Ahmad Adil
05 February 2025•Update: 05 February 2025
NEW DELHI
A US military aircraft with more than 100 deported Indians onboard landed in the northern Indian state of Punjab, officials and local media said on Wednesday.
The flight, which is the first one bringing illegal Indian immigrants to India since US President Donald Trump took office, arrived at Punjab’s Amritsar city in the afternoon.
The Punjab police said on Tuesday that the deportees will be received in a “friendly" manner and counters have been set up for them at the airport.
Local broadcaster IndiaToday said the plane had 104 individuals onboard, including 25 women.
Officials said each deported Indian national is verified.
State’s Minister for Non-Resident Indians (NRI) Affairs Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said in a statement that many Indians had entered the US with work permits, “which later expired, making them illegal.”
The Indian Foreign Ministry has yet to issue a statement on the matter.
Earlier, the US president said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured him that India "will do what's right" regarding the deportation of illegal Indian migrants.
Last month, the Indian Foreign Ministry said the government "would need to do the required verification, including the nationality of the concerned individuals before they are deported to India."
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also raised the issue of illegal Indian immigrants during his meeting with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Washington last month.
Around 4 million Indians live in the US, and President Trump has appointed at least five Indian-Americans to key positions.
