The United States has deported a group of Indian nationals who did not have the necessary legal papers and documents to live in the country.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement on Friday that it used a chartered flight to return Indian nationals to India on October 22.

According to sources, as part of the Indo-US cooperation on migration and mobility, both sides are engaged in a process to deter illegal immigration.

“This is intended to create more opportunities for legal migration from India to the United States. The latest deportation of Indian nationals by chartered flight is the result of this cooperation. Such deportations have been occurring for several years,” the sources said.

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According to a DHS statement, “On October 22, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), conducted a large-scale charter flight to the Republic of “India to deport Indian nationals who have not established a legal basis to remain in the United States.”

“This week’s flight demonstrates the ministry’s continued commitment to continued sustained cooperation with the Government of India and other international partners to reduce and deter irregular migration and work together to combat human trafficking,” he said. he added. DHS said it continues to enforce U.S. immigration laws. and impose harsh consequences on those who enter illegally. “This includes the rapid removal of those who do not have a legal basis to remain in the United States, while encouraging the use of legal avenues,” he added. “Indian nationals without legal basis to remain in the United States are subject to prompt removal and intend to Migrants should not fall for the lies of smugglers who claim otherwise,” said senior Kristie A Canegallo. official serving as assistant secretary of homeland security. “The Department of Homeland Security will continue to enforce the laws of our country,” he said.

According to DHS, since June 2024, when the Presidential Securing the Border Proclamation and accompanying interim final rule took effect, encounters between ports of entry along the southwest border have decreased by 55%.

Since June 2024, DHS has removed or removed more than 160,000 individuals and operated more than 495 international repatriation flights to more than 145 countries, including India, the Department of Homeland Security statement said.