New Delhi, 6 February 2025: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday addressed concerns over the deportation of Indian citizens from the United States, stating that it is the fundamental responsibility of all nations to take back their nationals living illegally abroad.
“All countries must take back their nationals if they are found to be living illegally abroad,” Jaishankar said in the Rajya Sabha while responding to discussions on the issue.
He assured that the government is actively engaging with US authorities to ensure that deported individuals are treated appropriately. However, he underscored the need to target those facilitating illegal immigration. “Our focus should be on a strong crackdown against the illegal immigration industry. Based on information provided by deportees, law enforcement agencies will take necessary, preventive, and exemplary action against the agents and networks involved,” he said.
Jaishankar also clarified that deportations from the US are conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following established protocols. “The standard operating procedure for deportations by ICE flights has been in place since 2013, and there has been no deviation from past procedures, including the flight undertaken on February 5,” he noted.
His statement followed protests in Parliament, where opposition MPs, including Amritsar MP Gurjit Singh Aujla, demanded a discussion on the deportation of over 100 Indian nationals from the US. Some lawmakers were seen wearing handcuffs to symbolize their opposition.
A US military aircraft carrying the deported individuals landed in Amritsar on Wednesday. The group included 33 people from Haryana and Gujarat, 30 from Punjab, three each from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and two from Chandigarh.
Tharoor Terms Deportation Process ‘Unnecessary’
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor acknowledged that the US has the right to deport illegal immigrants but criticized the manner in which Indian citizens were sent back.
“The US should have used a commercial aircraft or a civilian plane. These individuals are not criminals, and the process could have been carried out in a more humane manner,” Tharoor told ANI.
He also noted that over 1,100 Indians were deported from the US under the Biden administration in 2024.
