Jaishankar Gives Shocking Information in Rajya Sabha

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday that the US has deported a total of 18,822 Indian citizens since 2009, including 3,258 Indians deported since January 2025. Responding to supplementary questions in the Upper House, Jaishankar said that cases of human trafficking have been investigated by the states as well as the National Investigation Agency (NIA), with the highest number of cases registered in Punjab. In a written reply, he stated, “A total of 18,822 Indian citizens have been sent back to India since 2009.” The minister said that 617 Indians were deported from the US in 2023 and 1,368 in 2024. He said, “A total of 3,258 Indian citizens have been deported by the US to India since January 2025. Of these, 2,032 Indians (approximately 62.3 percent) returned on regular commercial flights and the remaining 1,226 Indians (37.6 percent) returned on charter flights operated by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP).” In response to supplementary questions, Jaishankar said that the NIA had established an anti-human trafficking cell a few years ago, which is authorized to investigate human trafficking cases. States have also initiated investigations in such cases. He said, “The NIA has registered and investigated 27 cases of human trafficking, resulting in 169 arrests and chargesheets filed against 132 individuals. The NIA arrested two key traffickers in Haryana and Punjab on August 7 and two others in Himachal Pradesh on October 2.” The External Affairs Minister said that Punjab has the highest number of human trafficking cases among the states. “The Punjab government has constituted an SIT and a fact-finding committee.” According to the information received from them, 25 First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered against 58 illegal travel agents, and 16 accused have been arrested. Jaishankar said, “In Haryana state, 2,325 cases and 44 FIRs have been registered. 27 people have been arrested in these cases. Gujarat state has also arrested a significant trafficker.” He further stated that the Ministry of External Affairs is continuously engaging with the US side to ensure humane treatment of Indian citizens during the deportation process by the US ICE/CBP.