The Crossbill News Desk
India has raised concerns with the United States over the treatment of deported Indian nationals during repatriation flights, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated on Friday (February 7).
Addressing the issue, he noted that discussions with US authorities were ongoing and that India had formally conveyed its concerns regarding the handling of deportees.
On Wednesday, a US military aircraft carrying 104 Indians, who had entered the US illegally, landed in Amritsar.
The deportation comes amid President Donald Trump’s intensified crackdown on illegal immigration, with additional batches of Indian nationals reportedly being cleared for removal. According to sources, another 96 Indians have been verified for deportation.
Asked whether India had formally protested against the treatment of its citizens, Misri said, “We have been in touch with US authorities on this issue on a continuing basis, and we have always registered our concern with the US authorities that people should be treated appropriately and that includes people who are being deported currently.”
He was careful not to characterize these discussions as a “protest,” a term with stronger diplomatic implications.
“On the issue of mistreatment, it is a valid issue to raise, and we continue to emphasise to US authorities that there should be no mistreatment of deportees. But this is a continuing exercise and conversation and we will continue to take up any instances of mistreatment that come to our attention,” Misri replied to a question raised on the issue of mistreatment of the deported immigrants.
Addressing the reported shackling of women, Misri reiterated, “We have heard from US officials and have been made aware of the SOPs on the use of restraints. And EAM described this in his statement yesterday as well. Notwithstanding that, if there are specific issues brought to our attention or that we observe. We do make our concerns known to the United States, as this kind of treatment can perhaps be avoided.”
Official US data indicates that over 17,000 Indians have been issued final removal orders, though the number of actual deportations in the early days of Trump’s second term remains in the low hundreds.
The US initially provided India with a list of 203 names for deportation, of which 104 individuals have already been repatriated. An additional 96, whose identities have been verified, are set to follow.
Providing further details, Misri revealed that India had recently sought clarity on the total number of potential deportees.
“We have been told that there are up to 487 presumed Indian citizens with final removal orders with the US authorities,” he said.
“We have sought details and identifying details and particulars have been supplied to us with regard to 298 individuals. We received this a short while ago we are checking on this and we will revert to our us counterparts on these issues,” he added.
Regarding the use of a military aircraft, Misri stated that the mode of transportation was dictated by the nature of the operation.
“The US system itself it was described as a national Security operation and requested that this would be the quickest way to conduct the deportation,” he explained.
However, he also emphasized that India would explore alternatives to military flights in the future.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, currently in France, is scheduled to travel to Washington on February 13 for a brief working visit with President Trump. This will be their first official meeting since Trump’s second term began last month.
The Indian government faced strong criticism in Parliament following reports that deportees were shackled for the entirety of the 40-hour flight, including while eating and using the restroom. Questions were also raised about India's acceptance of a US military aircraft for deportation, a practice other countries had previously opposed.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, addressing Parliament on Thursday, stated that US authorities cited Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) established in 2012 for handling deportees.
Addressing the issue, he noted that discussions with US authorities were ongoing and that India had formally conveyed its concerns regarding the handling of deportees.
On Wednesday, a US military aircraft carrying 104 Indians, who had entered the US illegally, landed in Amritsar.
The deportation comes amid President Donald Trump’s intensified crackdown on illegal immigration, with additional batches of Indian nationals reportedly being cleared for removal. According to sources, another 96 Indians have been verified for deportation.
Asked whether India had formally protested against the treatment of its citizens, Misri said, “We have been in touch with US authorities on this issue on a continuing basis, and we have always registered our concern with the US authorities that people should be treated appropriately and that includes people who are being deported currently.”
He was careful not to characterize these discussions as a “protest,” a term with stronger diplomatic implications.
“On the issue of mistreatment, it is a valid issue to raise, and we continue to emphasise to US authorities that there should be no mistreatment of deportees. But this is a continuing exercise and conversation and we will continue to take up any instances of mistreatment that come to our attention,” Misri replied to a question raised on the issue of mistreatment of the deported immigrants.
Addressing the reported shackling of women, Misri reiterated, “We have heard from US officials and have been made aware of the SOPs on the use of restraints. And EAM described this in his statement yesterday as well. Notwithstanding that, if there are specific issues brought to our attention or that we observe. We do make our concerns known to the United States, as this kind of treatment can perhaps be avoided.”
Official US data indicates that over 17,000 Indians have been issued final removal orders, though the number of actual deportations in the early days of Trump’s second term remains in the low hundreds.
The US initially provided India with a list of 203 names for deportation, of which 104 individuals have already been repatriated. An additional 96, whose identities have been verified, are set to follow.
Providing further details, Misri revealed that India had recently sought clarity on the total number of potential deportees.
“We have been told that there are up to 487 presumed Indian citizens with final removal orders with the US authorities,” he said.
“We have sought details and identifying details and particulars have been supplied to us with regard to 298 individuals. We received this a short while ago we are checking on this and we will revert to our us counterparts on these issues,” he added.
Regarding the use of a military aircraft, Misri stated that the mode of transportation was dictated by the nature of the operation.
“The US system itself it was described as a national Security operation and requested that this would be the quickest way to conduct the deportation,” he explained.
However, he also emphasized that India would explore alternatives to military flights in the future.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, currently in France, is scheduled to travel to Washington on February 13 for a brief working visit with President Trump. This will be their first official meeting since Trump’s second term began last month.
The Indian government faced strong criticism in Parliament following reports that deportees were shackled for the entirety of the 40-hour flight, including while eating and using the restroom. Questions were also raised about India's acceptance of a US military aircraft for deportation, a practice other countries had previously opposed.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, addressing Parliament on Thursday, stated that US authorities cited Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) established in 2012 for handling deportees.
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