The deportation flight of 205 Indian immigrants, to be brought to Amritsar by the end of Wednesday afternoon, is bringing back to their ancestral homeland those who once harbored hope for a better future but now are treated with stigma in society. Young deportees who had risked everything to come to the United States via illegal “donkey routes” return home with shattered dreams, financial woes, and the stigma of being a failure in the eyes of their own community.
A mother of one of the deportees, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told The Sunday Guardian that her child had worked tirelessly, and their family had spent a fortune to send him to the US. “Now this? My child is telling me, ‘Mom, send me somewhere else. How will I face everyone there?’ The real problem is the colonial mindset we Indians have—we look down on those who are deported for various reasons. Our family is struggling to cope with this mess now,” she lamented.
The US military aircraft, a C-17, left San Antonio, Texas, with people who entered the US illegally. Their details will be checked and those from nearby states will be sent back via road. Reports say the group comprises 33 people from Gujarat, 30 from Punjab, 33 from Haryana, two from Uttar Pradesh, two from Chandigarh, and three from Maharashtra. The deportation coincides with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Washington, highlighting the ongoing crackdown on illegal immigration.
Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal expressed his disappointment over the US decision saying that these people had contributed to the country’s economy and could have been granted permanent residency instead of being deported. He further clarified that most of them were initially legal workers whose visas had expired, making them undocumented. Dhaliwal also said he would be meeting External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar next week to discuss the grievances of Punjabis staying in the US and appealed to the people not to take any shortcut illegal migration routes. Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said the state government will ensure that returnees are not put to inconvenience as the counters have been put up at the airport. Meanwhile, the North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) has called upon the Punjab government to set up a rehabilitation fund for the deportees.
NAPA Executive Director Satnam Singh Chahal said that without proper support, the deportees may face severe social and economic problems, including unemployment, mental health issues, and increased involvement in criminal activities. “Many of these young individuals leave their homes with dreams of a better future but find themselves deported due to immigration challenges. They return with shattered hopes, financial distress, and psychological trauma. It is the government’s responsibility to ensure their proper rehabilitation and reintegration into society,” Chahal said. He urged governments to support skill development and employ these individuals, while ensuring them of proper mental health counseling to reclaim their lives. He also appealed to policymakers to work in cooperation with such organizations as NAPA to evolve long-term plans dealing with the issue of illegal migrations along with its after-effects. “This is not an individual problem but a societal one,” Chahal stated. “If we don’t take action now, it will be calamitous, not just for youth but for Punjab’s social fabric and economy as a whole.”
This massive deportation comes after increased enforcement actions against illegal immigration in the US, a policy that was strengthened after Donald Trump became President. The returnees are now faced with the daunting task of readjusting to a society where they might be judged rather than supported, and therefore there is an urgent need for intervention and structured rehabilitation efforts.