The clampdown is continuously being tightened on Indians living abroad illegally. The result of this is that a continuous increase is being recorded in the cases of return. According to the data given by the Ministry of External Affairs in the Lok Sabha, there has been a sharp increase in the cases of deportation of Indian citizens from many countries, especially America, in the last three years. The government has also raised the demand to ensure humane behavior from the US administration on this issue.
In response to a question asked in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said that most countries do not share complete data of Indians living illegally, but from the available data it is clear that there has been an increase in the cases of deportation. 617 Indian citizens were sent back from America in the year 2023, which increased to 1,368 in 2024. In 2025, this number increased to 3,414, which is much higher than the last two years.
A large number of Indians have also been sent back from Middle East countries. More than 37 thousand Indians were deported from Saudi Arabia in 2023, while this number will come down to around 14 thousand in 2024 and around 13 thousand in 2025. At the same time, a continuous increase was recorded in the cases of deportation from the United Arab Emirates. About 3,500 Indians were sent back from UAE in 2023, which increased to more than 6 thousand in 2024 and to about 9,500 in 2025.
According to the government, the main reasons for deportation of Indian citizens include going abroad without a valid visa, staying there even after the visa period has expired, working without a work permit and violation of labor laws. In many cases, Indian citizens run away from employers or even get entangled in legal cases. The government also seems to be cautious about its treatment of Indian citizens during exile.
The Foreign Ministry has expressed concern to American officials about the handcuffing of women and children in particular. Also, issues have been raised regarding religious and cultural sensitivities, such as wearing of turban and food related requirements.
The government says that no complaints of misconduct have come to light in deportation flights after February 5, 2025. The government has also made it clear that the safety and dignity of Indian citizens is a top priority and constant coordination is being done with many countries, including the US, on matters related to illegal migration and human trafficking. The increasing deportation figures indicate that the trend of illegal migration to foreign countries still remains a serious challenge, on which the government and agencies are increasing surveillance.
