Two flights carrying 119 Indian migrants who were deported from the United States are scheduled to arrive at Guru Ram Dass International Airport in Amritsar on February 15 and 16. Both flights are expected to land at 10:05 PM, according to officials.
Most of the deportees are from Punjab (67), followed by Haryana (33), Gujarat (8), and smaller numbers from Uttar Pradesh (3), Maharashtra (2), Goa (2), Rajasthan (2), and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
These individuals entered the US illegally, often through Mexico, and some reportedly tore up their passports after arriving. This is the second group of deportees returning to India amid a strict crackdown on illegal immigration by the Trump administration.
The first flight arrived on February 5, bringing back 104 deportees from various states. Among them were 33 from Haryana, 33 from Gujarat, and 30 from Punjab. Many deportees claimed they were handcuffed during the flight and were only released when they landed in Amritsar.
This treatment has caused a lot of anger in India, with opposition leaders urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the issue with US officials during his upcoming visit to Washington. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the deportees were treated “even worse than garbage.”
In response to the public outcry, the Indian government has raised concerns with the US about how its citizens are treated during deportation. The experiences of these deportees have also led police in Punjab and Haryana to crack down on dishonest travel agents who take advantage of people trying to migrate illegally to the US.
As these flights arrive, the situation highlights the challenges faced by those seeking better lives abroad and raises important questions about immigration policies and the treatment of migrants.
