NEW DELHI– More than 2,790 Indian nationals have been deported from the United States this year for illegally residing in the country, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed on Thursday. The deportations followed a detailed verification process by Indian authorities to confirm the individuals’ credentials and nationality.
“Since January this year, we have had over 2,790 Indian nationals who did not meet the criteria. They were illegally staying there, and we verified their credentials, their nationality, and they have returned. This is the status as of yesterday,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a weekly media briefing in New Delhi.
Addressing a related question, Jaiswal added that approximately 100 Indian nationals were also deported from the United Kingdom after their nationality was verified by Indian officials.
India has repeatedly emphasized its stance against illegal migration while supporting the creation of legal and safe avenues for individuals seeking to work or settle abroad.
“In the last several months, since January 2025 so far, we’ve had 2,417 Indian nationals deported or repatriated from the United States… We want to promote legal pathways of migration. At the same time, India stands against illegal migration,” Jaiswal said in a previous briefing.
Among the recent deportees was Harjit Kaur, a 73-year-old Sikh woman from Punjab, who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a routine check-in in California and returned to India in September.
“Whenever there is a person who does not possess legal status in any country, and he or she is referred to us with documents claiming to be an Indian national, we conduct background checks, confirm nationality, and then facilitate their return. This is what has been happening with deportations from the United States,” Jaiswal added. (Source: IANS)
