1,100 Indian Nationals Repatriated From US During 2023-24 Financial Year, US Homeland Security Official Says

During the 2023-24 fiscal year, the US repatriated around 1,100 illegal Indian residents via charter and commercial flights. The US DHS removed or returned over 160,000 individuals operating flights to 145 countries.

Representational Image | A charter flight carrying deported Indian nationals, including adult males and females, landed in Punjab on October 22.

Source : ABPLIVE AI

In the 2023-24 American financial year, which concluded on 30 September, approximately 1,100 Indian nationals who had been residing illegally in the United States were repatriated to India through a combination of charter and commercial flights, according to Royce Murray, Assistant Secretary for Border and Immigration Policy, US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Murray made the remarks on Tuesday during a virtual briefing that addressed the US DHS's cooperation with the Indian government on irregular migration.

Murray confirmed that a charter flight on 22 October, which carried a batch of deported Indian nationals, had landed in Punjab. She noted that no minors were on this flight, clarifying, "These were all male and female adults.” However, she did not disclose the exact origin of the flight or the specific locations in the United States where the deported individuals had been staying.

US Repatriates Over 160,000 People To More Than 145 Countries

The briefing followed a recent announcement by US homeland authorities on the deportation of Indian nationals who were staying in the US without legal documentation. Addressing a question on these deportations, Murray reiterated the number of Indian nationals repatriated during the 2023-24 fiscal year, which ran from 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2024.

In a separate response, Murray explained that the deportations had been conducted through both chartered and commercial flights over the financial year. The DHS, through US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), had operated a significant charter removal flight to India on 22 October. According to a statement released by DHS on 25 October, this flight included individuals who "did not establish legal basis to remain in the United States."

The DHS statement further revealed that during the 2024 fiscal year, the department removed or returned over 160,000 individuals and operated more than 495 international repatriation flights to over 145 countries, including India.