Haryana to bring in new law to combat immigration frauds
The Haryana government is contemplating bringing in a new law to keep travel agents sending youth abroad in check.
Addressing a press conference today, Home Minister Anil Vij said the department was drafting a bill, which would be brought before the state Assembly in the upcoming winter session.
“There should be a mechanism to recover money from travel agents committing frauds. They have been charging up to Rs 60 lakh for illegally sending a youth abroad, that too without any bill. We are studying similar laws in the other states,” Vij said.
Studying similar laws in other states
There should be a mechanism to recover money from travel agents committing frauds. They have been charging up to Rs 60 lakh for illegally sending a youth abroad, that too without any bill. We are studying similar laws in the other states. —Anil Vij, Home Minister
“We have been receiving complaints daily,” he added.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) under IGP, Ambala Range, Sibash Kabiraj, was formed on April 17. Since then, it has registered 625 new cases and arrested 509 agents while recovering Rs 2.94 crore from them. The agents have been duping youth by taking hefty amounts from them.
The maximum number of cases were registered in Ambala at 182 and 196 agents have been arrested since April. The amount recovered in these cases is Rs 1.62 crore. It is followed by Kurukshetra, where 156 cases have been registered and 90 people have been arrested and Rs 11.66 lakh recovered. In Kaithal, 78 cases have been lodged and 67 accused have been nabbed while a recovery Rs 9.45 lakh has been made.
The SIT also arrested 153 people in 383 cases which have been under investigation as of April 17.
“Several accused agents are working in Punjab too. Over 80 agents have been involved in multiple cases. Most of the illegal migration is taking place to the USA through Latin American countries via the donkey route. There have been cases of extortion too. We have investigated four cases where the youth have died. There are cases of fake visas and plane tickets too,” IGP Kabiraj said. He said lookout circulars have been issued against 30 agents.
Vij said a helpline number (805-30-03-400) has been launched for people to register any complaints against travel agents.
He said on June 2, 2020, under the then IGP, Ambala Range, Bharti Arora, an SIT was formed which registered 486 cases and arrested 593 accused till November 30, 2021.
