India raises concerns over shackled deportation of illegal immigrants by the US
FS Vikram Misri highlighted US policy has been in place since 2012 and India will continue addressing mistreatment cases.
Indians deported in a military vehicle from the US (Photo: X)
Guwahati, Feb 8: India has raised concerns with the United States over the deportation of illegal Indian immigrants in shackles, emphasising that such treatment was avoidable. The issue gained prominence after reports emerged of deportees being handcuffed during a 40-hour flight on a US military aircraft.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, addressing media queries on Friday, confirmed that India had conveyed its concerns to Washington. "We do make our concerns known to the United States that this kind of treatment can perhaps be avoided," Misri stated.
According to US authorities, there are up to 487 presumed Indian citizens with a “final removal order,” and details of 298 individuals have been shared with New Delhi for verification. Misri also noted that the US practice of restraining deportees has been in place since 2012.
Responding to a question on whether India had previously protested against the practice, Misri said, "I don't think there was any protest. We don't have any record of any protest having been made about it."
He referred to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s recent statement in Parliament, which highlighted the US standard operating procedure on deportation practices.
Misri assured that India continues to emphasise to US authorities that deportees should not face mistreatment. "We will continue to take up any instances of mistreatment that come to our attention," he affirmed.
Additionally, the Foreign Secretary underscored the need to address the root cause of illegal immigration. "The real cancer is the ecosystem of illegal immigration," he remarked, stressing the importance of cracking down on human trafficking networks facilitating unlawful migration.