PRIME Minister Narendra Modi has asserted the need to fight against the “ecosystem” of human trafficking that lures people from ordinary families with big dreams and promises and brought to other countries as illegal immigrants. This is not a question about India only but is a global issue, Modi said in response to a question by PTI on the issue of illegal immigration during a joint press conference with US President Donald Trump in the White House here on Thursday. He said, “We are of the opinion that anybody who enters and lives in another country illegally, they have absolutely no legal right or authority to live in that country.” Modi added that as far as India and the US are concerned, “we have always said that those who are verified Indian citizens and who are living in the US illegally, India is prepared to take them back.”

 

“However, for us, the issue doesn’t stop there. These are children of very ordinary families, and they are lured by big dreams and promises,” he said, adding that a lot of them are being led astray and misguided by the human traffickers. “That is why we must fight against the whole human trafficking ecosystem,” Modi said adding that it is the endeavour, and should remain so, of both the US and India that together we have to uproot and destroy this entire ecosystem so that human trafficking is ended and removed. He said this is injustice for those poor people who sell everything and they are lured with big dreams and are brought to another country as illegal immigrants. “Our bigger fight is against this ecosystem and I am confident that President Trump will also fully support India in ending this ecosystem,” Modi said. Later, in response to a question by PTI on the deportation of illegal immigrants from the US and whether the issue of the way they were brought back to India in a military aircraft and shackled was raised during Modi’s meeting with Trump, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said: “Yes, it (issue of illegal immigration) did figure during the discussions today.”

 

“During the discussions, the Prime Minister said that India has made its stand very clear that if there are illegal immigrants proven to be Indian citizens in any country abroad, we will take them back,” Misri said. ‘MAGA, MIGA unite for MEGA partnership for prosperity,’ says PM Modi after meeting Trump: PRIME Minister Narendra Modi has coined a new term ‘Make India Great Again’ (MIGA) inspired by President Donald Trump’s motto ‘Make America Great Again’ (MAGA) and said the two visions together form the “MEGA partnership for prosperity” and gives new scale to bilateral partnership. His comments came during a joint press conference on Thursday with President Donald Trump, who hosted him for wide-ranging talks focussing on charting a new pathway for broadening the bilateral partnership, including in the areas of defence, energy, and critical technology. “Americans are familiar with President Trump’s motto, Make America Great Again, or “MAGA.” The people of India are also moving towards development at a fast pace with the determination of “Viksit Bharat 2047” on the track of heritage and development,” Prime Minister Modi said.

 

“If I say in the language of America, developed India means Make India Great Again, i.e. “MIGA”. When the United States and India work together, i.e. “MAGA” plus “MIGA”, the “MEGA” Partnership for prosperity is formed. And this mega spirit gives new scale and scope to our goals,” he said during the joint conference. Modi coined the ‘MIGA’ acronym in the presence of Trump as the two leaders addressed the media after wide-ranging bilateral talks. During their meeting at the Oval Office, Trump warmly welcomed Modi with a long handshake, and a bear hug and said “We missed you a lot.” He also called Modi “a great friend” and “a terrific man”. In his remarks, Modi congratulated Trump for becoming the President for a second term and recalled the upward trajectory of India-US relations during the American leader’s first stint at the White House.

 

“I firmly believe that in your second term, we will work with more speed,” Modi said. Modi also mentioned that like Trump “keeps the national interest of the US supreme”, “I will also keep the national interest of India at the top.” “President Trump always keeps the national interest of the US supreme and like him, I also keep the national interest of India at the top of everything else,” he added. Prime Minister Modi also posted on X, “President Trump often talks about MAGA. In India, we are working towards a Viksit Bharat, which in the American context translates into MIGA. And together, the India-USA have a MEGA partnership for prosperity!” The Prime Minister then invoked the term ‘MAGA’, a moniker given by Trump which became a rallying cry during his election campaign that culminated in his remarkable comeback to power and a second term at the White House. Trump in his speeches and social media posts often used ‘Make America Great Again’ or ‘MAGA’ to reach out to his supporters. Also, President Trump presented a special gift – a coffee table book ‘Our Journey Together’ inscribed with the message: “Mr Prime Minister, you’re great!”, signed by Trump.

 

The book features unforgettable moments of their friendship and shared milestones. It also has a compilation of photos, including Donald Trump and Melania Trump’s visit to the Taj Mahal in 2020 and the Howdy Modi event when the Prime Minister visited Houston in 2019. The Prime Minister’s visit comes nearly three weeks after the January 20 inauguration of Trump. Modi is also among the first few world leaders to visit the United States following the January 20 inauguration after Trump’s victory in the US elections last November. Misri added that Modi did emphasise during the discussions that the return of illegal immigrants is not the end of the story. “There is an ecosystem that thrives on this racket and that promotes and enables this racket, and it is the responsibility of both countries to do something about this.

 

“And in that, he sought the cooperation of the United States in finding out more details about these rackets, and if need be through institutional cooperation between the law enforcement authorities and intelligence organizations of the two countries to actually try and do something about these ecosystems that enable this particular phenomenon. So this is something that the two sides will continue to discuss,” Misri said. A US military aircraft carrying 104 illegal immigrants from various states landed in Amritsar in Punjab earlier this month, the first such batch of Indians deported by the Trump government as part of a crackdown against illegal immigrants.