The flight landed at 1.55 pm.

While 30 of the deportees are from Punjab, 33 each are from Haryana and Gujarat, three each from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and two from Chandigarh, the sources said.

An official confirmation on the number of deportees is awaited.

Earlier reports claimed that US military plane C-17 was carrying 205 illegal immigrants.

This is the first batch of illegal Indian immigrants to have been deported by the US government.

After Donald Trump assumed office as the US President last month, the country’s law enforcement agencies have launched a crackdown against illegal immigrants.

Many people from Punjab, who entered the US through “donkey routes” or other illegal means by spending lakhs of rupees, are now facing deportation.

India’s position on the deportation of illegal immigrants

Last month, Union external affairs minister S Jaishankar said India would accept those illegal immigrants after a verification process. “Such action is often linked to other unlawful activities. It is neither desirable nor beneficial for our reputation. If any of our citizens are found to be in the US illegally, and we verify their citizenship, we are open to their lawful return to India,” Jaishankar had said.

Ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that India is ready to take back its citizens who are reportedly overstaying. At a recent press briefing, he said, “For Indians not just in the United States, but anywhere in the world, if they are Indian nationals and they are overstaying, or they are in a particular country without proper documentation, we will take them back, provided documents are shared with us so that we can verify their nationality and that they are indeed Indians. If that happens to be the case, we will take things forward and facilitate their return to India.”

Reasons behind so many illegal Indian immigrants in the US

According to Business Standard, the number of Indian migrants attempting to enter the US unlawfully has grown. A US-based Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data states that Indians make up three percent, surpassing other Asian groups such as Filipinos.

In 2023-24, as many as 90,415 attempts by Indian nationals to enter the country without authorisation, mostly via the northern border, were recorded by US officials.

Better economic conditions are one of the main reasons why Indians attempt to enter the US illegally.

“The lowest per capita income in the US is USD 48,110 recorded in the state of Mississippi. But the net national income for India is about 2.4 percent of that, which is around USD 1,161. Bihar has the lowest per capita income at about USD 708, or around 1.5 percent of the poorest state in the US,” Partner at Circle of Counsels Russell A Stamets Russell was quoted by Business Standard.

Source: Siasat Daily