US flight carrying illegal immigrants lands in Amritsar. Cops say deportees ‘will be sent home’

Amritsar: At least 104 ‘illegal’ Indian immigrants deported from the US landed at Amritsar’s Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport Wednesday afternoon around 2 pm. The deportees arrived on a US military aircraft, along with more than 40 officials. The deported Indian nationals included at least 30 from Punjab, 33 each from Haryana and Gujarat, three from Maharashtra, and two each from Chandigarh and Uttar Pradesh.

“There will be no detention. They will be sent back to their homes respectfully,” said a senior Punjab Police official who did not wish to be named.

All necessary checks, including verification of their immigration status and criminal records, were conducted before they were allowed to return to their homes, a source in the district administration told ThePrint. Adding, “We made arrangements for food, and safe transport back to their homes. We also have a team of doctors and paediatricians on standby. We are also facilitating contact with their kin.”

The plane landed under tight police cover and amid a flurry of trucks carrying food and other items making their way to the terminal section of Amritsar airport.

Police sources said counters were set up to facilitate the arrival, adding that the police were instructed by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to be “friendly” with the deportees.

The repatriation comes against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump’s mass deportation effort which involves the use of military resources to return ‘illegal’ immigrants back to their home countries. These immigrants are primarily those who either entered the US illegally or overstayed their visas.

Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said it was unfortunate to see these individuals returning after spending lakhs in their attempt to earn a livelihood. “While it’s unfortunate, it’s also good that they are back home and not detained,” Dhaliwal said.