External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, during his visit to Washington DC to attend US President Donald Trump’s inauguration, stated on Wednesday that India is firmly opposed to irregular migration and mobility.
“If there are any of our citizens who are not here legally, if we are sure that they are our citizens, we are always open to their legitimate return to India,” he said.
Jaishankar also highlighted the importance of strengthening bilateral ties, noting that the Trump administration was “keen to have India present at the inaugural itself.” He added, “They are clearly prioritising the bilateral relationship. In the meetings I had, it was also evident that they would like to build on the foundation of the relationship.”
He acknowledged that the foundation laid during Trump’s first term, particularly through the efforts of President Trump and Prime Minister Modi, has “matured in many ways.”
“President Trump and Prime Minister Modi at that time took a number of initiatives, and we have seen that mature in many ways. The third impression was, with regard to the Quad, a very strong sense that the current administration would reciprocate our desire as well to take the Quad further, to intensify its activities,” he said.
Jaishankar further noted, “We have a very strong degree of trust today between India and the United States, a very high level of convergence of our interests. A sense that while we serve our national interest, while we build our bilateral partnership, definitely on regional issues and global issues, there is a lot of good that we can do.”
In his first meeting with Jaishankar in Washington DC, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the issue of “irregular immigration.”
Rubio “emphasised the Trump administration’s desire to work with India to advance economic ties and address concerns related to irregular migration,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a readout following the meeting. She added that the two ministers reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening the India-US partnership.