Third Consignment of Illegal Indian Immigrants Sent Back to US, Arrives in Amritsar

The third group of Indian citizens, who are reported to have entered the United States illegally, arrived at Amritsar Airport on Sunday in a flight. Reports say a minimum of 112 Indians were deported and will move on to their homes afterwards after undergoing requisite formalities at the airport.

This deportation comes soon after another deportation flight in the early morning hours, which returned 116 Indians to the same airport.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has promised that the deported will be treated well. Addressing a press conference in Amritsar on Saturday, he stated, “Our children are coming back to their country, and we will make sure that nobody will remain hungry. Arrangements have been made for their accommodation. They will stay here for some hours before being taken to their respective states, as flights have already been booked by the Ministry of External Affairs.”

The arrival of deportation flights at Amritsar has also been politically controversial, with CM Mann accusing the central government of trying to “defame” Punjabis.

#WATCH | Punjab: Aircraft carrying the third batch of illegal Indian immigrants lands in Amritsar as it arrives from the US. pic.twitter.com/siuyMUTbMP

— ANI (@ANI) February 16, 2025

“There is a conspiracy to defame Punjab and Punjabis. The MEA should make it clear on what grounds Amritsar was selected for these deportation flights. This is an attempt to defame Punjab,” Mann said on Friday.

This is the second deportation flight to Amritsar after the advent of US President Donald Trump. Previously, on February 5, a US Air Force aircraft had also flown back Indian citizens who were allegedly illegal migrants.

Simultaneously, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reaffirmed India’s position on repatriating its citizens who are illegally present in other countries. Addressing a joint press meet with President Trump, PM Modi underlined the necessity of breaking the chain of human trafficking that leads people astray into illegal migration.

“Those who remain in other nations illegally do not possess any legal status to be there. India always kept saying that if they are proven Indian citizens and are residing illegally, we are prepared to repatriate them,” Modi told reporters.

He again continued, “Most of these people are from regular families and are lured by human traffickers with false promises. Our struggle is not merely against illegal migration but against the whole system of human trafficking. We have no doubt that President Trump will assist us in entirety to demolish this ecosystem.”

As deportation flights continue and political tensions escalate, the question of illegal migration is still a pressing issue in Indo-US relations.