Punjab to register all travel, immigration agents by October

The Punjab government Monday directed all deputy commissioners in the state to register each and every travel and immigration agent under the state prevention of human smuggling act.

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said that each agent would be issued a license by October this year.

In a communique issued here Monday to deputy commissioners, Badal said that these directions have been issued to keep a tab on the illegal activities of many unscrupulous travel and immigration agents who are working without registration and exploiting many innocent people, especially youth, in Punjab.

"To prevent these ongoing malpractices, the government has passed the Punjab Prevention of Human Smuggling Act with a view to checking and curbing their illegal/fraudulent activities and malpractices," a Punjab government spokesman said here.

Under the act, all travel and immigration agents operating in Punjab have to get themselves registered with the district authorities.

Principal Secretary, Home D.S. Bains said that the act and rules framed under it have been notified and made available to all concerned.

In recent years, there have been several incidents of innocent people and youth being duped by unscrupulous travel agents in the name of sending them to other countries. In many cases, the youth have died or landed up in jails in other countries.