‘US identifies 487 Indians for deportation, shares details of 298 with New Delhi’

New Delhi: The United States has informed India that up to 487 presumed Indian citizens have received “final removal orders,” with identifying details supplied to New Delhi for 298 individuals, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Friday. Misri’s remarks came during a special briefing ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s planned visit to the US. His comments follow recent controversy over the deportation of 104 illegal Indian immigrants by the US, which has sparked concern in India. Addressing a query on whether India had formally protested the deportations, Misri stated, “Yes, we have been in touch with US authorities on this issue on a continuing basis, and we have registered our concern with them on this matter.”

Misri was also questioned about reports that many of the deportees were handcuffed onboard the US military aircraft, a C-17 Globemaster, which landed in Amritsar on Wednesday.

“This particular deportation that happened day before yesterday was somewhat different as compared to the earlier ones that have taken place for many, many years, as you would be aware of. This was slightly different in nature because, in the US system itself, it was described as a ‘national security operation.’ And that is perhaps one of the reasons why a military aircraft was used,” Misri explained.

When asked if alternative deportation methods were being considered, Misri said, “In so far as alternatives are concerned, we will consider any alternative that would be feasible.”

Regarding the last instance of deportation via military aircraft, he stated, “I will probably need to go and check the last time a military aircraft was used... I don’t have the information immediately.”

Misri also clarified that the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) governing deportations has been in place since 2012 and was shared by US authorities.

The foreign secretary elaborated on the deportation process, noting that there are “multiple categories” of returnees. “There are people who are returned and those who are removed from the US. And the difference is on account of the judicial process, or the official and the legal processes that are applied,” he explained.

Asked whether more deportation flights were expected, Misri responded that it would depend on the verification process.

“It is hard to give an exact number because we can’t call anybody a confirmed Indian national until we verify,” he said. “Any country in the world, if it is going to accept its nationals back, will want to have the assurance that whoever is coming back is a bona fide citizen of that country. There are issues of legality and security associated with it. Therefore, we have been in close communication with the US on this matter. As soon as information is provided to us, we do due diligence and then action follows.”

Misri also provided figures, stating, “In recent conversations, when we sought details about the potential returnees from the US, we have been told that there are up to 487 presumed Indian citizens with final removal orders with the US authorities.

“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, and we are checking on this. We will revert to our US counterparts on these issues. About the others, we have not yet been provided the details.”

During the briefing, Misri emphasised the role of human smuggling networks, describing them as the “real cancer” behind illegal migration.

“Gangs deceive innocent people and take huge sums of money from them and take them abroad, but they have to return like this. Action is needed against such people, and the external affairs minister also drew attention to this. The government will have to work on this further,” he said.

Regarding concerns over the mistreatment of deportees, Misri acknowledged the issue, stating, “We continue to emphasise to the 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.” When asked whether India had protested similar deportations in the past, Misri said, “I don’t think there was any protest. We don’t have any record of any protest being made about it.”