Amritsar/Chandigarh, Feb 15: A flight with 116 Indian nationals who were illegally residing in the US landed at Amritsar International Airport late Saturday night, according to official sources.
This marks the second group of Indians deported under the Donald Trump administration’s initiative to address illegal immigration. The aircraft arrived at approximately 11:30 pm, later than the scheduled 10 pm landing time, they reported.
It remains unclear whether the deportees were restrained upon arrival.
Following the initial wave of deportations on February 5, many deportees from Punjab expressed their aspirations of moving to the US for improved living conditions for their families. Their hopes were dashed when they were intercepted at the US border and subsequently returned, often in restraints.
Although initial reports indicated that the flight would carry 119 individuals, a revised count confirmed that 116 people were aboard, as per the updated passenger list.
Of those deported, 65 were from Punjab, 33 from Haryana, eight from Gujarat, two each from Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, and one from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Most deportees were aged between 18 and 30, sources added.
The families of several deportees gathered at the airport to welcome them home.
Additionally, a third flight with 157 deportees is anticipated to arrive on February 16, they mentioned.
On February 5, another US military aircraft transporting 104 illegal Indian immigrants also landed in Amritsar. Among them, 33 hailed from Haryana, 33 from Gujarat, and 30 from Punjab.
Earlier in the day, family members of the second group of deportees expressed their shock, revealing that they had financially strained themselves, pledging their farmland and livestock to facilitate their loved ones’ migration for a brighter future.
Kamalpreet Kaur, the spouse of Daljit Singh from Kurala Kalan village in Hoshiarpur district, accused a travel agent of misleading her husband.
She claimed that her husband was promised a straightforward flight to the US but was instead taken through the “donkey route,” a perilous and illegal method used by many migrants to enter America.
Many hopefuls from Punjab and other regions who sought to reach the US following this dangerous path are now being deported.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has consistently criticized the federal government for allowing US aircraft carrying illegal Indian immigrants to land in Amritsar, urging that the holy city should not be turned into a “deportation center.”
Visiting Amritsar International Airport, Mann stated that his administration is prepared to transport the Punjab residents among the current deportees back to their hometowns.
“We have arranged vehicles to take them home,” he said earlier in the day.
The chief minister also extended offers to escort deportees from Haryana to their homes.
However, the Haryana government has already made its arrangements for the return of its residents.
The deportees from other states will take a flight to Delhi from Amritsar on Sunday morning before heading to their respective destinations, Mann added.
Food provisions have been arranged for all deportees as well.
Earlier that day, while addressing reporters at Amritsar airport, the chief minister reiterated his condemnation of the Centre, stating, “Do not convert our holy city into a deport center.” He emphasized the city’s significance with landmarks like the Golden Temple, Durgiana Mandir, Ram Tirath temple, Jallianwala Bagh, and Gobindgarh Fort.
Pointing out that numerous airbases exist across the country, he remarked that flights carrying immigrants could land elsewhere.
“Would they (officials) allow the landing (of a plane with immigrants) in Vatican City if the immigrants were from there?” he questioned.
In response to a query regarding BJP leader R P Singh’s statement on X that Amritsar was the nearest international airport for arrivals from the US, Mann pondered why the Centre has not initiated direct flight services from the city, a long-standing demand of the Punjab government.
Mann, on Friday, criticized the decision to allow yet another flight with immigrants to land in Amritsar, accusing the Centre of attempting to “defame Punjab as part of a conspiracy.”
BJP General Secretary Tarun Chugh responded by accusing Mann of politicizing the issue of deportees.
Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa criticized the AAP government in Punjab for its inability to combat human trafficking.
He inquired about how many travel agents had been prosecuted for human trafficking over the past three years.
In light of ongoing concerns, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising four members, led by Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) for NRI Affairs, Praveen Sinha, has recently been formed by Punjab’s Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav to investigate reports of fraudulent travel agents involved in misleading immigration practices.
The DGP reiterated the Punjab Police’s commitment to dismantling these criminal networks and preventing the exploitation of at-risk individuals.
He urged the public to provide any information that could aid in apprehending offenders against whom cases have been filed.
Furthermore, the DGP recommended that citizens engage only with licensed agents for immigration assistance and thoroughly verify their credentials to avoid being victimized by scams. (Agencies)
