US Begins Deportation of Indian Migrants; First Flight With 205 Passengers Departs Texas After Verification

Representative Image: US National Guards

A US military aircraft carrying 205 Indian nationals has departed from Texas, marking the return of undocumented migrants from the United States to India. Reports indicate that all individuals on board were verified by Indian embassy officials. Earlier, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated that India would accept the return of its nationals only after confirming their identities. This flight is expected to be the first of many facilitating the repatriation of illegal Indian immigrants from the US.

"We have this policy with every country and the US is no exception. We have always taken a view that if there are any of our citizens, who are not here legally, if we are sure they are our citizens, we have been open to their legitimate return to India," Jaishankar had said on January 22 while addressing media in the US.

Many of Trump’s initial executive actions in office focused on addressing illegal immigration in the US. These included declaring a national border emergency and deploying troops along the US-Mexico border. It affects thousands of undocumented Indians who landed in the US illegally or are overstaying.

A C-17 US military aircraft is being used for this deportation. Interestingly, unless equipped with an air-transportable galley, the C-17 typically has only a single toilet for 205 passengers.

The first phase of deportations comes amid reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit the United States next week, marking his first trip since Trump's second presidential term began, reported the NDTV. 

President Trump has also stated that Prime Minister Modi assured him India would take responsibility for its undocumented migrants. A Bloomberg News report suggests that India and the US have identified approximately 17,000 to 18,000 illegal Indian immigrants currently residing in the United States.