EAM Jaishankar raises visa delays in bilateral meeting with US Secy of State Marco Rubio
New Delhi: In a late-night briefing in Washington late on Wednesday night, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar said he had raised the issue of visa delays in his bilateral meeting on Wednesday with new American secretary of state Marco Rubio. On US concerns about illegal immigration, the EAM said India had always been open to the legitimate return of Indian illegal immigrants but cautioned that New Delhi would need to “validate and verify” the Indian identity of each and every one of these persons before they return.
Speaking to reporters, the EAM also said bilateral trade ties had been discussed with Mr Rubio and that both nations would work towards harmonising their trade interests, adding that he did not see the issue as a “zero sum game”. Mr Jaishankar also revealed that both foreign ministers had a “brief discussion about (the developments in) Bangladesh”, but did not disclose any further details. The EAM also said India would like to see accountability regarding the attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco (in 2023) so that the perpetrators are brought to justice.
On the delays for Indians in acquiring an American visa, the EAM said that it was not good for either business or tourism, especially if one has to wait for 400 days to get a US visa. In response to a query on a reported American list that has 18,000 Indian illegal immigrants in the US for deportation, the EAM advised caution on numbers, saying that numbers become “operative” only if their identities as Indians is verified. The EAM further reiterated that India does not support illegal immigration and supports only lawful migration through Migration and Mobility Agreements (inked earlier with several countries). Mr Jaishankar said he had attended Donald Trump inauguration as US President on Monday as the special envoy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
