'Not...new issue': Jaishankar on deportation of 104 Indians from US
06 Feb 2025
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday spoke in the Rajya Sabha over the deportation of 104 Indian citizens from the United States, saying deportation is an ongoing process and not a new development.
"We are the ones who verified their nationality...Let us not make out as though this is a new issue..This is an issue which has been happening earlier," he said in reponse to a question raised by Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala.
Jaishankar assures engagement with US on deportee treatment
Diplomatic efforts
He said the number of Indians deported annually by the US has ranged from 530 in 2012 to over 2,000 in 2019.
Jaishankar stressed that it is the obligation of all countries to take back their nationals if they are found living illegally abroad.
He also assured parliamentarians that the Indian government is in touch with US authorities to ensure that deportees are not mistreated.
Jaishankar reiterates US's unchanged deportation procedure
Deportation policy
"At the same time, the House will appreciate that our focus should be on the strong crackdown against the illegal immigration industry," Jaishankar said.
"On the basis of information provided by the deportees, law enforcement agencies will take necessary, preventive and exemplary action against the agents and such agencies," he added.
Several deported Indians claimed to have paid as high as ₹1 crore to travel agents so that they can enter the United States.
Opposition criticizes treatment of deportees
Treatment concerns
The latest deportation saw a US military aircraft fly over 100 Indian citizens to Amritsar.
On arrival, deportees alleged that they were handcuffed and shackled during the flight, raising concerns of human rights violations.
Opposition MPs slammed the treatment of deportees, with some members wearing handcuffs in protest.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor accepted the US's right to deport illegal immigrants but criticized the manner of deportation as "unnecessary."
