U.S.-India hold Homeland Security Dialogue covering wide-range of issues

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Senior officials of the US Department of Homeland Security met with counterparts in India to the U.S.-India Homeland Security Dialogue at the end of February to revisit areas of national security critical to both countries.

According to a readout from DHS, from February 27 to February 29, the Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Deputy Secretary Kristie Canegallo and Indian Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla met in New Delhi to co-chair the U.S.-India Homeland Security Dialogue.

The Homeland Security Dialogue deepens the strategic partnership between the United States and India on issues ranging from counternarcotics cooperation and Customs-to-Customs collaboration, to combatting terrorism and cybercrime and addressing irregular migration, a Feb. 29 press release from DHS said.

During the meeting, the leaders reaffirmed the commitment of the United States and India to strengthen access to lawful immigration pathways while enforcing immigration law to include returns of individuals who do not have a legal basis to remain in the United States.

They also agreed to work together to expand law enforcement cooperation to target smugglers who prey and profit on vulnerable migrants.

The Homeland Security Dialogue acknowledged the work of the U.S.-India Counternarcotics Working Group, which guides the joint efforts to address drug regulatory issues, law enforcement cooperation and collaboration, coordination in multilateral fora, and drug demand reduction efforts.

The officials reaffirmed the need to deepen information sharing efforts to prevent diversion of pharmaceuticals and other chemicals of concern used as precursors for illicit fentanyl and other illicit synthetic drugs.

A Memorandum of Cooperation was signed at the conclusion of the Dialogue, to expand law enforcement collaboration between the United States and India.

The new Memorandum between the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers and India’s National Police Academy “institutionalizes police training cooperation between our governments through the sharing of best practices and joint programming,” the press release said.

The DHS said it looks forward to building upon these productive discussions and commitments as the two countries continue working to strengthen Washington’s partnership with India to further shared security interests.