The first batch of 104 Indian migrants living illegally in America reached Amritsar airport on Wednesday afternoon at 1:59 pm by US military aircraft C-147. This group included 13 children, 79 men and 25 women. The US Embassy has confirmed this deportation.
People from which states returned?
The migrants sent back include 30 from Punjab, 33 each from Haryana and Gujarat, 3 each from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, while 2 citizens of Chandigarh. The migrants from Gujarat were sent directly to their home state from Amritsar airport.
How were these people caught?
All the migrants were caught at the Mexico-US border while trying to enter the US illegally. They had left India legally but were trying to enter the US through the ‘donkey route’. No legal action was taken against them upon reaching India, as they had not violated Indian laws.
America’s tough policy and India’s response
This is the biggest deportation campaign ever being carried out under the strict immigration policy of US President Donald Trump. Under this, illegal immigrants from Guatemala, Peru and Honduras have also been sent back to their country by military planes. India and the US together have identified 18,000 Indian immigrants who will be expelled from the US.
Military plane carrying Indian nationals who were deported from the United States for illegal immigration lands in Amritsar. pic.twitter.com/D0TqHI84du
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) February 5, 2025
Last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed this issue with Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar. The Indian government has already made it clear that it is always ready for the return of Indian citizens living illegally in the US.
How many illegal Indian immigrants in the US?
According to the Pew Research Center, about 7.25 lakh illegal Indian immigrants are living in the US. This number comes third in the list of illegal immigrants. Citizens of Mexico and El Salvador are in first and second place respectively.
What’s next?
The Indian and US administrations are jointly taking forward the repatriation process. Experts believe that a large number of Indians may be sent back from America in the coming months.
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