Lok Sabha Question No. 1242 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-06
Subject: Repatriation of Illegal Indian Emigrants
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Rajeev Rai

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-1242

## ANSWERED ON- 06/02/2026

## REPATRIATION OF ILLEGAL INDIAN EMIGRANTS

## 1242. SHRI RAJEEV RAI

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:-

(a)   whether   many   Indians   who   had   earlier   immigrated   to   USA   and European countries through illegal means have been repatriated by these countries in last two years;

(b) if so, the details of such immigrants repatriated in the last three years, year-wise;

(c) whether it is a fact that these countries have repatriated Indian illegal emigrants to the USA in very inhuman and tortuous conditions, if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government has taken up the matter with the USA and got any assurance from that country regarding humane expatriation of illegal emigrants to our country;

(e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and

(f) whether the Government is considering to propose an international convention to discuss the issue and chalk out guidelines for repatriation of illegal emigrants to their native country in just and humane conditions, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a to b) Most of the foreign countries do not provide information on illegal stay in their countries, except when they are under orders of deportation and travel document/nationality verification is required. The procedure followed for deportation of foreign nationals also varies from country to country. Some countries do not arrest the deportee and keep them in detention/deportation centers until deportation. Moreover, the information about   arrest/detention   and   deportation   is   not   shared   with   Indian Missions/Posts   and   the   deportation   is   done   directly   by   the   host Government   if   the   deportee   has   valid   travel   document.   Indian Missions/Posts are contacted by the host Governments only in such cases where the nationality verification and issuance of Emergency Certificate (EC) to the deportee is required. However, based on the data available with our   Missions   abroad,   country-wise   and   year-wise   details   of   Indian nationals detained and deported are given in Annexure-I.

There are several reasons for detention and deportation of Indians abroad, including   entry   into   the   country   without   valid   visa,   overstay   beyond validity of visa or residency card, working without work permit, violating labour regulations, absconding from the employer and facing of civil or criminal cases, etc.

(c   to   f)   Government   of   India   works   in   close   coordination   with   U.S. authorities on all matters pertaining to deportation of Indian citizens. Such deportations are subject to an unambiguous verification of their Indian nationality.

The Ministry of External Affairs remains engaged with the U.S. side to ensure the humane treatment of deportees during deportation operations. The Ministry strongly registered its concerns with the U.S. authorities on the treatment of deportees, particularly with respect to use of shackles, especially on women and children. Concerns with regards to religious / cultural sensitivities including the use of turbans and dietary preferences have also been formally taken up with the U.S. side. This Ministry has not received any complaint pertaining to treatment of deportees on any flight after February 5, 2025.

The U.S. authorities have conveyed that the Restraining Policy for U.S. deportation flights is in place since 19 November 2012 as part of the Standard Operating Procedure of  the U.S. Immigration and Customs

Enforcement (ICE). They have also conveyed that their policy of shackling deportees is followed to ensure the safety and security of all passengers on these flights. In the past, they claim that there have been instances of violence by deportees against fellow deportees and supporting crew members on such deportation flights. While women and minors are generally not shackled, the flight officer in charge of a deportation flight, in the interest of the safety of the mission, has the final say on the matter. The Government of India accords highest priority to the safety, security, and well-being of Indian nationals abroad and remains engaged with U.S. authorities on addressing illegal immigration and human trafficking.

## Annexure-I

| Sl. No.   | Name of the Country   | Name of the Mission/Post   | Number of Indian nationals deported from foreign countries   | Number of Indian nationals deported from foreign countries   | Number of Indian nationals deported from foreign countries   |
|-----------|-----------------------|----------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|           |                       |                            | 2023                                                         | 2024                                                         | 2025                                                         |
| 1         | Afghanistan           | EOI, Kabul                 | 0                                                            | 0                                                            | 0                                                            |
| 2         | Albania               | EOI, Tirana                | 0                                                            | 0                                                            | 0                                                            |
| 3         | Algeria               | EOI, Algiers               | 0                                                            | 1                                                            | 2                                                            |
| 4         | Angola                | HCI, Luanda                | 0                                                            | 0                                                            | 0                                                            |
| 5         | Argentina             | EOI, Buenos Aires          | 0                                                            | 0                                                            | 0                                                            |
| 6         | Armenia               | EOI, Yerevan               | 0                                                            | 0                                                            | 0                                                            |
| 7         | Australia             | HCI, Canberra              | 9                                                            | 0                                                            | 0                                                            |
| 8         | Australia             | CGI, Melbourne             |                                                              |                                                              |                                                              |
| 9         | Australia             | CGI, Sydney                | 7                                                            | 28                                                           | 16                                                           |
| 10        | Australia             | CGI, Perth                 | 0                                                            | 0                                                            | 0                                                            |
| 11        | Australia             | CGI, Brisbane              | 0                                                            | 1                                                            | 3                                                            |
| 12        | Austria               | EOI, Vienna                |                                                              |                                                              |                                                              |
| 13        | Azerbaijan            | EOI, Baku                  | 0                                                            | 0                                                            | 0                                                            |
| 14        | Bahrain               | EOI, Bahrain               | 0                                                            | 0                                                            | 0                                                            |
| 15        | Bangladesh            | HCI, Dhaka                 | 0                                                            | 0                                                            | 0                                                            |
| 16        | Bangladesh            | AHCI, Chittagong           | 0                                                            | 0                                                            | 0                                                            |
| 17        | Bangladesh            | AHCI, Khulna               | 0                                                            | 0                                                            | 0                                                            |
| 18        | Bangladesh            | AHCI, Rajshahi             | 0                                                            | 0                                                            | 0                                                            |
| 19        | Bangladesh            | AHCI, Sylhet               | 0                                                            | 0                                                            | 0                                                            |
| 20        | Belarus               | EOI, Minsk                 |                                                              |                                                              |                                                              |
| 21        | Belgium               | EOI, Brussels              | 19                                                           | 5                                                            | 4                                                            |
| 22        | Belize                | EOI, Mexico city           | 0                                                            | 0                                                            | 0                                                            |
| 23        | Bhutan                | EOI, Thimphu               | 0                                                            | 0                                                            | 1                                                            |
| 24        | Bhutan                | CGI, Phuntsholing          | 0                                                            | 0                                                            | 0                                                            |
| 25        | Bolivia               | EOI, La Paz                | 0                                                            | 0                                                            | 0                                                            |
| 26        | Botswana              | HCI, Gaborone              | 0                                                            | 0                                                            | 0                                                            |
| 27        | Brazil                | EOI, Brasilia              | 0                                                            | 0                                                            | 0                                                            |
| 28        | Brazil                | CGI, Sao Paulo             | 0                                                            | 0                                                            | 0                                                            |
| 29        | Bulgaria              | EOI, Sofia                 | 0                                                            | 0                                                            | 0                                                            |
| 30        | Burkina Faso          | EOI, Ouagadougou           | 0                                                            | 0                                                            | 0                                                            |
| 31        | Cabo Verde            | EOI, Praia                 | 0                                                            | 0                                                            | 0                                                            |
| 32        | Cambodia              | EOI, Phnom Penh            |                                                              |                                                              |                                                              |
| 33        | Cameroon              | HCI, Yaounde               | 0                                                            | 0                                                            | 0                                                            |
| 34        | Canada                | HCI, Ottawa                | 48                                                           | 30                                                           | 48                                                           |
| 35        | Canada                | CGI, Toronto               | 60                                                           | 63                                                           | 198                                                          |
| 36        | Canada                | CGI, Vancouver             |                                                              |                                                              |                                                              |

|   37 | Chad                         | EOI, N'Djamena                    |     |     |     |
|------|------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----|-----|-----|
|   38 | Chile                        | EOI, Santiago                     | 0   | 0   | 0   |
|   39 | China                        | EOI, Beijing                      | 3   | 4   | 7   |
|   40 | China                        | CGI, Shanghai                     | 2   | 1   | 1   |
|   41 | China                        | CGI, Guangzhou                    | 21  | 26  | 8   |
|   42 | China                        | CGI, Hong Kong                    | 207 | 201 | 300 |
|   43 | Colombia                     | EOI, Bogota                       | 0   | 60  | 0   |
|   44 | Comoros                      | EOI, Antananarivo                 | 0   | 0   | 0   |
|   45 | Cote D'Ivoire                | EOI, Abidjan                      | 0   | 0   | 0   |
|   46 | Croatia                      | EOI, Zagreb                       |     |     |     |
|   47 | Cuba                         | EOI, Havana                       | 0   | 0   | 0   |
|   48 | Cyprus                       | EOI, Nicosia                      | 173 | 183 | 163 |
|   49 | Czech Republic               | EOI, Prague                       |     |     |     |
|   50 | Democratic Republic of Congo | EOI, Kinshasa                     | 0   | 0   | 0   |
|   51 | Denmark                      | EOI, Copenhagen                   | 0   | 0   | 0   |
|   52 | Djibouti                     | EOI, Djibouti                     | 0   | 0   | 0   |
|   53 | Dominican Republic           | EOI, Santo Domingo                |     |     |     |
|   54 | Ecuador                      | EOI, Quito                        |     |     |     |
|   55 | Egypt                        | EOI, Cairo                        | 2   | 0   | 0   |
|   56 | Equatorial Guinea            | EOI, Malabo                       |     |     |     |
|   57 | Eritrea                      | EOI, Asmara                       | 0   | 0   | 0   |
|   58 | Estonia                      | EOI, Tallinn                      |     |     |     |
|   59 | Eswatini                     | HCI, Mbabane                      | 0   | 0   | 0   |
|   60 | Ethiopia                     | EOI, Addis Ababa                  | 0   | 0   | 0   |
|   61 | Fiji                         | HCI, Suva                         | 0   | 0   | 0   |
|   62 | Finland                      | EOI, Helsinki                     | 0   | 0   | 0   |
|   63 | France                       | EOI, Paris                        |     |     |     |
|   64 | France                       | CGI, Marseille                    | 0   | 0   | 5   |
|   65 | France                       | CGI, Saint Denis (Reunion Island) | 0   | 1   | 0   |
|   66 | Gabon                        | HCI, Libreville                   |     |     |     |
|   67 | Georgia                      | EOI, Tbilisi                      | 0   | 0   | 155 |
|   68 | Germany                      | EOI, Berlin                       | 0   | 79  | 16  |
|   69 | Germany                      | CGI, Frankfurt                    |     |     |     |
|   70 | Germany                      | CGI, Hamburg                      |     |     |     |
|   71 | Germany                      | CGI, Munich                       |     |     |     |
|   72 | Ghana                        | HCI, Accra                        | 0   | 0   | 0   |
|   73 | Greece                       | EOI, Athens                       |     |     |     |

|   74 | Guatemala   | EOI, Guatemala City   | 0    | 0    | 4    |
|------|-------------|-----------------------|------|------|------|
|   75 | Guyana      | HCI, Georgetown       | 0    | 11   | 5    |
|   76 | Hungary     | EOI, Budapest         | 0    | 0    | 0    |
|   77 | Iceland     | EOI, Reykjavik        |      |      |      |
|   78 | Indonesia   | EOI, Jakarta          | 0    | 0    | 11   |
|   79 | Indonesia   | CGI, Medan            | 0    | 0    | 3    |
|   80 | Indonesia   | CGI, Bali             | 20   | 20   | 10   |
|   81 | Iran        | EOI, Tehran           | 0    | 0    | 0    |
|   82 | Iran        | CGI, Bandar Abbas     |      |      |      |
|   83 | Iran        | CGI, Zahedan          |      |      |      |
|   84 | Iraq        | EOI, Baghdad          | 0    | 0    | 0    |
|   85 | Iraq        | CGI, Erbil            | 0    | 0    | 0    |
|   86 | Ireland     | EOI, Dublin           | 0    | 2    | 5    |
|   87 | Israel      | EOI, Tel Aviv         |      |      |      |
|   88 | Italy       | EOI, Rome             | 2    | 6    | 9    |
|   89 | Italy       | CGI, Milan            |      |      |      |
|   90 | Jamaica     | HCI, Kingston         |      |      |      |
|   91 | Jamiaca     | HCI, Kingston         |      |      |      |
|   92 | Japan       | EOI, Tokyo            | 16   | 11   | 12   |
|   93 | Japan       | CGI, Oska Kobe        |      |      |      |
|   94 | Japan       | CGI, Fukuoka          | 0    | 0    | 0    |
|   95 | Jordan      | EOI,Amman             | 59   | 79   | 61   |
|   96 | Kazakhstan  | EOI, Astana           | 0    | 0    | 0    |
|   97 | Kazakhstan  | ROI, Almaty           | 0    | 0    | 0    |
|   98 | Kenya       | HCI, Nairobi          | 1    | 1    | 1    |
|   99 | Kenya       | AHCI, Mombasa         | 0    | 0    | 0    |
|  100 | Kuwait      | EOI, Kuwait           |      |      |      |
|  101 | Kyrgyzstan  | EOI, Bishkek          |      |      |      |
|  102 | Lao PDR     | EOI, Vientiane        | 0    | 0    | 0    |
|  103 | Latvia      | EOI, Riga             | 0    | 0    | 0    |
|  104 | Lebanon     | EOI, Beirut           | 1    | 5    | 2    |
|  105 | Liberia     | EOI, Monrovia         | 0    | 0    | 0    |
|  106 | Libya       | EOI, Tripoli          | 0    | 0    | 0    |
|  107 | Lithuania   | EOI, Vilnius          | 0    | 0    | 4    |
|  108 | Madagascar  | EOI, Antananarivo     | 0    | 0    | 0    |
|  109 | Malawi      | HCI, Lilongwe         | 1    | 0    | 0    |
|  110 | Malaysia    | HCI, Kuala Lumpur     | 1182 | 1259 | 1675 |
|  111 | Maldives    | HCI, Male             | 117  | 194  | 150  |
|  112 | Mali        | EOI, Bamako           | 0    | 0    | 0    |
|  113 | Malta       | EOI, Malta            | 0    | 0    | 3    |
|  114 | Mauritania  | EOI, Nouakchott       | 0    | 0    | 0    |

|   115 | Mauritius          | HCI, Port Louis     |       |       |       |
|-------|--------------------|---------------------|-------|-------|-------|
|   116 | Mexico             | EOI, Mexico City    | 0     | 0     | 0     |
|   117 | Mongolia           | EOI, Ulaanbaatar    | 0     | 0     | 0     |
|   118 | Morocco            | EOI, Rabat          |       |       |       |
|   119 | Mozambique         | HCI, Maputo         | 0     | 0     | 0     |
|   120 | Myanmar            | EOI, Yangoon        | 89    | 148   | 1,605 |
|   121 | Myanmar            | CGI, Mandalay       |       |       |       |
|   122 | Myanmar            | CGI, Sittwe         | 0     | 0     | 0     |
|   123 | Namibia            | HCI, Windhoek       | 0     | 0     | 0     |
|   124 | Nepal              | EOI, Kathmandu      |       |       |       |
|   125 | Nepal              | CGI, Birgunj        | 0     | 0     | 0     |
|   126 | Netherlands        | EOI, The Hague      | 58    | 11    | 3     |
|   127 | New Zealand        | EOI, Wellington     | 19    | 20    | 6     |
|   128 | New Zealand        | CGI, Auckland       | 0     | 0     | 0     |
|   129 | Niger              | EOI, Niamey         | 0     | 0     | 0     |
|   130 | Nigeria            | HCI, Abuja          | 0     | 0     | 1     |
|   131 | Nigeria            | AHCI, Lagos         |       |       |       |
|   132 | North Korea        | EOI, Pyongyang      |       |       |       |
|   133 | Norway             | EOI, Oslo           | 0     | 0     | 0     |
|   134 | Oman               | EOI, Muscat         | 47    | 25    | 25    |
|   135 | Pakistan           | HCI, Islamabad      | 0     | 0     | 0     |
|   136 | Palestine          | ROI, Ramallah       | 0     | 0     | 0     |
|   137 | Panama             | EOI, Panama         | 0     | 215   | 79    |
|   138 | Papua New Guinea   | HCI, Port Moresby   | 1     | 1     | 0     |
|   139 | Paraguay           | EOI, Asuncion       | 0     | 0     | 0     |
|   140 | Peru               | EOI, Lima           | 0     | 0     | 0     |
|   141 | Phillipines        | EOI, Manila         |       |       |       |
|   142 | Poland             | EOI, Warsaw         | 24    | 14    | 12    |
|   143 | Qatar              | EOI, Doha           | 1,414 | 1,136 | 796   |
|   144 | Republic of Congo  | EOI, Brazzaville    | 0     | 0     | 0     |
|   145 | Republic of Guinea | EOI, Conakry        | 0     | 0     | 0     |
|   146 | Romania            | EOI, Bucharest      |       |       |       |
|   147 | Russia             | EOI, Moscow         | 0     | 35    | 284   |
|   148 | Russia             | CGI, St. Petersburg |       |       |       |
|   149 | Russia             | CGI, Vladivostok    | 0     | 0     | 1     |
|   150 | Russia             | CGI, Kazan          |       |       |       |
|   151 | Russia             | CGI, Yekaterinaburg |       |       |       |
|   152 | Rwanda             | HCI, Kigali         | 0     | 0     | 0     |

|   153 | Sao Tome and Principe   | EOI, Sao Tome and Principe   | 0     | 0    | 0    |
|-------|-------------------------|------------------------------|-------|------|------|
|   154 | Saudi Arabia            | EOI, Riyadh                  | 29592 | 5235 | 4335 |
|   155 | Saudi Arabia            | CGI, Jeddah                  | 7542  | 8831 | 8921 |
|   156 | Senegal                 | EOI, Dakar                   | 0     | 0    | 0    |
|   157 | Serbia                  | EOI, Belgrade                | 2     | 5    | 10   |
|   158 | Seychelles              | HCI, Victoria, Mahe          | 0     | 0    | 0    |
|   159 | Sierra Leone            | EOI, Freetown                |       |      |      |
|   160 | Singapore               | HCI, Singapore               | 21    | 13   | 15   |
|   161 | Slovakia                | EOI, Bratislava              | 0     | 8    | 27   |
|   162 | Slovenia                | EOI, Ljubljana               | 0     | 0    | 0    |
|   163 | South Africa            | HCI, Pretoria                | 0     | 0    | 0    |
|   164 | South Africa            | CGI Johanesburg              | 0     | 0    | 0    |
|   165 | South Africa            | CGI, Cape Town               | 0     | 0    | 1    |
|   166 | South Africa            | CGI, Durban                  | 0     | 0    | 0    |
|   167 | South Korea             | EOI, Seoul                   | 4     | 0    | 0    |
|   168 | South Sudan             | EOI, Juba                    | 0     | 0    | 0    |
|   169 | Spain                   | EOI, Madrid                  |       |      |      |
|   170 | Spain                   | CGI, Barcelona               | 0     | 0    | 0    |
|   171 | Sri Lanka               | HCI, Colombo                 |       |      |      |
|   172 | Sri Lanka               | AHCI, Kandy                  |       |      |      |
|   173 | Sri Lanka               | CGI, Jaffna                  | 0     | 0    | 0    |
|   174 | Sri Lanka               | CGI, Hambantota              | 0     | 0    | 0    |
|   175 | Sudan                   | EOI, Khartoum                |       |      |      |
|   176 | Suriname                | EOI, Paramaribo              | 0     | 0    | 0    |
|   177 | Sweden                  | EOI, Stockholm               | 27    | 16   | 13   |
|   178 | Switzerland             | EOI, Bern                    |       |      |      |
|   179 | Switzerland             | CGI, Geneva                  | 0     | 0    | 0    |
|   180 | Syria                   | EOI, Damascus                | 0     | 0    | 0    |
|   181 | Taiwan                  | India Taipei Association     | 0     | 0    | 0    |
|   182 | Tajikistan              | EOI, Dushanbe                |       |      |      |
|   183 | Tanzania                | HCI, Dar-e-Salaam            | 0     | 0    | 0    |
|   184 | Tanzania                | CGI, Zanzibar                | 0     | 0    | 0    |
|   185 | Thailand                | EOI, Bangkok                 |       |      |      |
|   186 | Thailand                | COI, Chiangmai               | 0     | 0    | 0    |
|   187 | Timor Leste             | EOI, Dili                    | 0     | 0    | 0    |
|   188 | Togo                    | EOI, Lome                    | 0     | 0    | 0    |
|   189 | Trinidad & Tobago       | HCI, Port of Spain           | 0     | 0    | 0    |
|   190 | Tunisia                 | EOI, Tunis                   | 2     | 0    | 0    |

|   191 | Turkiye                     | EOI, Ankara                 | 23    | 10    | 3                        |
|-------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-------|-------|--------------------------|
|   192 | Turkiye                     | CGI, Istanbul               |       |       |                          |
|   193 | Turkmenistan                | EOI, Ashgabat               | 0     | 0     | 0                        |
|   194 | UAE                         | EOI, Abu Dhabi              | 666   | 899   | 1,662                    |
|   195 | UAE                         | CGI, Dubai                  | 2,841 | 5,221 | 7,896                    |
|   196 | Uganda                      | HCI, Kampala                |       |       |                          |
|   197 | Ukraine                     | EOI, Kyiv                   | 11    | 5     | 5                        |
|   198 | United Kingdom HCI, London  | United Kingdom HCI, London  |       |       |                          |
|   199 | United Kingdom              | CGI, Birmingham             | 75    | 33    | 70                       |
|   200 | United Kingdom              | CGI, Edinurgh               | 0     | 0     | 0                        |
|   201 | United Kingdom              | CGI, Manchester             | 0     | 0     | 0                        |
|   202 | United Kingdom CGI, Belfast | United Kingdom CGI, Belfast | 0     | 0     | 0                        |
|   203 | Uruguay                     | EOI, Buenos Aires           | 0     | 0     | 0                        |
|   204 | USA                         | EOI, Washington             | 617   | 1,368 | 3414 (till mid Dec 2025) |
|   205 | USA                         | CGI, New York               | 18    | 26    | 47                       |
|   206 | USA                         | CGI, Chicago                | 0     | 0     | 0                        |
|   207 | USA                         | CGI, Atlanta                | 5     | 14    | 31                       |
|   208 | USA                         | CGI, Houston                | 14    | 42    | 234                      |
|   209 | USA                         | CGI, San Fransisco          | 19    | 17    | 49                       |
|   210 | USA                         | CGI, Seattle                | 0     | 3     | 31                       |
|   211 | USA                         | CGI, Los Angeles            | 0     | 0     | 0                        |
|   212 | Uzbekistan                  | EOI, Tashkent               | 0     | 0     | 0                        |
|   213 | Venezuela                   | EOI, Caracas                | 0     | 14    | 0                        |
|   214 | Vietnam                     | EOI, Hanoi                  | 0     | 0     | 0                        |
|   215 | Vietnam                     | CGI, Ho Chi Minh City       |       |       |                          |
|   216 | Yemen                       | EOI, Riyadh                 | 0     | 0     | 0                        |
|   217 | Zambia                      | HCI, Lusaka                 | 0     | 0     | 0                        |
|   218 | Zimbabwe                    | EOI, Harare                 | 0     | 0     | 0                        |

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