The statement was made following a query from SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal.
New Delhi: The decision to have US deportation flights land in Amritsar, Punjab, has faced significant backlash from the Punjab Government. In response, Kirti Vardhan Singh, the Union junior minister for external affairs, revealed in a written statement to the Lok Sabha that nearly 50 percent of the Indian deportees arriving in five commercial flights from Panama between February 20 and March 2 were from Punjab.
The statement was made following a query from SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal. According to the response, out of 55 illegal immigrants deported on these five flights, 27 (49 percent) were from Punjab, 22 (40 percent) from Haryana, 3 (5 percent) from Uttar Pradesh, 2 (4 percent) from Gujarat, and 1 (2 percent) from Rajasthan.
Deportations of Punjabis from the US
Since Donald Trump assumed office, a total of 388 illegal immigrants from India, including 333 on military aircraft, have been deported from the US. Of these, 153 (40 percent) were from Punjab. The five commercial flights that landed in Delhi between February 20 and March 2 showed varying numbers of deportees from Punjab. Notably, the February 20 flight carried only two deportees, both from Haryana, with no one from Punjab.
On February 23, 12 immigrants were deported, including four from Punjab, while the February 27 flight carried 11 deportees, eight of whom were from Punjab. The February 28 flight included 9 deportees, six of whom were from Punjab, and the March 2 flight saw 21 immigrants, with nine from Punjab. Prior to these, three military flights that landed in Punjab on February 5, 15, and 16 deported 333 immigrants, with 126 (38 percent) from Punjab, 110 (33 percent) from Haryana, and the remaining from other states.
Explanation on Flight Landings
The minister further explained that the landing locations for repatriation flights were selected based on operational efficiency, airspace logistics, and the proximity to the deportees' final destinations. Additionally, he confirmed that the Indian government had raised concerns with US authorities regarding the alleged mistreatment of deportees during the process.
