Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney confirmed that 112 individuals were on a flight carrying the third batch of Indian nationals who had allegedly illegally migrated to the United States. The flight landed in Amritsar on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters, Sawhney stated that the deportees were provided with necessary provisions, including food, diapers, and formula. She assured that arrangements had been made for their safe return to their homes. “112 people have arrived on this flight, and their immigration process is currently underway. We have ensured they are well taken care of with all the essentials, and arrangements have been made for their onward journey,” she said. “The immigration process is ongoing and will take some time.”
When asked about the number of women and children on the flight, Sawhney mentioned, “We will share the data once the immigration process is complete.”
This flight marked the third batch of deportees arriving in Amritsar following the inauguration of US President Donald Trump. Just a day prior, the second batch of Indian nationals who allegedly migrated illegally to the US had also landed in the city.
This is the third such deportation flight to land in Amritsar since President Trump’s inauguration. The first batch arrived on February 5, marking the beginning of these deportations.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who visited Amritsar on Saturday, assured the public that the deportees would be treated with care and that all necessary arrangements had been made for their stay. “Our children are the ones coming back, and no one will go hungry here. We have arranged accommodation for them, and they will stay in Amritsar for a few hours before proceeding to their respective states,” Mann said in a press briefing. He added that the Ministry of External Affairs had already booked flights for their onward journey.
On February 13, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed India’s readiness to welcome back its nationals who are residing illegally in the US. He also emphasized the need to dismantle the “ecosystem” of human trafficking that misleads people into such situations. “Those staying illegally in other countries have no legal right to remain there. India is ready to take back its citizens living illegally in the US,” said Modi during a joint press conference with President Trump.
Modi further highlighted that many of these individuals come from ordinary families and are often misled by human traffickers. “Our larger fight is against the entire ecosystem of human trafficking. We must work together, the US and India, to eradicate this system from its roots,” he added, expressing confidence in President Trump’s cooperation to end human trafficking.
