Govt is in touch with US authorities to ensure no mistreatment meted out to deportees: EAM Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar yesterday said the process of deportation of illegal immigrants is a generally accepted principle in international relations, asserting that it is in the collective interest of the nations to encourage legal mobility and discourage illegal movement. Dr. S. Jaishankar said this while making a statement in the Rajya Sabha on the deportation of Indian nationals from the United States. He said it is obligatory for nations to take back their citizens who are found living illegally in other countries.

The minister informed that the process of deportation is not new, and it is a continuous process in which both military and civilian aircraft are used. He also shared data on the number of Indian deportees from other countries with the House and said 734 people were deported to India in 2009, while 1,368 were deported in 2024 and 104 this year. 

He said the Indian government is in touch with US authorities to ensure that no mistreatment is meted out to the



deportees. He clarified that the deportation process, including the use of restraints, follows a standard operating procedure, which is not a new practice. However, such restraints are not put on women and children deportees.

Dr. Jaishankar stressed the crackdown on the illegal migration industry and called for discouraging illegal movement between countries. Reacting to the statement made by the External Affairs Minister, Congress member Randeep Singh Surjewala said that the US is planning to deport more than seven lakh such Indians in a similar manner. He said that the government should inform the House about how many such Indian nationals are lodged in jails in the United States and whether any legal aid has been provided to them.

External Affairs Minister Dr. Jaishankar made a similar statement in the Lok Sabha amid the din by the opposition members. As the ruckus continued after his statement, the Speaker adjourned the House for the day.