NEW DELHI, Mar 27: The Ministry of External Affairs has not hired any IAF, chartered or commercial civilian aircraft for Indian immigrants’ repatriation from any country since 2020, the government informed Parliament on Thursday.
Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita said this in a written response to a query in Rajya Sabha by TMC MP Saket Gokhale.
The MEA was asked the details of all instances when the ministry used Indian Air Force aircraft or chartered or commercial civilian aircraft for the repatriation of Indian immigrants being deported from other countries between 2020 till date.
It also asked the details of countries that have used military aircraft for deporting Indian immigrants since 2020.
“The Ministry of External Affairs has not hired any Indian Air Force or Chartered/Commercial Civilian aircraft for the purposes of repatriation of Indian immigrants being deported from any country since 2020. However, in a few exceptional cases, Indian immigrants facing deportation were assisted to return home on means-tested basis through purchase of tickets on commercial flights,” Margherita said.
A total 388 Indian nationals have been deported from the US since January 2025, the government informed Parliament on March 21. They were illegally residing in the US and were deported in military aircraft.
Of these, 333 were deported directly from the US on three separate military flights in February.
Also, the US deported 55 Indian nationals through Panama in commercial flights, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh had said in a written response in Lok Sabha.
From 2009 to 2024, a total of 15,564 Indian nationals have been deported by the US to India in chartered or commercial aircraft, the minister said.
In response to a separate query from AAP MP Harbhajan Singh, MoS Kirti Vardhan Singh on Thursday said the government has registered its concerns with the US government regarding the need to accommodate religious sensitivities and food preferences of Indian nationals who are being deported.
“In response, the US authorities have conveyed that deportees on the three chartered flights that arrived on 5th, 15th & 16th February 2025 respectively were not instructed to remove any religious head coverings and that the deportees did not request any religious accommodation during the flights, aside from requesting for vegetarian meals. The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) also conveyed that some of the detainees arrived at the US border without turbans,” he said.
The MEA remains engaged with the US side to ensure humane treatment of deportees during such operations, the minister said.
In response to a separate question, he said beginning January 20, 2025, the US deported a total of 55 Indian nationals who arrived in New Delhi via Panama.
These individuals were deported to Panama by the US under a bilateral arrangement.
“Panama in turn facilitated the deportation of these individuals to New Delhi on
commercial flights with the assistance of the International Organisation of Migration (IOM). No Indian national has been deported by the US to any other country besides Panama. The Ministry of External Affairs remains engaged with the US in ensuring the safe return of all individuals who have been verified as Indian nationals,” he added. (PTI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
