India News | Haryana to Make Stricter Provisions in New Bill on Travel Agents, State Assembly Told

Chandigarh, Mar 12 (PTI) The government will make stricter provisions in the proposed Haryana Travel Agents Registration and Regulation Bill aimed at checking illegal activities of travel agencies, the state assembly was informed on Wednesday.

On Monday, the state government had withdrawn the Haryana Registration and Regulation of the Travel Agents Bill, 2024 after certain observations by the Centre, and later said it intends to move a fresh bill after incorporating provisions enshrined in the newly enacted criminal laws.

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According to the proposed legislation, operation of travel agencies without registration will be a punishable offence. Besides, the Bill will have provisions including confiscation of property of travel agents who send people abroad illegally and adequate compensation to victims which will be borne by travel agents.

The development comes amid the US deportation of illegal Indian immigrants who entered America through "donkey route" -- an illegal and risky pathway used by travel agents to send people abroad.

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On Wednesday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mahipal Dhanda said the government will make stricter provisions in the proposed Haryana Travel Agents Registration and Regulation Bill, 2025.

Under the proposed law, registration will be mandatory for all travel agents and if any travel agent is found running his operations illegally, the registration will be cancelled, Dhanda said in the assembly.

His response came during a Calling Attention notice by opposition MLAs regarding the fraud being committed by some travel agents in the name of sending people abroad.

Provision of punishment and fine, if found guilty, in cases of human trafficking or preparing fake documents will also be there in the proposed Bill, the minister said.

"Operation of travel agents or agencies without registration will be considered a punishable offence," Dhanda said.

Dhanda said in many cases, travel agents send youths on valid visas for a brief stay in some foreign nations before pushing them through the illegal "donkey route" to enter nations like the US.

Taking part in the debate, Congress MLA Shishpal Keharwala said majority of the youth who have been deported by the US recently are from Haryana and Punjab.

"What is the reason Haryana youth are forced to adopt risky and illegal donkey routes. If the government is saying they have given jobs to the youth, then why are they going abroad in this manner," he asked.

Congress MLA Aftab Ahmed said, "Due to lack of adequate employment opportunities, youths undertake risks and also lose huge sums of money in the process which they give to travel agents."

Another Congress member Ashok Arora asked, "Will the government give any financial assistance or employment to those who have been deported."

Minister Dhanda, in his reply in the House, said many agents working illegally have also been arrested after registration of cases.

He said that police are tracing financial transactions, travel records and digital communications to take action against illegal migration networks.

DSP-level police officers in each district have been appointed as nodal officers to monitor and supervise illegal immigration fraud cases, he said.

Dhanda said that during the last five years, a total of 2,008 illegal migration cases were registered by the SIT, in which 1,917 people were arrested and an amount of more than Rs 26.08 crore was recovered.

He said migration has been an integral part of human history, driven by the universal aspiration for a better life. Today, migration has become a defining global trend, with millions of people moving to different countries every year, he said in his reply.

However, stringent immigration laws and limited legal options often force migrants to take alternate and at times illegal routes, the minister said.

He said it is a fact that in Haryana, there has been an increase in the incidents of migration to other countries in recent years. Along with legal migration, incidents of illegal migration through the "donkey route" are also coming to light, he added.

This is not only a problem of Haryana but is also prevalent in other states like Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and southern states.

People who are unaware of immigration laws or are eager to go out of their homes are more likely to be exploited, he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)