*Dr. Sukhpal Singh Dhanoa suggests ‘Seasonal Labour’ system as a possible remedy
Washington DC/Punjab Post
While there was a lot of talk about bilateral relations and partnership during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US with President Donald Trump, the issue of illegal immigrants deported from USA to India is also making headlines and has been widely discussed in social circles as well. While a large number of people in America have been seen expressing satisfaction regarding the process of deporting illegal immigrants, the biggest need is also seen to find a solution to this problem. Keeping in mind the far-reaching aspects of this problem, Dr. Sukhpal Singh Dhanoa, a renowned journalist and editor of ‘Punjab Post’ and ‘India Abroad’, has been addressing this subject for a long time, and he has eloquently raised this issue with the Government of India. He has suggested, in the context of the current policy changes in the immigration reforms of USA, to address the issue of illegal migration from India, by utilizing the Seasonal Labour agreement. Sukhpal Singh Dhanoa mentioned that USA is already issuing seasonal visas on a large scale to workers from many countries including Central America under the Seasonal Labour Treaty. In response to the same question asked in the press conference after the talks between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Modi, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri of the Government of India gave a positive response to the aforementioned query and said that although this point will largely depend on the US, but if any such initiative is taken by the US administration, then India will provide full support. Dr. Dhanoa, citing facts related to his point, informed that Punjabis, especially Sikhs, have always been working in large numbers in the agriculture and trucking sector in US and similarly, a large number of Punjabis and Sikhs are also seen wanting to come to America legally by spending hefty amounts. Giving the example of the agriculture and trucking sector of India and Punjab, he said that if the seasonal labour agreement goes ahead, it will benefit Punjab and the Sikh community. Dr. Dhanoa has also mentioned that the scheme will have many other benefits including increasing the scope of legal visas between India and the US, helping in curbing illegal and dangerous migration, increasing job opportunities, and the opportunity for the workers to return to the family after earning their seasonal income. After the positive response of the Indian government to this suggestion by Dr. Dhanoa, now the focus shifts towards the Indian American community, especially the Sikh community, to approach their respective public representatives in this regard and try to implement this scheme. State governments in India can also take full advantage of the Seasonal Labour Agreement by talking to the Union government in this regard and subsequently benefit the citizens of in the future.
