Now deportation order for 487 ‘Indians’; Will the shackles and handcuffs be removed?
#News Bureau February 7,2025
The issue of sending 104 ‘illegal’ immigrants back from America in shackles and handcuffs has not even settled down that an order has been issued to deport 487 more potential Indians from America. Now questions are being raised whether efforts will be made to bring them back honorably? New doubts are being raised in the shadow of sending 104 ‘illegal’ immigrants back in an inhumane manner in an American military ship.
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How deep the doubts are on the methods of deportation from America can be understood from the fact that the Ministry of External Affairs has now given a briefing on this. The issue of sending Indians back in shackles and handcuffs in an American military ship has created a storm in the country. Amidst this controversy in the country, Prime Minister Modi is going on a US visit on 12-13 February and he is scheduled to meet President Trump. So will the illegal immigrants being sent back now be able to get honorable deportation
Only the Ministry of External Affairs can answer this question. To understand this, first know what the Ministry of External Affairs has said. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Friday that 487 Indian citizens in the US are under ‘final removal orders’. Misri said that information of 298 of these people has been given and they are being verified by the government. Responding to concerns over the status of illegal Indian immigrants deported, the Ministry of External Affairs said that the issue of mistreatment was valid. He said, ‘…we have been telling the US authorities that there should be no mistreatment of the deported people.’ He said that the Ministry of External Affairs will continue to raise any such matter which is brought to its attention. Misri was addressing a briefing about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US next week. This statement of the Ministry of External Affairs has come when the issue of sending back 104 illegal immigrants from the US is hot. The US military aircraft carrying 104 illegal Indian immigrants reached Amritsar on Wednesday afternoon. Along with this, photos of some people with handcuffs and shackles on their feet went viral on social media. Later, an American official posted a video of this.
The deported people narrated their ordeal and said that they were brought in a military plane tied in shackles and handcuffs. They had to struggle for 40 hours even to go to the bathroom. The opposition criticized the Modi government for this inhuman situation.
There was an uproar in both the houses of Parliament on Thursday on the issue of deportation of illegal Indian immigrants from America. Both the houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, had to be adjourned till noon. Amidst the uproar over the inhuman sending of Indians from America tied in chains and handcuffs like criminals, Prime Minister Modi had reminded of the handcuffs and shackles of the Emergency. The Prime Minister said in the Rajya Sabha, ‘During the Emergency, many great men of the country, including George Fernandes, were handcuffed and tied in chains. Members of Parliament, dignitaries of the country were handcuffed and shackled.’External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also said in Rajya Sabha on Thursday that Indian citizens were handcuffed as per the 2012 policy adopted by the US. All these developments have taken place when PM Modi is scheduled to visit the US next week.PM to visit US on February 12-13Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has issued a briefing about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US next week on February 12-13. He said that India has conveyed its concerns to the US about the deportation. However, he said that the US has informed the Ministry of External Affairs about the standard operating procedure related to the use of handcuffs and these have been in practice for a long time.Announcing the PM’s visit, the Foreign Secretary said, ‘PM Modi will be among the first few global leaders to visit the US after Trump’s swearing-in. The fact that the Prime Minister has been invited to visit the US barely three weeks after the new administration took office shows the importance of the India-US partnership and the bipartisan support this partnership enjoys in the US. The two leaders, who shared a cordial relationship during Trump’s first term, had a phone conversation last week. The White House had said that the two leaders discussed immigration, security and trade relations. Describing Trump as his dear friend, PM Modi had said that the two leaders will work together towards the welfare of our people and global peace.
