Punjab accounts for 67 of the 119 deportees, Haryana for 33, Gujarat for eight, Uttar Pradesh for three, Goa, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan for two, and Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir for one
Since U.S. President Donald Trump began a crackdown on illegal immigrants, this would be the second batch of Indian citizens removed from the country. A U.S. military plane flew up to 104 illegal immigrants to Amritsar on February 5 with their legs tied and handcuffed, drawing harsh criticism.
Eight from Gujarat, three from Uttar Pradesh, two each from Goa, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, one each from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, and 67 from Punjab, Haryana, and Haryana make up the 119 deportees, according to sources. On February 16, another plane is anticipated to arrive with further deportees.
Bhagwant Mann, the chief minister of Punjab, responded angrily to the American plane’s landing in Amritsar.
“The BJP government at the federal level never gives Punjab and Punjabis a chance to be disparaged. The BJP seeks to discredit Punjab as part of a plot. The first plane to land in Amritsar was part of a chain of illegal migrants being deported by the U.S. government. The second plane is already approaching and will land in Amritsar as well. Why? What factors did the Centre consider when selecting Amritsar? The only thing you (Centre) have chosen to do is disparage Punjab and Punjabis. Speaking at a press conference in Amritsar, he declared, “Deportation is a national problem.”
“A U.S. Army jet is landing here, despite the fact that Amritsar is 40 miles from a hostile neighbour, Pakistan. The jet carrying the deportees is landing here without any justification in an attempt to damage the State’s reputation. Why can’t this plane be flown to another area of the country if the Rafale jet can land in Ambala, Haryana, and the plane carrying former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina can arrive at Hindon airport? Although it is projected that Punjab is disproportionately affected by illegal immigration, only Punjabis are being deported from the United States, he noted that illegal immigration is not just a Punjab problem but a national one.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has failed to protect Indians’ rights, Mr. Mann stated, taking aim at the “self proclaimed global leader.” He claimed that the deportation of the chained Indians via Army plane when Mr. Modi was shaking hands with his friend Mr. Trump was a failure of the nation’s foreign policy.
Many people, particularly Punjabi young, go overseas in search of a better life. The phenomenon of illegal and irregular migration has risen significantly in size along with the migratory trend. Although the amount of irregular migration from Punjab is “substantial,” there is very little reliable information about irregular migrants available to the general public.
Following the expulsion of 104 migrants from the United States, Punjab Police established a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into illegal migration and human trafficking.
