NRI Sabha joins hands with five embassies
Wednesday, 25/02/2015
http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=125489&boxid=59187&uid=&dat=2015-02-25
Jalandhar : The spurt in illegal migration to foreign shores was not only becoming a cause of socio, economic and political concern but also creating problems for the respective countries to address this serious issue.
A large number of Punjabi youth had been going abroad to countries like UK, Canada, US and other nations through illegal routes, which had emerged as a major cause of concern for Punjab. This was shared by NRI Sabha Punjab president Jasvir Singh Gill who said that the Sabha has joined hands with five embassies to start an awareness campaign against the illegal migration abroad in the villages of the state.
The Embassy of USA, Canada, Australia, England and New Zealand along with the Sabha will reach out to the Punjabis, especially the youth in the rural belts to teach them about safe migration route. “We held series of meetings with the five embassies in Delhi to chalk out a plan for a campaign on safe immigration and control the spurt in the illegal migration abroad,” he said.
Gill maintained that a majority of the youth from Punjab had been illegally going to developed countries like the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Europe, New Zealand to name a few. “The trend of ‘holiday wives’ ie marrying Punjabi girls back home and then dumping them was a common problem noticed in the major NRI belts of Punjab, especially Doaba. At the same time, youth going illegally and getting stuck abroad end up posing problems for their families, who then seek government assistance,” he added.
He highlighted that developed countries were creating awareness about their existing laws and currently basic literature about their laws were being published in Punjabi language and sent to India. “The US has also published its visa rules, domestic violence laws. They have also been publishing US laws in Punjabi, so that a person coming migrating to their country was aware of their laws,” Gill said.
In the coming days, NRI Sabha Punjab will also approach the European Embassies, so that Punjabis could be taught about the dangers of going illegally abroad. Recently, the British High Commission had conducted a seminar on the spurt in the property disputes faced by the UK nationals back home in Punjab. The NRI Sabha would hold such awareness campaign with the European Embassies in the coming days, Gill added.
