GG News Bureau
New Delhi/Washington, 4th Feb. A total of 205 Indian nationals who had entered the United States illegally have been deported on a US military aircraft, which took off from Texas approximately six hours ago, sources told NDTV. The deportation process, reportedly coordinated with Indian authorities, marks the first of several such flights expected to repatriate illegal Indian immigrants from the US.
The deported individuals are being flown back on a C-17 US military aircraft. Interestingly, unless specially fitted with an air-transportable galley, the aircraft has only one toilet available for the 205 passengers onboard.
The mass deportation aligns with US President Donald Trump’s stringent immigration policies. Similar flights have previously transported deported illegal immigrants to Guatemala, Peru, and Honduras.
This development comes amid reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit the US next week—his first trip after Trump assumed office for a second term. External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar had earlier stated that India remains open to the “legitimate return” of Indian nationals residing illegally in foreign countries, including the US.
“For the first time in history, we are locating and loading illegal aliens into military aircraft and flying them back to the places from which they came,” President Trump told reporters last month.
Trump also claimed that PM Modi had assured him that India “will do what’s right” regarding the repatriation of illegal Indian immigrants. According to a Bloomberg report, India and the US have identified approximately 18,000 Indian migrants who entered the US illegally. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has reiterated India’s stance against illegal immigration, citing its links to organized crime.
“For Indians not just in the United States but anywhere in the world—if they are Indian nationals and are overstaying or do not have proper documentation—we will take them back, provided their nationality is verified,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a press briefing.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the US Embassy in New Delhi stated that the US is “vigorously enforcing its border, tightening immigration laws, and removing illegal migrants.” “These actions send a clear message: illegal migration is not worth the risk,” the official added.
With the US stepping up deportation measures, further repatriation flights carrying illegal Indian migrants are likely in the coming weeks.
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