A chartered flight has been hired by the US to deport Indian nationals who had been living illegally in the country, as per the Department of Homeland Security. He further said that this has been done in cooperation with the Indian government.
The department announced on Friday that the charter flight was dispatched to India on October 22.
“Indian nationals without a legal basis to remain in the United States are subject to swift removal, and intending migrants should not fall for the lies of smugglers who proclaim otherwise,” a senior official performing the duties of Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristie A. Canegallo, said.
The statement noted that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) remains committed to enforcing US immigration laws and imposing strict consequences for unlawful entry, while promoting the use of legal immigration pathways.
Since the implementation of the Securing the Border Presidential Proclamation and the associated Interim Final Rule in June 2024, encounters at the US southwest border between ports of entry have dropped by 55 percent.
In the past year, DHS has conducted removals of individuals from various countries around the world, including Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Egypt, Mauritania, Senegal, Uzbekistan, China, and India.
The statement reported that in fiscal year 2024, DHS removed or repatriated over 160,000 individuals, conducting more than 495 international repatriation flights to over 145 countries, including India.
DHS also maintained regular communication with governments across the hemisphere and globally to ensure they accepted the return of their nationals without legal grounds to remain in the US.
This approach was one of several measures the US employed to reduce irregular migration, encourage safe and lawful pathways, and hold transnational criminal networks accountable for smuggling and exploiting vulnerable individuals, the statement added.
(With PTI inputs)