Indians crossing US border with Canada surges
Posted on 4/24/2024, 9:29:58 PM by fluorescence
Border agents have recorded a sharp rise in Indians attempting to illegally enter the US from Canada in a trend immigration attorneys expect could continue until the election.
There were 30,010 Indian nationals apprehended at the norther border in 2023 compared to just 2,225 two years earlier during the height of the pandemic, according to figures published by US Customs and Border Protection.
A further 16,622 have also arrived this fiscal year, which began on October 1.
The data shows a rise in encounters at ports of entry, including airports, but also a surge in migrants arrested while trying to sneak into the country across the treacherous land border.
Indians account for the third-largest group of undocumented migrants in America amid a booming industry in the country led by fixers who charge up to $100,000 to help people reach the United States illegally.
Many of the Indian nationals choosing the route are 'not the desperately poor' but come from middle-class families who expect to find more opportunities and higher pay in the United States, experts say.
Devesh Kapur, a South Asian studies professor at Johns Hopkins University, told the Washington Post that a shortage of jobs in India has contributed to a 'culture of migration'.
Chirag Patel, a Maryland-based immigration lawyer, told Voice of America that more people may be choosing to cross before the upcoming election. They may want to cross before a possible Trump win, which would lead to stricter border policies.
Shinder Purewal, from Kwantlen Polytechnic University in British Columbia, told Voice of America: 'It's easier to get a visa to Canada than to Pakistan. 'More and more people are entering Canada, so they can just go straight to the U.S.'