DW BUREAU / CHANDIGARH

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked the Punjab government to decide on a representation seeking action against illegal travel agents duping innocents by illegally sending them abroad. A bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Harmeet Singh Grewal passed the direction while disposing of the plea of advocate Kanwar Pahul Singh on February 17.

The petitioner further sought setting up of "emigration check posts" and an upgraded list of "certified recruiting agents".

The plea was filed in the wake of the deportation of several illegal Indian immigrants from the US recently and sought directions for immediate steps to establish the check posts in all of Punjab under the Emigration Act, 1983 to streamline the procedure of emigration and prevent illegal immigration.

"The incident like the recent major deportation of illegal immigrants of India by the USA, caused losses of crores of rupees to the people of Punjab," said the petitioner.

He also sought directions for upgrading the list of "certified recruiting agents and permitted employers established outside India" so that people could have an easy access to the emigration process and prevent people from falling victim to fake travel agents.

He sought directions for immediate action against all such fake travel agents operating in the state under the Punjab Prevention of Human Smuggling Act to ensure the prevention of human trafficking via "donkey routes".

Advocate Dheeraj Jain, who represented the Centre, said the court asked the petitioner to submit his representation to the state and the Central government authorities within a month.

The state and the Centre were directed to consider the representation and take a decision on the matter, Jain said.

The counsel said the Protector of Emigrants in Chandigarh has forwarded a total of 127 complaints over the unscrupulous agents to the Punjab government for action in the past year.

Of the complaints, 57 were received from victims, he said.

Notably, after the first batch of illegal Indian immigrants were deported from the US on February 5, the Punjab government formed a special investigation team of Punjab Police to probe the issue of illegal human trafficking.

Two more batches of deportees arrived on February 15 and 16.

(editor@dailyworld.in)