External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday spoke on the issue of deportation of Indians from the United States. He said that it is the obligation of all countries to take back their nationals if they are found to be living illegally abroad. However, he pointed out that the government is engaging with the US to ensure the returning deportees are not mistreated in any manner.
Jaishankar further said that the deportation by the US are organised and executed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE) authority, and the SOP of deportation by aircraft used by ICE provides for the use of restraint. “We have been informed by ICE that women and children are not restrained,” he said.
He highlighted that the deportees were provided food and water on the flight and that their chains were opened when they went to the toilet. They were also provided with medical facilities as per their need, he said.
“It is the obligation of all countries to take back their nationals if they are found to be living illegally abroad. This is naturally subject to an unambiguous verification of their nationality. This is not a policy applicable to any specific country nor indeed one only practiced by India. It is a general accepted principle in international relations,” the External Affairs Minister said.
Speaking in Rajya Sabha on Indian citizens deported from the US, EAM S Jaishankar says, “…It is the obligation of all countries to take back their nationals if they are found to be living illegally abroad…” pic.twitter.com/6tnkvqbuQJ
— ANI (@ANI) February 6, 2025
This comes a day after 104 illegal Indian immigrants were deported by the United States. The C-17 military aircraft landed in Punjab’s Amritsar on Wednesday.
“The view of the Government that it is in our collective interest to encourage legal mobility and discourage illegal movement. In fact, illegal mobility and migration has many other associated activities also of an illegal nature. Moreover, those of our citizens who have been inveigled into illegal movement themselves become prey to other crimes,” he said, adding that government is aware that there have been fatalities in the course of illegal migration.
The EAM also stressed that the process of deportation is not something new and that it has been going on for several years. He further shared details of deportation from the US since 2009.
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“There has been no change, I repeat, no change from past procedure for the flight undertaken by the US on 5 February 2025. Honourable Chairman Sir, we are, of course, engaging the US Government to ensure that the returning deportees are not mistreated in any manner during the flight,” Jaishankar added.
Jaishankar addressed the issue in the Rajya Sabha as the opposition memebers protested over the inhumane manner in which the deportees were brought.
