1.67 Lakh Indian Nationals Deported to India Over the Past Five Years

New Delhi: Data furnished by the Ministry of External Affairs has it that more than 1.67 lakh Indian nationals have been deported to India in the past five years.

To a question by Shiromani Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Indian youths duped by travel agents, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said that the highest number of deportations (1.21 lakh) were from Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia is followed by the UAE (22,209), Malaysia (6,743), Qatar (5,319), the US (4,375) and Myanmar (2,180).

Last year, the deportation of Indian citizens from the US in chains had made news and invited criticism.

Badal's questions were

(a) whether the Government is aware of the growing number of Indian youth, particularly from Punjab and other northern States, being duped by unscrupulous travel and immigration agents who send them abroad through illegal “donkey routes” or fraudulent visas, resulting in their detention and deportation by foreign authorities;

(b) if so, the number of such youth sent through such fraudulent ways and routes;

(c) the number of Indian nationals deported from foreign countries in the last five years, country-wise and year-wise;

(d) whether any assessment has been made on victims of such illegal agents, if so, the details thereof;

(e) the number of FIRs registered and prosecutions launched against illegal travel/immigration agents in Punjab and other major source States over the last three years, including those booked under anti human smuggling laws; and

(f) the steps taken or proposed by the Government publicise the list of blacklisted/unauthorised agents.

Singh said that the government has been made aware of instances where dubious entities involved in fake recruitment job offers have lured Indian nationals including from Punjab and other northern States, mostly through social media channels for overseas employment to various countries.

"Such fraudulent activities of illegal/unscrupulous recruitment agents in the country come to light as and when a complaint is filed by the aggrieved emigrants or their relatives/friends/family members, who have been cheated, since these Indian nationals proceed abroad on their own volition through fraudulent/unscrupulous recruitment agents and through illegal channels," the reply said in response to questions a, b and c.

"Specific data on the number of Indian nationals who have attempted such irregular migration, is not available," the government said.

The written reply noted that most foreign governments do not provide information on illegal stay by foreigners in their countries, except when they are under orders of deportation and travel document/nationality verification is required.

The government claimed that the ministry issues advisories through eMigrate portal, social media handles, and other modes of publicity about the perils of fake job
rackets and ways to prevent the same.

"Till January 2026, a list of 3,505 unregistered agents, against whom grievances have been received, has been published on the eMigrate portal to caution the prospective emigrants," it said, adding that it carries out awareness campaigns and trainings.

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