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India is the seventh-largest source country in the United States’ Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) programme, according to a USCIS report, Criminality, Gangs, and Program Integrity Concerns in Special Immigrant Juvenile Petition. The report combines data of SIJ petitions filed between 2014 and 2024. The SIJ programme, originally intended to provide relief to abused, abandoned, or neglected children, is now facing scrutiny over potential misuse.India is the only country outside the western hemisphere to feature in the top 10, making its presence in the rankings significant.It identified serious vulnerabilities in the system, noting that nearly 1,98,500 petitions were approved from 2020 to 2024, with more than half filed by applicants aged between 18 and 21. For India, the findings revealed that 82% of applicants were 18 or older and 90% were male, raising questions about whether the programme is being used in ways beyond its intended humanitarian scope. The demographic profile of Indian applicants shows a concentration in states such as New York and California. About 57% of Indian petitioners listed New York addresses, while 20% cited California. Both states have large immigrant populations and courts that regularly process SIJ cases. Analysts suggest that this trend may point to irregular migration routes, where Indian nationals transit through Latin America before applying for SIJ in the US.According to the report, security risks are also associated with the programme. More than 19,000 petitioners across all countries were arrested, with at least 120 facing murder charges. Among those approved were over 500 suspected MS-13 gang members and at least 200 individuals accused of sex offences. In addition, instances of identity and age fraud were found to be widespread, and a small number of applicants were flagged for links to extremist organisations.Central American countries dominated the SIJ rankings, with Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras accounting for the highest number of applicants. India’s seventh position, ahead of countries like Afghanistan and Venezuela, underscores the global expansion of migration networks exploiting humanitarian channels such as SIJ. The report also noted a rise in applications from Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, countries already under international watch for security concerns.For India, the implications extend beyond migration oversight. The SIJ petitions are processed under the EB4 visa category, which is also used by Indian religious workers and certain professionals. The surge in SIJ filings has added to the backlog in EB4 visas, indirectly affecting legitimate applicants from India who face longer wait times due to the rising demand.While India’s numbers remain modest compared to Central American countries, its unique position as the only non-western hemisphere nation in the top tier reflects the growing globalisation of migration routes and the complexities of safeguarding programmes designed to protect vulnerable minors.