Engaging with US govt to ensure Indians are not mistreated: EAM S Jaishankar tells Parliament amid deportation row

Deportation Row: Union Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar told the Parliament on Thursday that the deportation of ‘illegal’ Indians by the US authorities was organised.

The Minister said that the Union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was engaging with President Donald Trump-led US administration to ensure Indians are not mistreated.

“The deportation by the US are organised and executed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE) authority,” Jaishankar said addressing Rajya Sabha.

Jaishankar's statement in Rajya Sabha during the ongoing Budget Session of the Parliament came after the protests and sloganeering by opposition members earlier in the day. Jaishankar acknowledged that ICE uses restraint during deportation. 

Use of Restraint by ICE: EAM

“The SOP of deportation by aircraft used by ICE, which has been effective since 2012, provides for the use of restraint. We have been informed by ICE that women and children are not restrained,” Jaishankar said. 

The minister will speak in the Lok Sabha at 3 PM. He said that all countries have an obligation to take back their nationals if they are found to be living illegally abroad. “We are engaging the US government to ensure the returning deportees are not mistreated in any manner,” he said.

“It is in our collective interest to encourage legal mobility and discourage illegal movement. More than any other relationship, mobility and migration have had a key role to play in enhancing its quality,” said Jaishankar.

Opposition MPs in Lok Sabha took to sloganeering and protested in the well of the House even as Speaker Om Birla appealed to them not to resort to “planned disruptions”. 

“Your matter is with the government. This is a matter of the Ministry of External Affairs. This subject is related to another country. The government has taken cognisance of it,” Birla said.

A C-17 aircraft carrying Indians?

A C-17 aircraft, reportedly carrying Indian migrants, was seen departing from the United States. This C-17 flight marked the first deportation of Indian nationals since US President Donald Trump took office on January 20.

The US military aircraft carrying 104 illegal immigrants from various states landed in Amritsar. A viral post circulating on social media showed that Indians were “handcuffed” and “humiliated” while on board the plane, leading the Indian government to clarify the matter.

The PIB Fact Check, however, called the video fake. “A Fake image is being shared on social media by many accounts with a claim that illegal Indian migrants have been handcuffed and their legs chained while being deported by the US. The image being shared in these posts does not pertain to Indians. Instead, it shows those deported to Guatemala,” it said.

On January 24, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it would facilitate the return of Indian nationals "overstaying" or residing without proper documentation in the United States or “anywhere in the world”.