As many as 104 Indian migrants, who were deported from the US, arrived aboard a military aircraft at Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport here today.
Of the 104 deportees, 30 were from Punjab, 33 each from Haryana and Gujarat, three each from Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and two from Chandigarh, sources said. The deportees included over 20 women and 12 minors, they said, adding that most of them were aged between 20 and 25 while only eight were above the age of 40.
Among the illegal migrants hailing from Punjab, six are from Kapurthala, five from Amritsar, four each from Patiala and Jalandhar, two each from Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, SBS Nagar and one each from Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran, Sangrur, SAS Nagar and Fatehgarh Sahib.
After the nearly 24-hour uncomfortable journey on the military aircraft, they were provided medical assistance and food upon arrival. Officers of the Punjab Police checked the documents of the deportees on their arrival. None of them had any criminal background.
According to the sources, police officers from the deportees’ native places had arrived at the airport to help with the verification process. After the completion of immigration procedure and customs clearance, the deportees, accompanied by the police, left for their towns and villages late in the evening. Those from Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh were sent home by road, while others, including the majority from Gujarat, were sent via flights.
Family members of some deportees had also reached the airport. Most of the deportees were detained by the US authorities recently, said the sources. Some family members of the deportees claimed that they had spent between Rs 35 lakh and Rs 60 lakh to send them to the US. Swaran Singh, father of deportee Akashdeep Singh, said he owned two and a half acres at Rajyetal village of Attari. He had sold two acres for Rs 36 lakh and taken a bank loan to fulfil his son’s dream of going to the US.
He rued that he had lost his agricultural land and all hopes of his son’s bright future. However, he expressed relief that his son had returned home safely.
The US military aircraft departed around 6 pm.
While leaving the Air Force station, the deportees covered their faces and avoided cameras. Their family members also refrained from making statements.
Meanwhile, state Cabinet minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, who met the deportees at the Air Force station, said youths had travelled to the US for livelihood by investing significant amounts of money.
Asserting their deportation was a serious issue, he urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene on the behalf of Indians facing similar fate in the US.
