Last Updated:
On Tuesday, a US military aircraft landed at Amritsar airport with 104 handcuffed Indians with shackled legs.
The US administration is using military planes in messaging around its efforts to crack down on illegal immigrants. (AP Photo)
As many as 104 Indians who were living illegally in the Unites States were deported to India in C-17 Globemaster III military aircraft which landed in Amritsar earlier this week.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Friday responded to a media query about the use of military aircraft for deportation saying that according to the US administration, the deportation was classified as a national security operation. As a result, a military aircraft was used instead of the commercial flights.
Read More: ‘Real Cancer Are Gangs…’: MEA Says US To Deport 487 More Illegal Indian Immigrants
“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,” Misri said while briefing the media.
India has also expressed concerns to the US regarding the treatment of the deported Indian immigrants. 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 Tuesday, a US military aircraft landed at Amritsar airport with 104 handcuffed Indians with shackled legs.
487 More Immigrants To Be Deported
India further said that the trump administration has identified another 487 illegal Indian migrants living in the country, who are set to be deported soon.
“We’ve been told there are 487 presumed Indian citizens with final removal orders,” Misri said while addressing the press briefing. In a special briefing, Misri said that the documents of 298 people have been shared for verification with Indian Government by the American authorities.
Read More: India Raised Concerns With US Over Treatment Of Deportees: Sources Amid Handcuff Row
The Indian government is closely monitoring the situation and working with US authorities to resolve the issues related to these individuals, Misri added.
What EAM Jaishankar Said?
Misri further emphasised that the root cause of the illegal migration is the gangs who are working to send people illegally. The Foreign Secretary reiterated External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s remarks that deportation is not a change from past.
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.
