The North News
New Delhi, February 6
India is committed to legal migration and will continue to take back its nationals found living illegally abroad, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told Parliament on Thursday, following the deportation of 104 Indians from the United States. “The process of deportation is not new and has been ongoing for years,” Jaishankar said, emphasizing that it is a globally accepted principle that countries must accept their nationals after proper verification. He reiterated that India supports people-to-people exchanges with the U.S. but remains firm on discouraging illegal migration. Jaishankar warned that illegal migrants often become victims of exploitation, facing inhumane conditions and, in some cases, fatalities. “Those who return have testified to their harrowing experiences,” he said. The deportees, including 13 children, were flown on a U.S. military C-17 transport aircraft from San Antonio, Texas, landing at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar at 1:59 p.m. Authorities were present at the airport to receive them.
Among the deported, 33 were from Gujarat and Haryana each, 30 from Punjab, three from Maharashtra, and two each from Uttar Pradesh and Chandigarh. AAP Punjab chief Aman Arora questioned why Amritsar was chosen as the landing point, given the diversity of states involved. The deportation is part of a broader U.S. crackdown on undocumented immigrants initiated during former President Donald Trump’s administration.
