Primary drivers behind deportations of Indian nationals: Saudi Arabia leads 2021–2025 compared with the United States

Official figures from India show that Saudi Arabia has removed far more Indian nationals in recent years than any other country, even as global debate focuses on United States immigration enforcement. Data from 2021 to 2025 indicates that most deportations of Indian nationals relate to visa or labour issues, not unlawful border entry or human smuggling.

According to information submitted by the Ministry of External Affairs, Saudi Arabia has reported the highest deportations of Indian nationals worldwide since 2021. The Indian Mission in Riyadh recorded 8,887 deportations in 2021, which rose to 10,277 in 2022 and 11,486 in 2023. In 2024, 9,206 Indians were sent back, while 7,019 have already been deported in 2025.

The figures underline that deportations of Indian nationals from Saudi Arabia stayed consistently high through the five-year period, even as numbers varied by year. This total remains far above those reported from the United States and many other destinations. The data also reflects how large Indian worker communities in Gulf states face enforcement linked to residency, sponsorship and employment rules.

Government data on deportations of Indian nationals from Saudi Arabia and the United States between 2021 and 2025 is summarised below. The table highlights how removals from Saudi Arabia have far exceeded those from the US during the same period, despite recent rises in American deportation numbers involving Indians.

Reasons behind deportations of Indian nationals from different countries

Explaining why deportations of Indian nationals occur, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh stated in a written reply that multiple factors are involved. Singh said, "There are several reasons for detention and deportation of Indians abroad, including overstay beyond validity of visa or residency card, working without work permit, violating labour regulations, absconding from the employer and facing of civil or criminal cases, etc".

These reasons apply across destinations, but enforcement tends to be stricter in Gulf labour markets where sponsorship systems link workers closely to employers. Deportations of Indian nationals often follow checks on residence permits, workplace inspections, or disputes that lead to legal cases under local laws and labour regulations.

United States trends in deportations of Indian nationals

While public attention often centres on the United States, deportations of Indian nationals from that country have remained below Gulf levels during this period. Indian missions in the US reported that the Washington DC mission recorded 805 deportations in 2021, 862 in 2022 and 617 in 2023. The number then climbed to 1,368 in 2024 before jumping to 3,414 in 2025.

Most recent deportations of Indian nationals from the United States have been linked to the Washington DC and Houston jurisdictions, with 234 cases reported there. Other Indian missions in cities including San Francisco, New York, Atlanta, Chicago and Houston generally recorded numbers in double digits or low hundreds, far short of the volumes documented in Saudi Arabia and some neighbouring Gulf states.

Other regional deportations of Indian nationals and government response

Beyond Saudi Arabia and the United States, several Asian countries have also deported notable numbers of Indian nationals in recent years. Myanmar reported 1,591 deportations of Indian nationals, the United Arab Emirates logged 1,469, Bahrain recorded 764, Malaysia reported 1,485, Thailand documented 481 and Cambodia registered 305 cases, according to the same official data set.

The government said that protection of Indians overseas remains a top priority and that Indian missions keep close contact with local authorities wherever deportations of Indian nationals occur. Missions coordinate assistance, legal help, rescue efforts and repatriation where required, aiming to support affected Indians while respecting the immigration and labour laws of the host countries.