US imposes visa bans on India travel agents for facilitating illegal migration

WASHINGTON: The US State Department said on Monday that it was imposing visa restrictions on owners and other staff at India-based travel agencies that it says knowingly facilitate illegal migration to the United States.

An unspecified number of unnamed people linked to travel agencies in India were being hit with visa bans under the Immigration and Nationality Act based on information gathered by the US mission to India, department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement.

Washington often issues visa bans without publishing the names of those targeted. “We will continue to take steps to impose visa restrictions against owners, executives, and senior officials of travel agencies to cut off alien smuggling networks,” Bruce said, without detailing how the travel agents had facilitated illegal migration.

The move comes amid President Donald Trump’s broad crackdown on migration to the United States and efforts to deport undocumented immigrants in the country. The US embassy in New Delhi has repeatedly posted on its social media sites warning for Indian nationals visiting the United States not to overstay their authorised period of stay in the country, warning they will face deportation and a permanent ban from entering the country for doing so. This announcement follows a stern warning issued by the US Embassy in India just two days earlier.