AMRITSAR, India (Diya TV) — A U.S. military aircraft with 112 Indian deportees from the United States arrived at Amritsar’s Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport Sunday evening, the third repatriation flight this month, following the Trump administration’s intensification of enforcement measures against illegal immigration.
There were 89 men, including 10 children, and 23 women, including four children. Most of the deportees were from Haryana (44), followed by Gujarat (33), Punjab (31), Uttar Pradesh (2), Himachal Pradesh (1), and Uttarakhand (1).
The latest operation is a sequel to two such deportation flights early this month. On February 5, a U.S. military aircraft deported 104 Indian migrants to Amritsar, and on February 15, a flight deported 119 individuals. The actions are part of the immigration enforcement measures by President Trump, and the use of military aircraft to transport deportees has been one of them.
The decision to use these flights to land at Amritsar has become a political controversy back home. Punjab Finance Minister, Harpal Singh Cheema, questioned the action, suggesting the central government was attempting to defame Punjab by targeting it for using Amritsar as the destination to land deportees when several of those deported were from other states as well.
Replying to questions on how the deportees are treated, India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar conceded that American regulations permitting restraint to be used in deportation flights have been in place since 2012. He assured that Indian authorities were in talks on the issue of deportees with American authorities so that the human dignity of the Indians was treated with respect during deportation.
These deportations took place as Indian Prime Minister Modi reconnected with President Trump in Washington, where immigration was a major area of focus between the two leaders.
The recent deportations have also led to tighter checks on illegal immigration gangs in India. The Punjab government has established a special investigation team to probe cases of human trafficking, and several FIRs have been lodged against fake immigration consultants based on statements of deportees.
Although the U.S. continues to have its tough immigration policies in place, there are more deportation flights lined up, underscoring the recurring problem of illegal immigration and bilateral ties between the two nations.
