Sushant Sareen sees the immigration debate as part of a wider crisis facing Western societies.
US President Donald Trump has blamed immigration for the recent unrest in France and urged President Emmanuel Macron to close the country’s borders, reigniting a wider debate over migration, integration and the future of Western societies.But the backlash could also hurt Indians who have built successful lives abroad through legal migration, strategic affairs expert Sushant Sareen has warned.
“The law breakers don't care anyways but it's the guys who follow the law who will also get crushed,” Sareen said in an interview on Faultline, hosted by Ananya Dasgupta.Trump has described France’s unrest as a consequence of immigration and warned that Europe risks decline unless it tightens its borders.
Macron, however, has rejected attempts by foreign leaders to blame migrants for the violence, pointing to the exploitation of France’s domestic tensions for political gain.
Why Indians could pay the price
Sareen said the Indian diaspora had established a reputation for success in countries such as the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.“The Indian diaspora wherever it went it made a success of itself,” he said.However, he argued that this reputation could come under pressure as anti-immigration sentiment grows.
Referring to Canada, Sareen alleged that criminal activity involving some members of the Indian community, including people he linked to Khalistani networks, had damaged the image of the wider diaspora.His concern is that Indians unconnected with such activities could also face the consequences of a broader backlash against migrants.
Is the West paying for its own mistakes?
Sareen sees the immigration debate as part of a wider crisis facing Western societies.
He argued that governments had failed to manage integration and address tensions around migration, leaving established political and social models under strain.“Multiculturalism has collapsed,” he said, describing what he sees as the failure of the Western approach to managing cultural diversity.Yet Western economies continue to need migrant workers, particularly as populations age and employers face labour shortages.
Sareen said governments must rethink their immigration systems, including how long migrants can stay and what rights they should have.For Indians hoping to study, work or settle abroad, tougher visa rules could complicate future plans. Those already settled overseas could also face uncertainty if immigration becomes a proxy for wider anxieties about jobs, identity and cultural change.
The contradiction is that Western countries need foreign talent even as political pressure to restrict immigration grows.For India, the stakes extend beyond visa policies. If the West responds to its immigration crisis by treating migrant communities as a single group, law-abiding Indians who have contributed to their host countries could find themselves paying the price.Watch Faultlinewith Ananya Dasgupta and Sushant Sareen as they discuss the France crisis, the West’s immigration trap, the growing backlash and why Indians could pay the price.