US sends illegal Indian immigrants back on plane | India News

NEW DELHI: The US sent a plane carrying illegal Indian immigrants back to India earlier this week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said. Indian government officials here said the deportations by chartered plane were the result of cooperation with the United States on immigration and displacement.
DHS announced that on October 22nd, a large chartered plane was used to conduct removal flights to India for Indian nationals who do not have a legal basis to remain in the United States. This demonstrates the Department’s “continued commitment to pursue sustained cooperation with the Government of India and other international partners to jointly address the reduction and deterrence of illegal migration and combating human smuggling.” said in a press release. But DHS did not provide details on how many migrants there were or where in India they came from.
“Indians with no legal basis to be in the United States will be subject to immediate deportation, and would-be immigrants should not be fooled by smugglers’ lies when they claim otherwise.” Department of Homeland Security said a senior official discharging the duties of Deputy Commissioner. Canegallo. “DHS continues to enforce our nation’s laws,” the official added.
As part of India-US cooperation on immigration and movement, the two countries are working on a process to deter illegal immigration, according to Indian government officials. “This is being done to create more avenues for legal immigration from India to the US. The recent deportation of Indian nationals via chartered flights is a result of this collaboration,” the official said. , added that these deportations have been occurring for several years.
Since June 2024, DHS has deported or repatriated more than 160,000 people and operated more than 495 international repatriation flights to more than 145 countries, including India.
The Indian government announced in Congress last year that U.S. authorities encountered 96,917 illegal Indian immigrants in 2023, according to data published on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website. The annual India-US Consular Dialogue is a mechanism for the two countries to discuss consular issues of mutual interest, including ensuring safe and legal immigration.
DHS said it regularly works with foreign governments in the hemisphere and around the world to accommodate the repatriation of their nationals who have no legal basis to be in the United States.
“This will help DHS reduce irregular migration, promote the use of safe, legal and orderly routes, and hold transnational criminal networks accountable for smuggling and exploitation of vulnerable populations. “It is one of many tools used,” the report said.

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