Illegal Indian immigrants have been sent back according to regulations since 2009

• External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar said while addressing Parliament

• Incident where 104 illegal Indian immigrants were sent back shackled on hands and ankles

New Delhi – The United States sent 104 Indians who were staying illegally in America back to India in its military aircraft, the ‘C-17 Globemaster’. This aircraft landed at the airport in Amritsar, Punjab, on the night of 5thFebruary. It was found that the Indians sent back by the US had shackles on their hands and feet. It was revealed that they had been shackled during the 40-hour journey. The opposition party has strongly criticised the ruling BJP over this issue. Protests were also held outside Parliament on 6thFebruary, causing a temporary suspension of parliamentary proceedings.In response, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar gave a statement in the Rajya Sabha. He said that the procedure of sending back illegal immigrants via aircraft is not new and has been done before. He further explained that this has been done as per the regulations and read out statistics from 2009 onwards showing how migrants have been sent back.

Since 2009, Indians Have Been Sent Back as per Rules! – External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar informs the Parliament.

An incident where the US deported 104 Indians shackling their hands and feet for illegal stay in the USA. https://t.co/JTmDJfl5jG pic.twitter.com/SWOd9p7POJ

— Sanatan Prabhat (@SanatanPrabhat) February 6, 2025

Among the Indians sent back to India, 30 are from Punjab, 33 each from Haryana and Gujarat, and 3 each from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, as well as 2 from Chandigarh. However, no official information about this number was received. Sources also revealed that the group includes 19 women and 13 minors. All these individuals are being investigated by various Government agencies, including the Punjab Police, to verify if there are any criminal charges against them.

Dr Jaishankar said :

1. The planning and execution of the deportation process is carried out by the US Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Since 2012, the department has been using a ‘Standard Operating Procedure’ for sending individuals back by air.

2. When migrants are sent back by plane, they are shackled. However, according to the information provided by ICE, no restraints are placed on women and children. Additionally, food and other necessities are provided for the comfort of those being sent back.

3. Emergency medical services are also included in such cases. If necessary, migrants are freed from restraints to access facilities such as restrooms. These rules apply to both civilian and military aircraft.

4. There was no change in the procedures used for the aircraft that sent back Indians on 5th February. We are in contact with the US Government to ensure that Indian citizens are treated respectfully during the deportation process.