Amritsar: A US deportation flight carrying 104 Indian nationals accused of entering the country illegally has landed in Punjab. The military aircraft, which departed from Texas, arrived in Amritsar, where local authorities have put steps in place to process the deportees.
Officials in Punjab confirmed that special counters have been set up to receive the returnees, ensuring that they would be treated in a “friendly” manner. The deportees will be processed separately from regular passengers before being transported to their respective home states, including Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat.
The US government has identified approximately 18,000 Indian nationals it believes entered the country illegally. The deportation policy has been a key focus under former President Donald Trump, who previously stated that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had secured him of cooperation in accepting deported citizens.
The US has been increasingly using military planes for deportation flights, though such removals to India are not new. In the fiscal year 2024, which ended in September, over 1,000 Indian nationals were repatriated through both charter and commercial flights. In October, more than 100 Indian nationals lacking legal grounds to stay in the US were deported on a chartered flight, also routed to Punjab.
Much of the undocumented migration from India to the US originates from Punjab and Haryana, as well as Gujarat, Modi’s home state. According to Royce Bernstein Murray, assistant secretary at the US Department of Homeland Security, Indian deportations have steadily increased in recent years, aligning with a rise in border encounters involving Indian nationals.
Official data from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reveals that between 2018 and 2023, a total of 5,477 Indians were deported. The highest annual figure was in 2020, with 2,300 deportations.
Estimates on the number of undocumented Indian immigrants in the US vary significantly. The Pew Research Center places the figure at 725,000 as of 2022, making Indians the third-largest undocumented group after Mexicans and Salvadorans. However, the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) estimates a lower number of 375,000, ranking India fifth among origin countries.
Despite ongoing removals, the US government faces challenges in deporting foreign nationals, with ICE classifying India among 15 countries deemed “uncooperative” in removal processes. Countries on this list reportedly restrict deportation efforts by delaying consular interviews, refusing charter removal missions, or failing to issue travel documents.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs has reiterated its firm stance against illegal migration, linking it to organised crime. Foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that India is engaged in discussions with the US to deter illegal migration while expanding legal migration pathways. However, he emphasised that verification, including nationality confirmation, is required before accepting deportees.
Under former US President Joe Biden, the US deported 271,000 migrants to 192 countries in 2023. The rising deportation trend indicates stricter immigration enforcement and growing cooperation between India and the US on migration policies.
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