205 deported Indians from US to land in Amritsar in afternoon

A US military aircraft carrying around 200 illegal Indian immigrants is likely to land at the Shri Guru Ramdas Ji International Airport in Amritsar on Wednesday afternoon (February 5).

Also read: Illegal migration not worth the risk: US embassy after deportation of 205 Indians

Earlier, the aircraft was expected to land in the morning. So far, details of those on the plane are not available, according to a PTI report.

Over 200 illegal immigrants

According to reports, the US military plane C-17 is carrying 205 illegal immigrants hailing from Punjab and neighbouring states.

Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said on Tuesday that the state government would receive the immigrants and set up counters at the airport.

Also read: 'Are you waiting for some muhurat': SC slams Assam govt for not deporting foreigners

Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal on Tuesday expressed disappointment over the US government's decision and said these individuals, who contributed to that country's economy, should have been granted permanent residency instead of being deported.

He said many Indians entered the US on work permits which later expired, making them illegal immigrants.

Minister's appeal

The minister said he plans to meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar next week to discuss the concerns and interests of Punjabis living in the US.

Dhaliwal had also appealed to Punjabis not to travel abroad through illegal means, emphasising the importance of acquiring skills and education to access opportunities worldwide.

He encouraged people to research legal ways, acquire education and language skills before travelling abroad.

After Donald Trump assumed office as the US President last month, the country's law enforcement agencies have launched a crackdown against illegal immigrants.

Many people from Punjab, who entered the US through "donkey routes" or other illegal means by spending lakhs of rupees, are now facing deportation.

18,000 illegal immigrants from India

According to estimates, around 18,000 illegal immigrants from India have been identified by American authorities for deportation.

Days after Trump came to power for a second term, India indicated its willingness to work with Washington to address issues relating to illegal immigration.

India is opposed to illegal immigration because of its links to several forms of organised crime, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said last month, adding New Delhi will take back all Indians who have either overstayed in the US or are there without documentation.

"We will take them back provided documents are shared with us so that we can verify their nationality, that they are indeed Indians," he had said.

At the same time, Jaiswal said it would be "premature" to talk about the number of illegal Indian immigrants staying in the US.

'America to send back 7.25 lakh Indians'

Meanwhile, Congress Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Shukla said in a post on 'X' that he attended a meeting of parliamentary committee on external affairs where he came to know that "America is sending back 7.25 lakh Indians by calling them illegal".

"What will they do after coming here?" he asked.

In October last year, the US hired a chartered flight to deport Indian nationals who had been staying in the country illegally.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of the US had said that it remains committed to enforcing US immigration laws, imposing strict consequences on those who enter the country illegally.

(With agency inputs)