More than a 100 Indians were deported from the US this week as the Donald Trump government cracks down on ‘illegal migrants’. The deportees claimed their hands and legs were cuffed throughout the journey and that they were unshackled only after landing in Amritsar. Visuals shared online appeared to corroborate this claim — sparking widespread outrage and condemnation.
US Border Patrol chief Michael W Banks also shared a video of the deportation process that featured chained Indians making their way into the military aircraft. The ‘illegal’ migrants have since dubbed their experience as being “worse than hell” — with their hands and feet shackled for 40 hours.
“USBP and partners successfully returned illegal aliens to India, marking the farthest deportation flight yet using military transport. This mission underscores our commitment to enforcing immigration laws and ensuring swift removals. If you cross illegally, you will be removed,” Banks wrote on X.
A photo of purported Indians being deported in chains has also gone viral in recent days — sparking outrage from several quarters. A PIB fact-check into the matter however indicated that the image in question showed ‘illegal’ migrants who were being deported to Guatemala.
It is however pertinent to note that the video posted on X by Banks also shows immigrants with chains tied around their ankles as they shuffle towards the military plane. The widely-shared ‘fake’ photo was not included in this footage.
Uproar in Parliament
The recent deportation of over a 100 Indians has also sparked uproar in the Opposition ranks — with lawmakers leading protests in Parliament on Thursday. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar however assured that New Delhi was engaging with the US to ensure that deported Indians were not mistreated. He also reiterated the need to crack down strongly on the illegal migration industry.
“We are of course engaging the US government to ensure the returning deportees are not mistreated in any manner during the flight. At the same time the House will appreciate that our focus should be on strong crackdown on the illegal migration industry, while taking steps to ease visas for the legitimate travellers,” he told the Rajya Sabha.
(With inputs from agencies)
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