Smuggling of Migrants from India to Europe and in particular to the UK: A Study on Punjab

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Smuggling of Migrants from India to Europe and in
particular to the UK A Study on Punjab
Haryana
K. C. Saha, IAS Development Commissioner,
Government of Bihar
11 March 2010, Chandigarh
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Case Study from Punjab/Haryana (Methodology)

• Analysis of over 800 immigration-offence-related
  records for 2005, 2006 2007
• Police cases recorded against agents in different
  police stations in Punjab
• Interviews with deportees and/or their family
  members
• Interviews with agents as well as police officers
  who investigated these cases against the agents
• Interviews with co-villagers/public
  representatives in more than 30 villages
• Case studies on irregular migration through
  investigators
• Study visit to the UK and France

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FINDINGS

• Trends and volume of irregular migration
• Identification of areas prone to irregular
  migration
• Profile of irregular migrants, reasons for
  irregular migration and destination countries
• Profile of agents, sub-agents and their modus
  operandi

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1. Trends and volume of irregular migration

• Over 20,000 youths from Punjab attempt irregular
  migration every year.
• It has not only spread to new areas in Punjab but
  also to the neighbouring states of Haryana,
  Himachal Pradesh and Jammu Kashmir
• In the past, irregular migration was confined to
  few caste groups, now it has spread to other
  caste groups also
• Almost half (47) of the cases of irregular
  migration relate to destination countries in
  Europe

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FINDINGS

• Trends and volume of irregular migration
• Identification of areas prone to irregular
  migration
• Profile of irregular migrants, reasons for
  irregular migration and destination countries
• Profile of agents, sub-agents and their modus
  operandi

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Map of Punjab
Emerging
High
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Map of Haryana
Emerging
High
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FINDINGS

• Trends and volume of irregular migration
• Identification of areas prone to irregular
  migration
• Profile of irregular migrants, reasons for
  irregular migration and destination countries
• Profile of agents, sub-agents and their modus
  operandi

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3. Profile of irregular migrants

• 84 of irregular migrants are from rural areas
• Youths were mostly from agricultural families
  who can afford high cost of irregular migration
• More than 90 irregular migrants are males
• About 55 of irregular migrants are in the age
  group of 21-30
• A substantial number of irregular migrants are
  also in the age group of 31-40
• Irregular migrants are noted to have poor
  educational attainment

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Reasons for irregular migration

• High unemployment rate
• General attitude of youth that migration to the
  other countries is the best alternative
• Potential irregular migrants consider other
  successful migrants as their role models
• Irregular migration not at all a stigma amongst
  families
• Once a family is able to send someone abroad
  legally or illegally, family status increases
• Social networks promote chain migration
• Perception amongst migrants that once one is able
  to reach a destination country, chances of
  getting caught and deported is remote.

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Destination countries

• Destination countries are varied. Irregular
  migrants have attempted to go to 57 destination
  countries.
• Belgium is also a destination country for
  irregular migrants, however, in Europe the UK is
  the most favoured destination
• A substantial number of cases of irregular
  migration to Italy, France and Spain were noted.

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FINDINGS

• Trends and volume of irregular migration
• Identification of areas prone to irregular
  migration
• Profile of irregular migrants, reasons for
  irregular migration and destination countries
• Profile of agents, sub-agents and their modus
  operandi

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4. Profile of agents and sub-agents

• Proliferation of agents in Punjab due to high
  demand of their services
• Many of the agents in Punjab are actually
  sub-agents of principal agents based in cities in
  Punjab and also Delhi
• A substantial number of agents were in the age
  group of 21-25. They are the new entrants in the
  business.
• Agents in Punjab were found to work in groups
  with well established links with agents in Delhi
• Carrier agents accompanied irregular migrants in
  many cases. Some of the carrier agents were
  females who accompanied minor children

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Modus operandi of agents

1. Jacket substitution of passports, photo
   substitution, fake foreign visas, re-stitched
   passports, forged passports, forged residence
   permits, exchange of boarding cards in security
   areas, forging of POE stamp etc
2. Forged visas of 41 countries had been used. Many
   instances of forged visas for Italy, Greece,
   France, Spain and the UK were noted.
3. Many instances of forged residence permits of
   Portugal, Spain, Italy and the UK were noted.
4. Agents made use of various transit countries to
   take migrants legally to the transit countries
   before their irregular migration.

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Modus operandi of agents (part 2)

• Agents have used various routes some of which are
  traditional whereas the others are emerging
  routes
• Routes via a country in Central Asia or a country
  in West and North Africa are emerging routes
• Fees for USA and Canada was much higher than any
  country in Europe. It was more than US 50,000.
  For destination to the UK the fees were higher
  compared to the other countries in Europe.
• Agents have become highly professional and they
  operate through well-knit networks.
• Services of agents are utilized even by public
  representatives and other responsible citizens

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Recommendations

1. Independent legislation to check migrant
   smuggling
2. Specialized counter smuggling law enforcement
   units
3. Database on smuggling
4. Training and capacity building of law enforcement
   machinery
5. Awareness campaigns in identified areas
6. Regional focus on irregular migration from South
   Asia
7. Close cooperation between countries of source,
   transit and destination

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