NEW YORK/NEW DELHI (TIP): Outrage erupted after the United States Customs and Border Protection (USBP) released footage of 104 deported Indians in chains.
USBP Chief Michael W. Banks shared the video on Thursday, writing, “USBP and partners successfully returned illegal aliens to India, marking the farthest deportation flight yet using military transport. This mission underscores our commitment to enforcing immigration laws and ensuring swift removals. If you cross illegally, you will be removed.”
The video shows Indians entering the US aircraft with their hands and legs cuffed. The deportees are seen boarding the C-17 Globemaster aircraft of the US Air Force that landed at the Amritsar airport on Wednesday.
Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said that New Delhi is engaging with the US to ensure that illegal Indian immigrants are not mistreated while being deported after opposition parties protested against the treatment of a group that was sent back this week.
Jaishankar told parliament that the process of deportation followed by US authorities was not a new one and it allows for use of restraints on immigrants being returned to their home countries.
He also said that the women and children among the deportees were not restrained, adding that India’s focus should be on strongly cracking down on the illegal migration industry.
“It is the obligation of all countries to take back their nationals if they are found to be living illegally abroad,” Jaishankar said, adding that hundreds of Indians have been deported every year for years.
“We are engaging the US government to ensure that the returning deportees are not mistreated in any manner during the flight,” he said.
The US action came just days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s visit to Washington for wide-ranging talks with President Donald Trump.
The deportees were questioned inside the airport terminal building by various government agencies, including the Punjab Police, and state and central intelligence agencies to check if they had any criminal record.
(Source: TNS)