Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday (February 6) said it was the obligation of the government to take back its citizens apprehended abroad for staying illegally, as he emphasised the need to encourage legal immigration.
“It is the obligation of all countries to take back their nationals if they are found to be living illegally abroad,” he said, while addressing the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament.
Jaishankar also confirmed that deportees were cuffed throughout the journey but mentioned that women and children were not restrained.
“The deportation by the US are organised and executed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE) authority. The SOP of deportation by aircraft used by ICE which is effective from 2012 provides for the use of restraint. We have been informed by ICE that women and children are not restrained.”
The diplomat added that he would engage with US authorities to ensure that the
deportees are not mistreated on their way back home.
“…We are engaging the US government to ensure the returning deportees are not mistreated in any manner.”
Over controversy regarding military aircraft being used to send the deportees, S Jaishankar said, “It is upto the immigration authority to charter a aircraft. The process – whether it was military or chartered aircraft – it was same.”
Jaishankar stated that the deportation process by US targeting Indian illegal immigrants was not new and it began in 2009 when over 700 nationals were flown back to India on flights. He also shared the year-wise data showing the number of Indian citizens sent back to their homeland by American authorities.
2009, number of deportees: 734.2010- 799.2011- 597.2012- 530.2013- 515.2014- 591.2015- 708.2016- 1303.2017- 1024.2018- 1180.2019- 2042.2020- 1889.2021- 805.2022, 862.2023- 617.2024- 1368.2025- 104.”
The minister added that the Indian government will be cracking down on agents and agencies promoting illegal immigration.
“The House will appreciate that our focus should be on the strong crackdown against the illegal immigration industry. On the basis of information provided by the deportees, law enforcement agencies will take necessary, preventive and exemplary action against the agents and such agencies,” said the minister.
Jaishankar was addressing lawmakers amid a row over the deportation of illegal Indian immigrants by the US.
The minister earlier met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (February 6) as opposition parties created a ruckus over “inhuman” treatment by US authorities.
Both houses of the parliament earlier saw disruption by opposition lawmakers as they demanded a statement from the top diplomat.
Notably, a US military flight landed in India on Wednesday (February 5), carrying 104 illegal immigrants. Later, reports emerged that some deportees had their hands and legs cuffed throughout the journey, stirring a political storm in the country.
“We thought we were being taken to another camp. Then a police officer told us that we were being taken to India. We were handcuffed, and our legs were chained. These were opened at Amritsar airport,” a deportee was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.
Earlier, the Indian government had fact-checked a photo, which was making rounds on internet with claims that Indian immigrants were being handcuffed and chained during deportation. New Delhi said the photo in fact showed Guatemalan nationals, not Indians.
(With inputs from agencies)
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