External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the use of restraints on male deportees was part of the US standard operating procedure. The minister's statement came amidst loud protests over the US shackling Indian nationals, and flying them down on a military aircraft.
Published Feb 06, 2025 | 8:07 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 06, 2025 | 8:07 PM
Alleged illegal migrants, handcuffed and chained, board a USAF aircraft. (X/US Air Force)
Synopsis: Male members in the deported group were handcuffed and chained throughout the entire duration of the flight, which the Opposition felt was an insult to the country and Indians. The incident led to vociferous protests in both houses of Parliament on Thursday, 6 February.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India was engaging the Donald Trump administration in the US to ensure that the deportees from that country are not mistreated.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, 6 February, the Indian minister said the use of restraints on male deportees was part of the US standard operating procedure (SOP). The minister’s statement came amidst loud protests over the US shackling the deported Indians.
Jaishankar clarified in the Rajya Sabha that women and children were not restrained. He reiterated that the SOP was in place since 2012. He also gave a breakup of Indians deported from the US since 2009 (see infographics below).
“The deportations by the US are organised and executed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The SOP for deportations by aircraft, effective from 2012, provides for the use of restraint. We have been informed by ICE that women and children are not restrained,” reports quoted the minister.
Jaishankar said the deportees were provided food and medicine, and temporarily unrestrained during toilet breaks. He asserted that the government would focus on cracking down on the illegal immigration industry.
Speaking in Rajya Sabha.
https://t.co/t7EnlHYvtn— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 6, 2025
The Opposition MPs, meanwhile, vociferously protested the US handcuffing and chaining 104 Indian deportees. The protests disrupted the proceedings of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
Indian nationals deported from the US since 2009.
The MPs protested in the well of the Lok Sabha despite Speaker Om Birla’s assurance that the government has taken cognisance of the matter and that the subject was related to another country. The Speaker adjourned the House till 3:30 pm as the protest continued.
Earlier, Congress MP from Kerala KC Venugopal moved an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha, urging the Centre to explain the diplomatic steps initiated to engage with the Trump administration.
Speaking to reporters, Venugopal wondered why the diplomatic relationship between the US and India was not helping to avoid this type of unfortunate scenes.
Former diplomat and Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor later told journalists that deporting Indian nationals in handcuffs was an insult to the country.
“They (the US) have every legal right to deport people who are staying illegally in their country… but to send them like this abruptly in a military aircraft and handcuffs is an insult to India, it’s an insult to the dignity of Indians,” he reportedly said.
"My friend" Trump should have at least been impressed upon to show dignity to the Indians deported. They could have been brought back on passenger flights without the humiliation of handcuffs. Unfortunate that GoI hasn't protested against this inhuman treatment. pic.twitter.com/puUkoVu8he
— John Brittas (@JohnBrittas) February 6, 2025
A US Air Force C-17 aircraft from San Antonio, Texas, brought 104 Indian nationals to the Shri Guru Ramdas Ji International Airport in Amritsar on Wednesday afternoon.
The deportees included 33 each from Haryana and Gujarat, 30 from Punjab. three each from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and two from Chandigarh. As many as 19 women and 13 minors, including a four-year-old boy, were in the group.
Most of the deportees had paid lakhs of rupees to agents in India. They were taken through the “dunki” route, a Punjabi idiom meaning, “to hop from place to place”.
It refers to an illegal immigration technique known as “donkey flights”, a method involving crossing multiple international borders and stops in multiple countries, facilitated by agents who charge exorbitant fees.
According to reports, approximately 18,000 illegal Indian migrants have been identified in the US for deportation. The actual number of illegal Indian migrants in the US could be higher.
