The Enforcement Directorate’s revelation about a nexus between Indian agents in the country and Canadian educational institutions to facilitate illegal migration of Indians presents a sorry state of affairs in the Indian job market.
The American Dream has been an enticing proposition for most Indians, who aspire for a good life by hook or crook. In 2022, around 7,25,000 Indians were staying in the US without a proper visa, making them the third largest group after those from Mexico and El Salvador.
Among 1,09,535 individuals who attempted illegal crossings in 2022, 16 per cent were Indians. About 30,010 out of 1,89,402 people who tried to illegally enter the US in 2023 were Indians. In 2024, the number as well as share of Indians among illegal entry into America rose to 22 per cent or 43,764. When this issue of human smuggling is seen from this background, it looks like a quite routine affair, in spite of it being patently illegal.
However, the illegal compact between Indian agents and Canadian colleges also highlights the rotting system in Canada and the United States. This incident shows worsening financial conditions of Canadian colleges and deteriorating regulatory oversight in Canada.
According to data from the US immigration courts in 2024, the majority of Indians who were caught illegally migrating to the US, were male, aged between 18 and 34, an age bracket that constitutes the springtime of youth. It appears that they shell out around Rs 80 lakh per person to dodge border control, which gives a sad commentary on the Indian job market.
Tapping the Canadian study visa route also appears to be a sensible idea, strictly from a financial perspective, because of easy education loans provided by Indian banks and NBFCs. While there is no immediate data available on the banking system’s exposure to fake overseas colleges, the ED probe warrants tightening of rules by the Reserve Bank of India for overseas study loans.
