3rd batch of US deportees arrives in Amritsar; 75 of 112 from Punjab and Haryana

A third US military special flight carrying 112 deportees landed at Amritsar’s Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport on Sunday night.

The flight landed at the airport at 10:03 pm, officials said.

Among the fresh batch of deportees, 31 are from Punjab, 44 from Haryana, 33 from Gujarat, two from Uttar Pradesh and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

The deportees will be allowed to head to their homes after completion of all formalities, including immigration, verification and background checks.

Arrangements have been made for the transportation of deportees to their destination, the officials said.

Second US military flight brings 117 deportees, men in ‘shackles’ again

Their removal is part of an ongoing crackdown by US immigration authorities on individuals who entered the country illegally or overstayed their visas.

On Saturday night, a US military plane carrying 117 illegal Indian immigrants, including 65 from Punjab, landed at the Amritsar airport.

The movement followed the deportation of 104 individuals earlier on February 5.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had also attacked the Centre over the landing of US planes carrying deportees at Amritsar airport.

“Do not make our holy city a deportation centre,” he said.

He slammed the Centre saying it was a “deliberate attempt to defame the state” by giving the impression that all deportees belonged to Punjab.

Mann also visited the airport on Saturday and said his government has made arrangements to take the Punjab residents to their hometowns.