This is an archive article published on February 7, 2025
Govt says ‘487 presumed Indians’ under final removal orders in US
Responding to concerns over the condition of illegal Indian immigrants who were deported, the MEA said that the "the issue of mistreatment" was "valid".
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said there was no record of the government protesting Indians in "shackles" in 2012. (Screengrab: YouTube/ Ministry of External Affairs)
Days after 104 Indians were deported by the United States for illegal immigration, Foreign Secretary Vikram Visri said on Friday that there were upto 487 Indian citizens who were under ‘final removal orders’ in America. Misri added that details for 298 of these individuals have been provided, and are being verified by the government.
Responding to concerns over the condition of illegal Indian immigrants who were deported, the MEA said that the “the issue of mistreatment” was “valid”.
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“….We continue to emphasise to US authorities that there should be no mistreatment of deportees,” Misri said, adding that the MEA will continue to take up any such instances that are brought to its’s attention.
Addressing a briefing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States next week, Misri said that India had already made its concerns regarding deportation known to the US. However, he added that the US had communicated the standard operating procedure relating to the use of restraints to the MEA, and that these had been in practice for a long time.
The statement comes after some of the deportees who returned to India on Wednesday (Feb 5) alleged that they were “handcuffed”, adding that their feet were “tied with chains” and that they “were not allowed to move an inch from our seats”.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said there was no record of the government protesting Indians in "shackles" in 2012. (Screengrab: YouTube/ Ministry of External Affairs) 
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