Altogether 15,668 illegal Indian immigrants deported from the US since 2009: Jaishankar

No change in US deportation process for illegal immigrants, ongoing for years: Jaishankar

As many as 15,668 illegal Indian immigrants have been deported to India from the US since 2009, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar informed both Houses of the Parliament on Thursday. Opposition leaders protested on the inhuman ways met by deportees from the US authorities, leading to many adjournments.

Making a statement in the Upper House – Rajya Sabha – after Opposition parties stepped up their criticism over the treatment meted out to 104 illegal Indian immigrants who landed in Amritsar on Wednesday in a US military plane, Jaishankar asserted that the process of deportation has been ongoing for several years and is not new. 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. The highest deportation was witnessed in 2019 with 2,042 illegal Indian immigrants being sent back to the country. In 2020 the deportation number was 1,889; 805 in 2021; 862 in 2022; 617 in 2023; 1,368 last year, and 104 so far this year.

Jaishankar said deportations by the US are organized and executed by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities and “the standard operating procedure for deportations by aircraft used by ICE that is effective from 2012, provides for the use of restraints”. “However, we have been informed by ICE that women and children are not restrained.

Further, the needs of deportees during transit related to food and other necessities, including possible medical emergencies are attended to,” he informed the House. During toilet breaks deportees are temporarily unrestrained if needed in that regard, he said, adding, “this is applicable to chartered civilian aircraft as well as military aircraft”. “There has been no change from past procedures for the flight undertaken by the US on February 5, 2025,” Jaishankar said, referring to the US military aircraft carrying 104 illegal Indian immigrants that landed in Amritsar on Wednesday.

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