Illegal migration: Haryana passes bill aimed to curb illegal immigration on last day of budget session
It also proposes imprisonment of two to seven years for anyone who undertakes the profession of travel agent without obtaining a registration certificate under the provisions of the proposed Act or contravenes the provisions of the proposed Act.
The Haryana assembly on Wednesday passed nine bills, including the Haryana Registration and Regulation of Travel Agents Bill. The bill proposes imprisonment of three to 10 years for anyone who attempts or is found involved in human trafficking or is found involved in preparation of forged documents.
It also proposes imprisonment of two to seven years for anyone who undertakes the profession of travel agent without obtaining a registration certificate under the provisions of the proposed Act or contravenes the provisions of the proposed Act.
Anyone convicted of an offence under any of the proposed Act again convicted of an offence under the same provision will be punishable for the second and for each subsequent offence, with double the penalty provided for that offence, the bill said.
The statement of objects and reasons of the bill said it has come to government’s notice that innocent and unemployed youth of Haryana were being lured into traps of illegal immigration on a large scale through illegitimate means.
The bill said unscrupulous and unregistered travel agents deceive such persons by promising them easy and quick immigration to foreign countries. These agents promise to arrange work visas, work permits, study visa through offer letter from universities and colleges in foreign countries, but in many cases, they fail to deliver on their promises.
“In many cases, these agents provide fake offer letters and sometimes even form fake or unrecognised universities or colleges. They charge exorbitant fee and demand a huge amount of money at different stages. Many a time, agents send innocent persons to foreign countries illegally and such persons are caught and put behind bars by the police of those countries. Therefore, there is a dire need to curb the illegal activities of such travel agents. In the interest of public at large, a legislation i.e. Haryana Registration and Regulation of Travel Agents Bill, 2024, to provide for measures to check and monitor the unlawful and fraudulent activities of travel agents and to provide a mechanism to punish such wrong doers as per the law,” the statement of objects and reasons said.
