In the second round of deportations as part of US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration, 119 illegal Indian immigrants are set to land at Punjab’s Amritsar International Airport in an American military aircraft on Saturday.
The C-17 US military aircraft will carry 67 persons from Punjab, 33 from Haryana, eight from Gujarat, three Uttar Pradesh natives, two each from Rajasthan and Maharashtra, and one each native of Goa, Jammu and Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh.
Saturday’s flight is expected to arrive at the Amristar airport around 10 pm.
The deportations will continue every other week till all the illegal immigrants are not sent back to their respective homeland, a news agency PTI report said.
Last week, 104 illegal Indian migrants were deported from the US. They were sent in a US military C-17 transport aircraft to Amritsar.
PM Modi on illegal migration, human trafficking
The deportations also come in the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the US, where he met Trump to discuss several key bilateral issues, including immigration.
Addressing a joint press conference, PM Modi affirmed that New Delhi is ready to take back its citizens living illegally in America. He said most of those staying in the US illegally come from ordinary families, often misguided by human traffickers.
“They are shown big dreams and most of them are such who are misled and brought here. So, we should attack this entire system of human trafficking. Together, it should be the effort of the US and India to destroy such an ecosystem from its roots so that human trafficking ends… Our bigger fight is against that entire ecosystem, and we are confident that President Trump will fully cooperate with India in finishing this ecosystem,” the prime minister said at the presser.
Treatment to Indian deportees
However, it is notable that the treatment given to the deported Indians did not sit well, sparking a massive controversy among people and the political circuit alike. Opposition leaders came down heavily on the Centre, asking it to take a stand against the unfair treatment given to the deportees.
The handcuffing and shackling of deportees has been justified by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a standard security protocol used on deportation flights to prevent escape attempts or disruptions.
However, many have argued that such a practice is excessive and inhuman, especially for people who have committed no crimes beyond immigration violations.
Eam jaishankar’s statement
External affairs minister S Jaishankar addressed the matter in the Parliament and asserted that India is engaging with US officials to ensure that the deportees are given dignified treatment. He further emphasised that while immigration laws must be upheld, humane treatment should be not a compromise.
The Trump administration has brought down a wreck in the lives of thousands of Indians, placing immense pressure on the central government to manage the reintegration efforts.
As the immigration laws in the US are being tightened, India will also have to find ways to curb illegal migration with the help of stronger border management and diplomatic negotiations.
