What Foreign Ministry Said On US Using Military Jet For Deporting Indians
Over 100 Indians living illegally in the United States were deported and sent back in a C-17 Globemaster III – a military aircraft – which landed in Amritsar on Tuesday. The one-of-a-kind deportation of Indians from the US or any other country using a military plane raised questions about the treatment of Indian citizens. Foreign Secretary, Vikram Misri, today at a press briefing responded to the use of a US Air Force plane and the conditions in which Indians were deported.
“This particular deportation is somewhat different compared to earlier flights. In the US system itself, it was described as a national security operation, so maybe that’s why they used a military plane,” Mr Misri said.
The Centre has announced that the US authorities have told India that 487 presumed Indian citizens with “final removal orders”.
On Tuesday, a US military aircraft landed at Amritsar airport with 104 handcuffed Indians with shackled legs for a flight that lasted almost 24 hours.
USBP Chief Michael W Banks posted the 24-second video on X with a statement that said, “… successfully returned illegal aliens to India, marking the farthest deportation flight yet using military transport. This mission underscores our commitment to enforcing immigration laws…”
USBP and partners successfully returned illegal aliens to India, marking the farthest deportation flight yet using military transport. This mission underscores our commitment to enforcing immigration laws and ensuring swift removals.
If you cross illegally, you will be removed. pic.twitter.com/WW4OWYzWOf
— Chief Michael W. Banks (@USBPChief) February 5, 2025
“If you cross illegally, you will be removed” — A warning followed at the end of the video. The deportees, who were presented as ‘prisoners’ by the US were accompanied by American soldiers who boarded the flight.
Ever since Donald Trump took control of the Oval Office, he has vowed to deport ‘illegal aliens’ – a term, often referred to as derogatory for migrants who entered a country – back to their home country. Earlier, US military aircraft have flown back immigrants deported to Guatemala, Peru and Honduras.
The first round of deportation, which involved Indians, comes a week before Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the United States on February 12 and 13. This will be Prime Minister Modi’s first meeting with Donald Trump, who was inaugurated as President last month.
External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, spoke in Parliament yesterday and said the United States’ deportation of illegal migrants is not a new development and has been going on for several years.
Mr Jaishankar pointed to hundreds of Indians deported every year, for illegally entering or staying in that country. These numbers ranged from 530 in 2012 to over 2,000 in 2019.
“It is in our collective interest to encourage legal mobility and discourage illegal movement (and) it is the obligation of all countries to take back their nationals if they are found to be living illegally abroad.”
“The process of deportation (by the US) is, therefore, not new… it has been there for years. This is not a policy applicable to only one country. Our focus should be on crackdown on illegal migrants,” he said, acknowledging also, “We are engaging with the US to ensure deportees are not mistreated.”
He also said US authorities had not restrained women and children, and that “needs of deportees, related to food and other necessities, including possible medical emergencies” were attended to.
Sending 104 Indian Back – How Much Did It Cost?
The Indians undertook the treacherous ‘Donkey’ route to reach the United States. They shared how their dreams were shattered after spending lakhs to arrive only to get deported a few months later.
The C-17 is a heavy transport military aircraft, which has a high cost of maintenance compared to normal commercial airliners. Last week, the flight to Guatemala had likely incurred a cost of $4,675 per migrant, five times $853, the average cost of a one-way first class, according to news agency Reuters.
The cost was significantly higher for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) which hired commercial jets for deportation in the past.
The cost of deporting 64 migrants to Guatemala on the C-17 aircraft was around $28,500 per hour, Reuters quoted an unnamed US official as saying. The flight took about 10.5 hours to complete the journey. This excluded any ground time or time taken to prepare for take-off.
Basing Guatemala as a reference, the cost of operating a C-17 and the
flight from San Antonio, Texas to Amritsar, which lasts 19 hours, combined with the cost to transport a deported, the amount comes over half a million dollars or Rs 4 crore.
