India's Ministry of External Affairs has revealed that 682 Indian nationals have been deported from the United States since January 2025, with the majority attempting to enter the country illegally.
Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, informed the Lok Sabha on Friday, that these deportations are unlikely to impact remittance flows to India, as most deportees were apprehended at the US border and deported after verification, reports NDTV.
The Indian government is working closely with US authorities to address issues related to illegal immigration and human trafficking. Mr Singh emphasised that the government is taking strong action against criminal facilitators and illegal immigration networks.
The government is also promoting mutually advantageous and secure mobility frameworks to streamline the movement of students, professionals, and tourists.
"The Government of India continues to work in close coordination with the US government on all instances of deportation of individuals who were found to have illegally entered the US, or have overstayed their visa validity, or have been found living in the US without any documentation or have criminal convictions against them."
"The list of persons identified for deportation by the US side is closely scrutinised and verified by the concerned agencies of the Government of India. Only those persons who have been verified to be Indian nationals are accepted to be deported to India," he said.
In response to a separate question, Mr Singh noted that the government does not maintain data on individuals who may have entered the US through illegal means. However, based on accounts from returning deportees, the government has registered cases and is investigating several illegal immigration agents and human trafficking syndicates.
"Data on such people is only received from the US authorities in the context of repatriation exercises from time to time. Based on the harrowing accounts and testimonies of returning deportees, the Central and the respective state governments and agencies have registered cases, and investigations as well as actions are ongoing against several illegal immigration agents, criminal facilitators and human trafficking syndicates that run these rackets," he added.
The US has deported a total of 15,564 Indian nationals since 2009 to 2024, with 388 individuals deported since January 2025. The deportations have sparked concerns about the treatment of deportees, with the Indian government strongly registering its concerns with US authorities.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
