By The Sampadak Express
A second batch of 119 illegal immigrants from the US, including 67 Punjabis, is scheduled to land at Amritsar’s Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport on Saturday night in a special flight, as part of a deportation drive initiated by the US government. Another flight carrying deportees is expected to arrive on February 16.This follows the earlier arrival of 104 deported individuals on a US military plane on February 5.
The Saturday flight will consist of 67 immigrants from Punjab, along with 33 from Haryana, 8 from Gujarat, 3 from Uttar Pradesh, and 2 each from Goa, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. There will also be one deportee each from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.
This marks the second batch of deportees being sent back under the Trump administration’s broader crackdown on illegal immigration. The deportation efforts are focused on individuals who either entered the US illegally or overstayed their visas. Officials revealed that deportation flights will continue on a bi-weekly basis, with more Indian nationals returning in the coming weeks.
The Indian government is actively engaged through diplomatic channels to assist in the repatriation of those affected by this deportation initiative. While the process has caused distress for many families, authorities assure that they are facilitating the return of individuals who wish to go back to India.
In parallel, both the US and India continue their efforts to tackle illegal immigration while upholding respective national laws.The deportation coincides with a recent meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, where Modi emphasized the need to combat the “ecosystem” that lures individuals to migrate illegally. Modi reiterated that anyone living illegally in another country has no legal right to do so.
However, the move to land the deportation flights in Amritsar has sparked controversy. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann strongly opposed the decision, calling it a “conspiracy by the Union government to defame Punjab and Punjabis.”
Mann expressed his concerns, questioning why Amritsar had been chosen as the landing site for the deportees, especially when there are many other airports in the country. He described this as an attempt to tarnish Punjab’s global image despite the state’s contributions as the “food bowl” and “sword arm” of India.
The Chief Minister added that he had raised the issue with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs but had not received any positive response. Mann also pointed out that with a hostile neighbor just 40 kilometers from Amritsar, it was concerning to land a US Army plane so close to the border.
The authorities continue to defend the deportation process, with ongoing diplomatic dialogue aimed at addressing the issue.
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