11 hours Ago
AMRITSAR/CHANDIGARH: Punjab has made preparations to receive deported Indian illegal migrants arriving at Amritsar in a military aircraft from the United States. A US C-17 military aircraft departed from San Antonio, Texas, and is en route to Amritsar with 205 unauthorised Indian immigrants on board, according to reports. The flight is expected to arrive at Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport on Wednesday.
Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said the state govt will receive the deportees belonging to Punjab in a "friendly" manner and will "set up counters for them". He was responding to a question during a press conference on deportation of illegal immigrants by the US after attending a high-level meeting chaired by Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann to review law and order in the state. He said the issue (of the US military plane landing with illegal immigrants at Amritsar airport) was discussed at the meeting.
"We are in touch with the govt. We will share the information as and when it comes," DGP Yadav added. Another senior Punjab police officer said, "Anyone who is wanted by us and against whom a lookout circular has been issued will be arrested at the airport itself by the central agencies.
We are yet to get the list of who all are arriving. Once we get the list, we can check the criminal antecedents, if any, and act as required. But right now there is no such indication that they are sending any hardcore criminals.
Those arriving probably are the ones who went there for bread and butter. So, essentially we will treat them humanely." The deportees belong to Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, according to a Punjab govt functionary.
There were "around 30 persons hailing from Punjab" and the "maximum" from Haryana, slightly higher than Punjab, the person added. Another functionary said there would be around 100 illegal immigrants in total who would arrive in the US plane. The functionary said the Punjab govt would "arrange for the transportation" of those belonging to Punjab, and that other state govts would do so for the illegal immigrants from their states.
The deportees will undergo a thorough immigration process on landing in Amritsar the functionary said, adding that police verification of the illegal immigrants "is being handled by the ministry of external affairs". A senior Punjab police officer said central agencies would be looking into the aspects of criminal antecedents, if any, "as it will be their domain". "We will assess their records, including any involvement in criminal activity.
Only after these checks are completed, and we are satisfied, will the deportees be allowed to exit the airport. This process aims to ensure that all legal and security protocols are strictly followed," a senior officer at Amritsar airport said on condition of anonymity, adding that after completion of formalities the deported Indians would be allowed to go to their homes. Relatives of the deported Indians are expected to gather at the airport to receive them.
However, sources revealed that even the families of the people being deported are not aware of the exact arrival details. "This lack of communication has raised concern about potential confusion or chaos at the airport, but we expect a smooth operation despite uncertainties," said an official involved in the process, adding that while there could be some disruptions, they have made all necessary arrangements. This flight is part of the crackdown launched by the US govt after President Donald Trump started his second term.
It is expected that more illegal immigrants from India will be deported on similar flights. The US govt has not released any details on the current number of illegal Indian immigrants in that country. Pew Research, in its 2019-2022 report on unauthorised immigrants living in the US, has put India as the third highest contributor of illegals who live in the US, at 725,000, behind El Salvador (750,000) and Mexico (4 million).
However, the US department of homeland security in its latest report pegged the number of illegal Indian immigrants at 220,000 in 2022, down from 480,000 in 2018. They should not have been deported: Punjab NRI affairs minister Punjab NRI affairs minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal expressed disappointment over the US decision to deport these people, saying they have contributed to the US economy and should have been granted permanent residency instead of being deported. Many people from Punjab had entered the US through the "donkey route" or by other illegal means by spending lakhs of rupees and are now facing deportation, Dhaliwal said, describing the issue as "very serious".
He said he plans to meet the external affairs minister next week to discuss the concerns and interests of Punjabis living in the US. He also appealed to Punjabis not to travel abroad by illegal routes and stressed the importance of acquiring skills and education to access opportunities worldwide..
