New Delhi, Feb 6 (UNI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told Parliament that the deportation of Indians from the US was done “under standard deportation procedure which provides for the use of restraints”, following uproar over the deportation of 104 Indians bound in shackles on a US aircraft.

“The process of deportation is not a new one, I repeat not a new one, and has been ongoing for several years,” he told the Rajya Sabha, and cited details of deportations from the United States since 2009.

“The deportations by the US are organized and executed by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, authorities.

"The standard operating procedure for deportation by aircraft used by ICE that is effective from 2012, provides for the use of restraints,” he added.

EAM added that the ICE informed the Indian authorities that women and children were not handcuffed, and that the needs of deportees including during transit, like provision of food and other necessities, including medical emergencies, are attended to. He said that the shackles of deportees are removed during toilet breaks.

He said the procedure is applicable to chartered civilian aircraft as well as military aircraft. “There has been no change, I repeat, no change from past procedure for the flight undertaken by the US on February 5, 2025.”

He added that India is engaging the US Government to ensure that the returning deportees are not mistreated in any manner during the flight.

EAM said the focus should be on crackdown, strong crackdown on the illegal migration industry.

“On the basis of information provided by returning deportees about the agents and others involved, law enforcement agencies will take necessary preventive and exemplary actions,” he added.

To queries from Members, EAM Jaishankar said that “advance notice was given” to Indian authorities regarding the deportation, and the deportees were provided consular access and all their passport details were checked and verified.

He added that authorities have been given instructions to sit with the returnees to find out how they went, the route they took to reach the US, and how the government can take precautions to ensure that this does not happen.

He also rejected an allegation by an opposition member that the number of deportations have gone up after 2016, and said the data of the US Homeland Security department shows that prior to 2014 the numbers were close to 1,000.

On why the US sent back the Indians on board a military aircraft, he said that the deportation procedure is decided by the Immigration and Customs Department on what aircraft to use, whether a military plane or a commercial one.

Earlier on Wednesday, a military aircraft carrying 104 Indian nationals including 33 from Punjab arrived in Amritsar from the United States.

Family members of the illegal immigrants from Punjab have claimed that they were deceived by the agents who manipulated them intro taking ther dunkey route while claiming that this is the legal route.

The kin of the deportees have demanded stringent action against the agents as the people took loans at huge interests and sold all their belongings to travel to the US.

Opposition members grilled the EAM following his statement.

“What baffles me is that the External Affairs Minister seems focussed on defending the US deportation policies than the interest of our citizens,” TMC MP Saket Gokhale said in the Rajya Sabha

Taking a potshot at the Modi government, he said that “As a Vishwaguru, our citizens are being shackled in chains, their legs being shackled together and being handcuffed. When a country like Colombia can send a plane to bring their citizens with dignity what stops our government from sending one aircraft to bring our citizens?, he asked.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh attacked the government over the deportations.

“The Indian citizens were deported by the US in a inhuman manner. And after they landed on Indian soil, you too are also not giving them respect. Our citizens were taken in prisoner vans from Haryana,” the AAP MP said.

UNI NK-RN