Massive Rise In Indian Asylum Seekers To US, But Trump’s Deportation Plan Spells Uncertainty

Last Updated:November 11, 2024, 21:05 IST

Indian officials suggest that nearly half of these applicants are from Gujarat

Migrants at Mexican immigration checkpoint as they make their way across the border for their appointments to legally apply for asylum in the US. (Representational image via AP)

The number of Indians applying for asylum in the United States has sharply increased over the past three years, according to data from the US Department of Homeland Security.

In the 2021 financial year, 4,330 Indians sought asylum in the US. By the 2023 financial year, this figure had risen by 855% to 41,330. Indian officials believe that nearly half of these applicants are from Gujarat, Firstpost reported.

This report comes at a time amid US President-elect Donald Trump’s tough stance on immigration, which was one of his key promises during the presidential election campaign. He had pledged to carry out mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.

According to the US Department of Homeland Security’s 2023 Asylees Annual Flow Report, released in October, India ranked as the fifth-largest nationality seeking defensive asylum and the seventh-largest for affirmative asylum applications in 2023. That year, 5,340 Indians were granted asylum.

Detailing the rise in asylum applications, the annual report shows that in FY 2021, the total number of applicants was 4,330, with 2,090 affirmative and 2,240 defensive applications.

The following year, the number nearly tripled to 14,570, with 5,370 affirmative and 9,200 defensive applications. By FY 2023, the total had surged to 41,330, nearly three times the figure from the previous year.

The trend is also reflected in the number of Indian asylum grants. In FY 2021, 1,330 Indians were granted asylum, including 700 through affirmative applications and 630 through defensive cases.

The figure grew significantly in FY 2022, when 4,260 Indians were granted asylum — 2,180 through affirmative applications and 2,080 through defensive proceedings.

In FY 2023, the number of grants increased again to 5,340, with 2,710 granted through affirmative cases and 2,630 through defensive ones, the report showed.

United States of America (USA)

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