India engaging with US to ensure deportees are not mistreated: Jaishankar

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday that the Indian government is engaging with the United States to ensure deported Indian nationals are not mistreated during flights.

His remarks came amid criticism over the deportation of 104 Indians, who arrived in Amritsar on a US military aircraft on Wednesday.

Jaishankar said that it is the responsibility of all nations to take back their citizens if they are living illegally abroad. He also pointed out that deportations of Indian nationals from the US have been ongoing for years, with 15,756 individuals sent back since 2009.

Providing a breakdown, he noted that annual deportations ranged from 530 to 799 between 2009 and 2013. The numbers rose significantly after 2014, peaking at 2,042 in 2019.

In recent years, 1,889 Indians were deported in 2020, followed by 805 in 2021, 862 in 2022, 670 in 2023, and 1,368 last year.

The minister also explained that the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been using air transport for deportations since 2012.

He assured that while restraints such as handcuffs and shackles are used, women and children are exempt. Deportees’ basic needs, including food and medical care, are also taken into consideration, and restraints are loosened when necessary, such as for restroom use.