Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has confirmed that 11 individuals from Punjab are being deported from Australia today, including one woman. The Chief Minister stated that he will personally travel to Delhi to receive them upon their arrival later tonight.
According to Mann, the list received so far mentions a total of 15 deportees, with “home state” listed as Punjab for the majority. The remaining individuals include two from Telangana, and one each from Haryana and Uttarakhand.
Addressing the issue, the Chief Minister said that the state has been actively working on rehabilitation efforts since deportations from the United States began during the tenure of former US President Donald Trump. He acknowledged the emotional and financial distress faced by those being deported.
Mann further added that the government will gather detailed information from the deportees regarding how their documents were processed and which agents facilitated their travel abroad. A thorough investigation will be conducted to identify those responsible, and the state may coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs if required.
Earlier, under a new immigration policy, the United States deported 104 Indian nationals identified as illegal immigrants. They were brought back aboard a C-17 Globemaster aircraft, which landed at the Air Force base in Amritsar. Among them were 30 individuals from Punjab and 33 each from Haryana and Gujarat, including families and children aged between 8 and 10 years.
Security officials at Amritsar Airport conducted verification procedures, following which the deportees were cleared through immigration and customs and handed over to Punjab Police. After approximately three and a half hours, the US Air Force aircraft departed, and the deportees were transported to their homes in police vehicles.
