NEW DELHI: The United States is in the process of sending back close to 600 more illegal migrants to India, even as Indian authorities on Friday said that New Delhi has conveyed its concerns to Washington at the treatment of deportees after images of people in shackles repatriated on a military flight triggered a nationwide outcry.
While the US informed the Indian side some time ago that 487 “presumed Indian citizens” were served with final removal orders, another 203 illegal migrants were rounded up in sweeps by American authorities, mostly along the border with Mexico, last month, people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity.
Of the 203 detained recently, 104 were sent back on a C-17 military aircraft that landed in Amritsar on Wednesday. Of the 99 that remain from this group, the Indian side has verified the nationality of 96 more individuals and they are expected to be deported in the coming days, the people said. When added to the 487 already served with the final removal order, the tally of people now in the process of being sent back climbs to 586.
Foreign secretary Vikram Misri, who faced a volley of questions at a media briefing on this week’s deportation flight and the treatment of deportees, including the shackling of both men and women, said that the US authorities had informed India about people served with the final removal orders. “In recent conversations, when we sought details about potential returnees from the US, we have been told that there are up to 487 presumed Indian citizens with final removal orders with the US authorities,” he said.
When India sought further details, the US supplied particulars for 298 individuals. “We received this a short while ago, we are checking on this and we will revert to our US counterparts on these issues,” he said. “We have been very transparent on this issue with our US counterparts.”
Misri responded to questions on whether the Indian side raised the treatment of deportees, including the use of handcuffs and shackles, by saying this kind of treatment “can perhaps be avoided”.
“We are in touch with the US authorities, and we have made our concerns known,” Misri said. “On the issue of mistreatment, it is a valid issue to raise, and we continue to emphasise to US authorities that there should be no mistreatment of deportees. But this is a continuing exercise and conversation, and we will continue to take up any instances of mistreatment that come to our attention.”
The people cited above said the Indian side also conveyed its concerns to the US over women on Wednesday’s deportation flight being shackled. External affairs minister S Jaishankar told both houses of Parliament on Thursday that the Indian side was informed by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that “women and children are not restrained” during deportation flights.
On Thursday, lawmakers from Opposition parties, including the Congress, TMC and Samajwadi Party, disrupted proceedings in Lok Sabha and targeted the government over the “mistreatment” of deportees. The Opposition forced the adjournment of Lok Sabha as MPs trooped into the well of the House and shouted slogans against the government.
Several deportees, including women, told media including Hindustan Times about being shackled throughout the nearly 40-hour flight from the US and facing difficulties in using the toilet on the C-17 aircraft.
Responding to questions on these issues, Misri reiterated what Jaishankar had said in his statement in Parliament – that ICE’s standard operating procedures (SOPs) for deportation by aircraft, which have been in effect since 2012, provide for the use of restraints. He said there was no record of any protest in the past by India against these SOPs.
Misri said there was no change from past procedures regarding clearance and approval for the latest deportation flight. The US system described the latest deportation flight as a “national security operation” and that is perhaps the reason why a military aircraft was used, he said.
Asked if more deportation flights are expected in the near future, Misri said there are reports about illegal immigrants from India in different states in the US and it is difficult to provide details. Though New Delhi will accept deportees only after verification of their nationality, Misri said he wouldn’t accept the “description of India as an uncooperative country”.
The “real cancer”, Misri said, is the ecosystem promoting illegal migration and the gangs involved in misleading innocent people, taking large amounts of money from them and trafficking them. “Action needs to be taken across the system against the underlying ecosystem that thrives on promoting illegal immigration,” he said.