In a shocking revelation, a group of 104 deported Indian nationals who were deported from the United States on Wednesday, February 5, shared their experience,e claiming that they were inhumanly treated and shackled throughout their journey after being captured.
The Indian deportees who had entered the US illegally arrived at Amritsar at 1:55 PM on a C-17 Globemaster aircraft of the United States Air Force.
One of the deportees Jaspal Singh revealed that he was captured by US Border Patrol agents on January 24 and continued in chained human transport to India. He stated the deportees were unaware of their actual destination during the early stages of their journey.
“We were not aware that we were being taken to India. We thought we were being taken to another camp or detention centre. We were handcuffed and in shackles,” said Jaspal Singh, one of the deported Indian immigrants,” Jaspal told news agency PTI.
US Border Patrol shared a video on its official social media handle that shows the Indian deportees with their legs shackled and walking in a long queue while boarding the military plane.
“USBP and partners successfully returned illegal aliens to India, marking the farthest deportation flight yet using military transport. This mission underscores our commitment to enforcing immigration laws and ensuring swift removals”, they wrote.
The deportees shared frightening stories about receiving false promises from unethical travel agents who led them through dangerous journey routes. Jaspal further said how an agent had promised to guide his legal entry into the US through a payment of Rs 30 lakh yet defrauded him instead.
While speaking to the media, another deported, Harwinder Singh shared his life-threatening experience of travelling across Qatar, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Panama and Nicaragua until he reached the US.
Harwinder recalled how the boat carrying him and others nearly drowned in the sea until everyone managed to stay alive. The agent told him he would first take him to European destinations before their final Mexican destination. His desperate voyage ended up costing him about Rs 42 lakh.
“We crossed hills. A boat, which was taking him along with other persons, was about to capsize in the sea, but we survived,” he said.
Detainees in the camps faced severe difficulties because they lacked proper food supplies. “Sometimes we got rice. Sometimes we get nothing to eat except a few biscuits”, said Harwinder.
A total of 104 deportees consisted of 33 individuals from Haryana, 33 from Gujarat, 30 from Punjab and 3 from Maharashtra together with 3 from Uttar Pradesh and 2 from Chandigarh. Among the deported individuals were 19 females and 13 children under 18 years of age together with a four-year-old boy and two girls aged five and seven.
The deportations emerged after Donald Trump assumed office last month. He issued orders targeting illegal immigrants. US government authorities have implemented tight immigration regulations which caused elevated deportation rates among unauthorized immigrants entering the United States.
Many people from Punjab, who entered the US through “donkey routes” or other illegal means by spending lakhs of rupees, are now facing deportation.
Last month, Union external affairs minister S Jaishankar said India would accept those illegal immigrants after a verification process. “Such action is often linked to other unlawful activities. It is neither desirable nor beneficial for our reputation. If any of our citizens are found to be in the US illegally, and we verify their citizenship, we are open to their lawful return to India,” Jaishankar had said.
Ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that India is ready to take back its citizens who are reportedly overstaying. At a recent press briefing, he said, “For Indians not just in the United States, but anywhere in the world, if they are Indian nationals and they are overstaying, or they are in a particular country without proper documentation, we will take them back, provided documents are shared with us so that we can verify their nationality and that they are indeed Indians. If that happens to be the case, we will take things forward and facilitate their return to India.”
