GUWAHATI: A fourth batch of illegal Indian immigrants deported by the United States landed in Delhi on Sunday, February 23. The group of 12 was flown back via Panama, with four individuals returning home to Punjab’s Amritsar.
ALSO READ: Atishi Becomes Delhi’s First Woman Leader of Opposition
The deportations are part of a broader crackdown under US policies aimed at curbing illegal immigration. Nearly 300 Indian nationals awaiting deportation are currently being held in a Panama hotel as authorities coordinate their return.
Reports suggest that 40 per cent of these individuals have refused voluntary repatriation, prompting UN agencies to explore alternative destinations. Concerns have also been raised over their prolonged confinement in Panama, which serves as a key transit hub, while the US government continues to fund their stay.
Earlier, a third batch of Indian deportees had arrived in Amritsar on February 16. A flight carrying 112 deported individuals landed at Shri Guru Ram Dass International Airport, with the highest number from Haryana (44). Including the others, 33 were from Gujarat, 31 from Punjab, two from Uttar Pradesh, and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
This followed another flight on February 15, when a US military aircraft brought back 117 deported Indian nationals, including 65 from Punjab, 33 from Haryana, and others from Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir.
The first batch of 104 deportees arrived in Amritsar on February 5, marking the beginning of the large-scale repatriation of Indian nationals from the US.
