Since January 20 this year, the United States has deported 1,563 Indian nationals, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. Most of these individuals were sent back on commercial flights after their nationality was confirmed by Indian authorities.
The MEA spokesperson said the process involves the US side sharing the names of people set to be deported, and the Indian government verifying their citizenship before granting clearance. In recent weeks, multiple groups of Indian nationals have arrived back in the country through regular flights.
In April this year, the Indian government had informed Parliament that 682 Indians were deported from the United States since January. Most of these deportees had reportedly attempted to enter the US illegally.
Government records presented earlier also showed that during Donald Trump’s first tenure as US President, 6,135 Indians were deported, with the highest number of 2,042 deportations reported in 2019.
The deportation process has not been without controversy. In a recent incident, over 300 Indian nationals, including women and children, were deported on three US military flights. Reports stated that several of them were handcuffed, raising concerns and criticism.
Authorities have said that deportations are carried out only after due confirmation of nationality and are part of regular procedures followed between the two countries.
