All 33 people from Gujarat, who were among the 104 Indians deported from the US for illegal immigration, were safely transported to their hometowns on Thursday in state vehicles under police supervision, the Gujarat government stated.
Following the deportation, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi directed officials to ensure security and coordination for the deportees.
A flight carrying the 33 Gujarati immigrants, including women and children, arrived at Ahmedabad Airport from Amritsar on Thursday morning. This came a day after a US military aircraft transported 104 deported Indian immigrants to Amritsar.
The Gujarat Director General of Police, Vikas Sahay, had deployed a deputy superintendent of police (DySP) at Amritsar airport to oversee security and coordination. Upon arrival at Ahmedabad airport, a police-nominated nodal officer ensured their safe transportation. The deportees were then escorted to their native places in government vehicles under police supervision.
Jaishankar Addresses Deportation Concerns in Parliament
During the Parliament Budget Session, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar responded to criticism over the treatment of the deportees, clarifying that deportations have been a routine process for years.
Since 2009, a total of 15,668 illegal Indian immigrants have been deported from the US, he stated. He emphasized that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) follows standard procedures, ensuring deportees’ needs are met, and women and children are not restrained.
However, some returnees claimed they were shackled throughout the flight and only unrestrained after landing. Among them, 37 were aged between 18-25 years, while another 30 were in their thirties. Some had spent only a few days in the US before detention, while others had been in custody for weeks.
Jaishankar reiterated that the US military aircraft used on February 5 followed past deportation procedures and assured that the Indian government continues to engage with US authorities on the matter.
