Opposition, Centre Lock Horns Over Deportation Of Indians From US: "As 'Vishwa Guru', Our Citizens Are..."

A major political controversy has erupted over the deportation of more than 100 Indian nationals from the United States, with the Opposition questioning why the Centre did not intervene to repatriate them on its own terms.

The deportees, many of whom had entered the US illegally, were reportedly restrained and handcuffed aboard a US military aircraft before it landed in Amritsar yesterday.

The Indian government has defended its position, citing international obligations, but Opposition leaders have accused it of inaction and failing to safeguard Indian citizens from alleged mistreatment.

Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale and Aam Aadmi Party's Sanjay Singh, speaking after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressed Parliament today, highlighted that India had previously arranged special flights to evacuate its citizens from crisis zones.

"We are the fifth largest economy in the world and soon we will become 'Vishwa Guru'. As 'Vishwa Guru', our citizens are being shackled in chains when countries like Colombia, which doesn't even figure in the top 10, can send an aircraft and bring their citizens back with dignity. What stops our government from sending an aircraft? We don't have a shortage of it," said Gokhale in Parliament.

During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, India conducted large-scale evacuations from various countries. In 2020, Air India operated special flights to repatriate Indians from Wuhan, China - the epicentre of the outbreak. Similarly, India carried out mass evacuations from Ukraine following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Citing these precedents, Opposition leaders have questioned why the Indian government did not take similar steps to bring back the deported nationals from the US, instead of allowing them to be transported under strict security measures by American authorities.

"How did the US military plane land on Indian soil? Why were our citizens brought in handcuffs?" asked Singh in Parliament.

"What baffles me is that the External Affairs Minister seems focused on defending the US deportation policies rather than the interest of our citizens," said Gokhale.

Defending the government's stance in the Rajya Sabha, Jaishankar argued that every country has an obligation to take back its nationals if they are found to be living illegally abroad.

He also noted that the deportations were carried out by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under standard procedures that have been in place since 2012.

"The deportation by the US is organised and executed by ICE authorities. Their standard operating procedure provides for the use of restraints, but we have been informed that women and children are not restrained," Jaishankar stated.

He further assured that the Indian government was engaging with US authorities to ensure that deportees were not mistreated.

"It is in our collective interest to encourage legal mobility and discourage illegal movement," he added.

The US Embassy in India, while refraining from sharing specific details, has stated that it is "vigorously enforcing" border and immigration laws and that these actions send a "clear message: illegal migration is not worth the risk."

Amid the growing criticism, the Centre is considering introducing a new law, tentatively titled the Overseas Mobility (Facilitation and Welfare) Bill, 2024. The proposed legislation aims to promote "safe, orderly, and regular migration for overseas employment" and could establish a framework for future deportation and immigration policies.