Getting a US VISA can be very difficult. Millions of individuals apply for them every year but only a small share of the applicants have their requests approved. Moreover the process is extremely tedious and sometimes the waiting period can be for years.
But this hasn’t stopped many Indians from entering the USA. In search of a better life and more opportunities, thousands of Indians flee to America. A good share of these people are willing to do this completely illegally as well. It has been found that between October 2022 and September 2023, nearly 97 thousand Indians were held at the US borders for illegally entering the country.
The data has been shared by the U.S. Customs & Border Protection (UCBP). A total of 96,917 people were arrested for unlawfully entering the United States. This number has increased significantly in the past few years indicating the rising will of Indians to move to America. There has been a five fold increase in illegal border crossings by Indians in recent years.
Around 30,000 of these arrests took place at the Canadian borders while more than 41,000 were arrested at the Mexico border. The arrested people include individuals, families and even unaccompanied minors. The US system for seeking asylum is also being blamed for it as it allows anyone to enter the country seeking refuge.
Most of these people had to take connecting flights to Mexico from where they embark on a dangerous journey to the border on buses run by drug cartels. These cartels are also allegedly involved in helping people get into the States.
