MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal CONFIRMS the deportation of over 2,790 Indians from the US this year, says ‘staying illegally…’

More than 2,790 Indian nationals have been deported from the United States this year for illegally staying in the country, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed on Thursday. The exercise was conducted after Indian authorities thoroughly verified their credentials and nationality.

“Since January this year, we have had more than 2,790 Indian nationals who did not meet the criteria. They were staying there illegally, and we verified their credentials and their nationality and they have returned. This is the status as of yesterday,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a weekly media briefing in New Delhi.

Replying to a question on the issue of deportation of Indians from other countries, Jaiswal further stated that around 100 Indian nationals have also been deported from the United Kingdom following the verification of their nationality by the Indian authorities.

India reiterates its long-standing stance against illegal migration while underscoring its commitment to promoting legal migration routes.

“In the past few months, since January 2025 to date, 2,417 Indian nationals have been deported or repatriated from the United States… We want to promote legal migration routes. At the same time, India is opposing illegal migration,” Jaiswal had said last month

Harjit Kaur, a 73-year-old Sikh woman from Punjab, was among the latest deportees to arrive in India from the US in September after being detained by California authorities during a routine check-in by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“Every time there is a person who does not have legal status in any country, and he or she is referred to us with documents when it is alleged that he or she is an Indian national, we do the background check, confirm the nationality, and then we are in a position to take them back. And this is what has happened with deportations from the United States,” Jaiswal had added.