A US military C-17 aircraft carrying 104 deported Indian nationals landed at Amritsar airport around 1 PM on February 5. The flight, which took off from Texas on Tuesday afternoon, also carried 11 crew members and 45 US officials overseeing the deportation process.
The highest number of deportees are from Gujarat and Haryana (33 each), followed by Punjab (30), IE reported. Two individuals each are from Uttar Pradesh and Chandigarh, while three are from Maharashtra. The group includes 25 women and 12 minors, with the youngest passenger being just four years old. Additionally, 48 individuals are below the age of 25, the report further said.
A senior Punjab Police official confirmed to IE that most deportees from Punjab hail from the Majha region, including Gurdaspur, Amritsar and Tarn Taran, while others come from Jalandhar, Nawanshahr, Patiala, Mohali and Sangrur. The deportation comes amid the US government’s intensified crackdown on individuals who have entered the country illegally or overstayed their visas.
Punjab police have implemented strict security measures at the airport. Speaking to the media, Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav stated, “We discussed this in a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister today. He has directed us to ensure that the Punjab government receives them in a friendly manner. Our officers are stationed at the airport, and we are in coordination with the central government.”
Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said that deportation was preferable to prolonged detention in US jails, while Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann assured all possible support to those returning.
Meanwhile, a Punjab police official confirmed that authorities would screen the deportees for any past criminal records before allowing them to proceed to their respective home states.