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NEW DELHI: A third US aircraft carrying 112 illegal Indian immigrants landed at Amritsar International Airport on Sunday, sources said. This marks the latest batch of deportations as part of the US administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
Wave of deportations
This comes after two earlier flights brought back Indian immigrants. On February 5, a US military aircraft carrying 104 deportees landed in Amritsar, followed by another flight late Saturday night carrying 116 deportees. Reports indicate that many had spent lakhs on illegal routes, often referred to as “donkey routes,” only to be detained and sent back.
According to officials, the deportees hail from Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir. Most are between 18 and 30 years old.
Families in distress
The deportations have left families in shock, many of whom took massive loans or sold land to finance their relatives’ journeys. A relative of Gurjinder Singh (27), a deportee from Punjab, revealed that the family spent nearly ?50-55 lakh to send him abroad, only to see their hopes shattered.
Punjab NRI affairs minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal met some deportees at the airport and assured them of the state government’s support. He also urged victims to file complaints against travel agents who deceived them, promising strict action.
Political reactions
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann criticized the Centre, saying, “Do not make our holy city a deport center.” He assured that the Punjab government has arranged transportation and food for the deportees and even extended support to those from Haryana.
Meanwhile, Haryana’s government faced criticism for using buses typically reserved for prisoners to transport deportees back home. Punjab’s ministers have slammed the move, calling it disrespectful.
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