Speaking in parliament, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said New Dehi will make sure nationals who are being repatriated are not “mistreated”
India’s Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has addressed reports of Indian migrants being mistreated during their deportation from the US. The top diplomat told parliament that such repatriations have been happening for several years and that there “has been no change from past procedure” during the round of deportation initiated by US President Donald Trump.
The minister’s comments came after US Border Patrol (USBP) chief Michael Banks posted a video showing Indian nationals in handcuffs and leg restraints while boarding a deportation aircraft, which went viral on social media, raiding concerns regarding the treatment of migrants.
A US military C-17 transport aircraft carrying 104 Indians landed in Amritsar, Punjab on Wednesday, marking the first such deportation to India under Trump’s second-term crackdown on illegal migration. Upon arrival, local police took the deportees for verification and questioning.
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Jaishankar pointed out that hundreds of Indians who enter the US illegally or overstay their visas are deported every year. These numbers have ranged from 734 in 2009 to 1,889 in 2020 and 1,368 in 2023. “This is not something new, this has been happening for many years,” the minister said.
He added that Indian authorities are always involved in such cases and ensure that deported individuals are treated appropriately.
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“The needs of deportees during transit related to food or other necessities, including possible medical emergencies, are attended to. During toilet breaks, deportees are temporarily unrestrained if needed in that regard. This is applicable to chartered civilian aircraft as well as military aircraft. There has been no change from past procedure, I repeat, no change, from past procedure for the flight undertaken by the US on February 5, 2025,” he said.
New Delhi is engaging the US federal government to ensure that “the returning deportees are not mistreated in any manner during the flight,” the diplomat said, adding that India’s focus should be a crackdown on the illegal migration industry.
Earlier, Jaishankar, who visited Washington for Trump’s inauguration in January and met with US officials, emphasized that India is strongly against its citizens engaging in unlawful migration to other countries, and is willing to facilitate their “legitimate return” to their homeland.
A US embassy spokesperson in New Delhi earlier told media that the US is taking a firm stance on unauthorized entry. “The United States is vigorously enforcing its border, tightening immigration laws, and removing illegal migrants. These actions send a clear message: illegal migration is not worth the risk,” the spokesperson said, according to ANI news agency.
The issue of Indian migrants entering the US illegally is going to be “high on the agenda” when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Washington and meets White House officials next week, according to media reports.
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