Indians being expelled from abroad

February 18, 2026

Once, the only dream of India’s young generation was to somehow cross the seven seas to improve their lives. The situation was such that instead of competing for degrees on university campuses, the competition for obtaining sufficient degrees at academies that granted visas to travel abroad was more intense.

But in the Trump era, the environment has changed. Now, every prosperous country wants to prioritize the well-being of its citizens. They feel that immigrants from third-world countries and India are usurping the jobs of their native citizens and preventing them from receiving fair wages for their hard work. These immigrants are willing to work for very little. Several unsavory incidents have also come to light recently.

It has become difficult for Indians to settle permanently in the United States, England, Canada, and Australia. They are being turned away after their documents are scrutinized, as if they were criminals. In some cases, these immigrants were sent back in handcuffs and shackles. Yet, seeing their golden dreams unfulfilled in India, the craze for migrating abroad continues among Indian youth.

Recently, Indian youth have also begun traveling to oil-rich countries in the Middle East. Documents are scrutinized there, and if they are incomplete, they are turned away. Registered and unregistered travel agents are involved in sending them. Police are now strictly investigating their illegal activities, as the lives of young people traveling abroad illegally are being ruined. The statistics are shocking. Cases of deportation have increased ninefold in five years.

The UAE and the United States are the largest deportees. Now, in light of the actions being taken against illegal travel agents, 3,225 FIRs have been filed against travel agents in Punjab in three years. Yet, parents continue to complain of exploitation by these agents. Young people, yearning to travel abroad, are losing their lives while navigating the complexities of the illegal immigration system. Haryana is no less than Punjab. The tragic situation is that young people who migrate to Russia in search of jobs are lured into the army by the promise of higher salaries, forced to fight, and ultimately lose their lives. It would be great if Indian youth were engaged in nation-building.