Involving the US government to prevent mistreatment of deportees: Jaishankar EAM

The administration was trapped by the opposition in the Rajya Sabha over the US handcuffing illegal immigrants and using a military plane to deport them, arguing that they ought to have been returned unhindered on an Indian aircraft.The government faced criticism on Thursday after the US Border Patrol released a video clip of the deportees walking with handcuffs and leg shackles, and some of the 104 illegal Indian immigrants who were deported from the US on Wednesday complained of mistreatment.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar emphasized in a suo motu address before both Houses of Parliament that the "use of restraints" was in accordance with US standard operating procedure (SOP) and that Delhi was interacting with Washington, DC, to make sure deportees were not mistreated. Additionally, he noted that the "deportation process was not new."In response to the opposition's worries on the use of handcuffs and shackles, Jaishankar stated, "The standard operating procedure for deportation by aircraft used by ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) that is effective from 2012… provides for the use of restraints."He claimed that ICE had "informed India that women and children are not restrained." Additionally, deportees' requirements for food and other necessities—including potential medical emergencies—are met, even while they are in transit. If necessary, deportees are momentarily released from restraint during bathroom breaks, according to Jaishankar.