NEW DELHI, 6 FEB

Opposition MPs have fiercely condemned the Indian government's handling of 104 deported illegal immigrants from the United States, following their arrival on a US military aircraft in Amritsar. This group, the first to be sent back under the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration, reportedly endured inhumane treatment, with many claiming they were handcuffed throughout the journey, only to be unshackled upon landing.

Prominent opposition leaders, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Samajwadi Party head Akhilesh Yadav, staged a protest in Parliament. Some opposition members donned handcuffs to highlight what they termed an insult to Indian dignity. Holding placards reading "Humans. Not prisoners," they demanded an explanation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the conditions of the deportees and questioned why Indian authorities did not send a civilian aircraft to facilitate their return.

In juxtaposition to the outcry over the deportations, the government is actively considering the introduction of a new law aimed at promoting safe, orderly, and regular migration for overseas employment. The proposed "Overseas Mobility (Facilitation and Welfare) Bill, 2024" is intended to replace the outdated Emigration Act of 1983. A report from the Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs, chaired by Shashi Tharoor, emphasises the need for modernisation in response to contemporary migration dynamics and calls for establishing more Protector of Emigrants offices in states with significant emigration rates.