employment generation front, when thousands of its promising citizens are compelled into bagging top scores in qualifying English proficiency tests, only to end up taking menial jobs in first world nations?

Needless to say, if India is keen on retaining its citizens in good stead, it’s essential that we create a conducive atmosphere right here – and that includes ample opportunities for employment, substantial savings, an equitable taxation structure, persecution-free political, social, economic and spiritual milieu. No one should be compelled into undertaking a transcontinental exodus that puts them and their kin at the risk of deportation or worse.