Why in the News?

A U.S. Air Force C-17 plane landed at Amritsar’s Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport on February 5, 2025, carrying around 100 Indian nationals. These individuals were suspected of trying to enter the U.S. illegally.

What are the Reasons for Illegal Migration?

• Economic Factors: Poverty, lack of economic opportunities, and the desire for a better standard of living push individuals to seek opportunities in other countries. The promise of opportunities, like the “American Dream,” attracts migrants.
• Political and Religious Persecution: Individuals flee their home countries due to political and religious persecution, seeking refuge in other nations.
• Overpopulation and Natural Disasters: Overpopulation leading to a crisis of living space and natural disasters can force people to migrate for survival and better living conditions.
• Existing Social Networks: Established social networks attract more migrants from similar communities, often resulting in migration through illegal routes when other options are unavailable.
• Violence and Instability: Violence, exacerbated by gangs and the drug trade, and gender-based violence, such as honour crimes or forced marriage, drive individuals to seek safety elsewhere.

What are the consequences of such Migration?

• Clashes and Political Instability: Illegal migration can lead to clashes between locals and migrants due to competition over scarce resources, economic opportunities, and cultural dominance, resulting in political instability.
• Economic Exploitation: Undocumented migrants are vulnerable to economic exploitation, often facing informal, temporary, or unprotected jobs and even forced labour due to a lack of legal safeguards. Illegal immigration can also increase the labour supply, impacting the wages and employment of some domestic workers.
• Strain on Resources and Infrastructure: The influx of undocumented settlers can strain public services like healthcare, education, and transportation, while unregulated settlements may emerge with hazardous living conditions. A massive influx of immigrants can lead to increased consumption, creating crises as authorities struggle to maintain living conditions and provide housing and services.
• Increased Crime and Security Concerns: Illegal migrants may engage in illegal and anti-national activities, such as fraudulently acquiring identity cards, participating in trans-border smuggling, and other crimes, undermining the rule of law. Organized criminal groups may also be involved in smuggling migrants across borders.
• Violation of Human Rights: Illegal migrants are vulnerable to inhumane conditions and criminal offences like assault, rape, or extortion during their journeys or in destination regions2. They also face the risk of detention and deportation and may be mistreated during detention, such as having poor living conditions.
• Social Tensions: Large-scale illegal migration can distort existing demographics and pose a threat to existing socio-cultural identity, potentially leading to xenophobic, ultranationalist, and racial manifestations.

Way forward: 

• Strengthening Border and Immigration Controls – Enhance surveillance, biometric tracking, and cooperation with international agencies to curb illegal entry and human smuggling networks.
• Regulating Migration Pathways – Streamline legal migration channels, enforce stricter penalties on fraudulent agents, and promote awareness campaigns to educate potential migrants on legal and safe alternatives.

Mains PYQ:

Q How does illegal transborder migration pose a threat to India’s security? Discuss the strategies to curb this, bringing out the factors which give impetus to such migration. (UPSC IAS/2014)

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