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Earlier today, the MEA said that the issue of “mistreatment of deportees” is “valid” and emphasised they will keep addressing any instances of mistreatment that come to their attention.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted pictures of handcuffed migrants tied together and walking towards a military plane, on Jan 24. (Photo: X/@PressSec)
Days after 104 Indians living illegally in the United States were deported aboard a C-17 Globemaster III military aircraft, MEA sources informed CNN-News18 that New Delhi has expressed concerns to the US regarding the treatment of the deported Indian immigrants.
Earlier today, the MEA said that the issue of “mistreatment of deportees” is “valid” and emphasised they will keep addressing any instances of mistreatment that come to their attention.
“On the issue of mistreatment, it is a valid issue to raise and we continue to emphasise to US authorities that there should be no mistreatment of deportees. We will continue to take up any instances of mistreatment that come to our attention,” said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
Action needs to be taken across the system against the underlying ecosystem that thrives on promoting illegal immigration, Misri added.
#WATCH | Delhi: On the deportation of illegal Indian immigrants from the US, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri says, “The description by the EAM of the standard operating procedure relating to the use of restraints which has been communicated to us by US authorities including the… pic.twitter.com/tx3WMJMV8q— ANI (@ANI) February 7, 2025
The statement comes after some of the deportees who returned to India on Wednesday (Feb 5) alleged that they were “handcuffed,” with their feet “tied with chains,” and were “not allowed to move an inch from their seats.”
A US military aircraft carrying 104 illegal Indian immigrants landed in Amritsar on Wednesday, the first such batch of Indians deported by the Donald Trump government as part of a crackdown against illegal immigrants.
Why Military Aircraft Used For Deportation?
In response to a media query on why military aircraft were used in deporting the immigrants, Misri said that the US used military aircraft as it described the issue as a national security operation.
“This particular deportation is somewhat different compared to earlier flights. In the US system itself, it was described as a national security operation, so maybe that’s why they used a military plane,” Mr Misri said.
When asked about protests following the deportation of illegal Indian immigrants from the US in 2012, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated that he did not believe there were any protests and that there was no record of any protest being made about it.
487 Indians In US With ‘Final Removal Orders’
Misri announced that the United States had informed India about 487 presumed Indian nationals who have received removal orders.
During a press briefing, the foreign secretary assured that the Indian government is in communication with the Trump administration to ensure the safe return of those identified as illegal immigrants.
The Indian government is closely monitoring the situation and working with US authorities to resolve the issues related to these individuals, Misri added.
S Jaishankar’s View On Deportation
EAM Jaishankar on Thursday said in Rajya Sabha that the deportation of Indians who entered the US illegally is not a change from the past. He shared the list of such deportations since 2009.
The Union Minister further called upon a crackdown on the illegal migration industry. Jaishankar said that the government is finding out how illegal migration happened.
“All countries must take back their nationals if they are found to be living illegally abroad,” he further said.
Citing data available from Indian law enforcement authorities, the minister said in 2009, 734 were deported, 799 in 2010, 597 in 2011, 530 in 2012, and 515 in 2013.
As per Jaishankar’s statement, in 2014 when the NDA government came to power, 591 were deported, followed by 708 in 2015. In 2016, a total of 1,303 were deported, 1,024 in 2017, and 1,180 in 2018.
