Embassy in Guatemala concerned about Indians illegally entering Central America 

The Embassy of India in Guatemala has flagged the problem of Indian nationals illegally entering Central American countries to migrate to Mexico and subsequently to the United States.

Responding to a set of queries raised under the Right to Information Act, 2005, the Embassy said the illegal entry of Indian nationals to Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras as a pathway to the United States had been a “complex issue”.

Also read:Trump hikes H-1B visa fees to $100,000; India says move will have ‘humanitarian consequences’

Whenever migrants without a visa or proof of legal entry to Guatemala are arrested by the local police, the Embassy officials help the distressed Indians, providing interpretation and taking care of their well-being, the Public Information Officer said.

Illegal entry

The Embassy did not provide specific figures in response to the RTI query about the number of Indians deported from various prisons and detention centres in Central America and the steps taken by the Embassy against human trafficking from India to Central America.

The PIO said that one Indian was held in a Guatemala detention centre for eight years on charges of human trafficking. He was released after the Embassy’s intervention and sent back to India in September 2022. Another Indian was arrested in March 2023 for entering El Salvador illegally enroute to the United States. The Embassy took steps for his release and deportation to India in June 2023.

Another Indian had died on the Guatemalan border on March 8, 2023, while on his way to enter the U.S. illegally, and was buried by the local authority as an anonymous body. On receiving information from his family in India, his body was exhumed in coordination with the local government and the mortal remains sent to his family in July 2023 for cremation as per religious rituals.

Cultural events

Saying there was no shelter operated by the Embassy of India in Guatemala, the PIO said that the mission opened in 2011 with very few consular services provided. Though the Indian diaspora is very small in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, which all come under the Embassy’s jurisdiction, Indian cultural programs and festival celebrations, especially for Diwali and Holi, have been conducted with the help of local organisations.

In 2023, the Embassy organised over 100 cultural and commercial events across the length and breadth of Guatemala. India’s visibility and image were enhanced by organising a series of cultural events not only in the capital, but in all parts of the country. On June 18, 2023, the Embassy organised the largest yoga festival in Central America with the participation of more than 2,000 people.