What Jaishankar Said On 18K Indians Who Face Deportation In US After Trump Return

India is open to the "legitimate return" of Indian nationals living 'illegally' abroad, including in the United States, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said clarifying India's stand, days after Donald Trump, who rode to power by promising, among other things, deportation of illegal migrants from the US, took oath as the 47th President. Nearly 18,000 Indians staying illegally in the US face deportation.

Jaishankar, however, also emphasised that India is very much supportive fo 'legal mobility' between two countries and wants Indian skills and talent to have great opportunity at the global level.

"As a government, we obviously are very much supportive of legal mobility because we do believe in a global workplace. We want Indian talent and Indian skills to have the maximum opportunity at a global level," the EAM said.

"At the same time, we are also very firmly opposed to illegal mobility and illegal migration. Because you also know that when something illegal happens, many other illegal activities get joined into it...this is not desirable. It's certainly not reputationally good...So we have with every country, and the US is no exception," he added.

The Foreign Minister, during his meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also flagged the long waiting period for getting US visas, and said it is not serving the relationship well. "I also told him (Rubio) that, while we understand all of this, and I also accept that these are autonomous processes, it is in our mutual interest to facilitate legal and mutually beneficial mobility. If it takes 400 odd days waiting period to get a visa, I don't think the relationship is well served by this. So I think he also noted that point," he further said.

Jaishankar represented India at the US President Donald Trump's inaugural function. He also carried a letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for President Trump. Donald Trump took oath as the 47th US President on January 20.