Former UK Home Secretary Priti Patel says India refused to accept the return of illegal migrants after the UK stalled the extradition of fugitive jeweler Nirav Modi. Patel, a Conservative Party politician who served as home secretary from 2019 to 2022, says she approved Modi’s extradition in 2021 but that he remained in London for years. According to Patel, this led to friction between the two countries, and she claims India responded by declining migrant returns that the UK sought. She described her reaction as dismay over Modi’s continued presence in the UK.
Both accounts also note that India has denied the claim that it opposed the return of illegal migrants. The dispute, as presented by Patel, links the broader issue of repatriation cooperation to the separate, longer-running legal process involving Modi’s extradition. The statements are attributed to Patel, while India’s position is that it does not reject or block illegal migrant returns.
