US to Deport 487 Indian Nationals: India Raises Alarm Over Inhumane Treatment
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The United States has sent India a list of 295 individuals whose citizenship will be confirmed, and they will be deported back to India. These individuals are part of a larger group of 487 people identified for deportation from the U.S. The information was disclosed by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri during a press conference on Friday. Misri confirmed that 487 Indian nationals had been identified for potential deportation, with details of 295 individuals already shared with India. He noted that U.S. authorities are in the process of verifying the information.
The Foreign Secretary emphasized that this is a regular procedure, which was also explained by the External Affairs Minister in Parliament. He added that it would be inappropriate to describe India as uncooperative. "Any country would want to ensure that the individuals being deported are its own citizens, as legal and security concerns are involved," Misri said. The U.S. had initially informed India about the potential deportation of 487 Indian nationals. In response, the Indian government sought further information, and the U.S. subsequently provided detailed data on 298 individuals. Misri assured that India is maintaining full transparency in the process and is actively engaged in discussions with U.S. authorities.
In addition, India raised concerns with the U.S. regarding the treatment of illegal immigrants during deportation. This comes amid controversy over the deportation of illegal Indian immigrants in handcuffs during a 40-hour flight aboard a U.S. military aircraft. Misri remarked, "We have expressed our concerns to the U.S. that such treatment could have been avoided." Regarding the practice of handcuffing illegal immigrants, Misri confirmed that this U.S. policy has been in place since 2012. When questioned whether India had raised objections to the handcuffing and deportation of immigrants back in 2012, he responded, "I don’t think there was any protest at that time. We have no record of any objection, which was referred to by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Parliament on Thursday."
