India verifies 388 illegal immigrants in US, all deported: Govt report
India has identified 388 illegal Indian immigrants in the US since US President Donald Trump launched his mass deportation campaign and all of them have returned to their home country.
Amid the ongoing mass deportation campaign launched by the US under President Donald Trump’s administration, India has so far identified and deported 388 of its nationals, sources told TOI. The deportees include those who arrived in India on government-chartered flights landing in Amritsar, as well as individuals who were expelled from third countries—primarily Panama—with assistance from the International Organisation for Migration.
Authorities confirm that the verification of nationality remains an ongoing process, and more deportations are likely. However, the Indian government insists that no individual will be accepted until their nationality is conclusively verified. Given the nature of illegal migration, India remains uncertain about the exact number of its undocumented citizens residing in the US, as an individual is recognized as an Indian national only after thorough verification.
Over the years, speculative figures have placed the number of illegal Indian immigrants in the US anywhere between 200,000 and 700,000. However, the Indian government maintains that it has no official data on the actual count.
“The reason is that these immigrants have legally exited India but have either overstayed their US visa validity or have entered the US illegally or without valid documents,” explained junior external affairs minister Kirti Vardhan Singh while addressing the Rajya Sabha.
Foreign minister S. Jaishankar, in a recent Parliament statement, reiterated that while it is the duty of every country to take back its citizens living abroad illegally, the process remains subject to an “unambiguous” verification of nationality.
US deportation
India has accepted 2,042 deportees from the US in 2019—the highest recorded number. In the previous year, 1,368 individuals were repatriated. However, the Indian government is shifting its focus beyond just accepting deportees—it is intensifying efforts to dismantle the illegal migration network.
Jaishankar had previously underscored the need to crack down on what he termed the “illegal migration industry,” making it clear that law enforcement agencies will take decisive action against agents and facilitators who exploit vulnerable individuals seeking unauthorized entry into foreign nations.
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