Indians not forced to remove turbans during deportation by US: Centre

The Ministry of External Affairs said it remains engaged with the US side regarding humane treatment of immigrants during deportation operations

India raised its concerns with the US regarding the need to accommodate religious sensitivities and food preferences of Indian nationals being deported by the Donald Trump administration, the government told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. In response, the US authorities conveyed that deportees were not asked to remove any religious coverings, the ministry said.

 

Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh gave a written response to a question raised by Aam Aadmi Party MP Harbhajan Singh in the Rajya Sabha. The AAP MP, who is also a former cricketer, had asked if the ministry was aware of reports about Sikh people being deported to India without their turbans and whether this was discussed with the US authorities.

 

 

"In response, the US authorities have conveyed that deportees on the three chartered flights that arrived on 5th, 15th& 16th February 2025 respectively were not instructed to remove any religious head coverings and that the deportees did not request any religious accommodation during the flights, aside from requesting for vegetarian meals, [sic]" the minister said in his reply.

 

"The Ministry of External Affairs remains engaged with the US side regarding humane treatment of deportees during such operations," Singh said.

 

In February 2025, the US deported 104 Indian nationals via a military aircraft that landed in Amritsar, Punjab. Reports indicate that during the 40-hour flight, most adult deportees were handcuffed and shackled, with restraints removed only upon arrival in India.

 

This sparked outrage in India as images circulating on social media showed people in shackles and Sikh deportees without turbans while completing formalities at Amritsar airport.

 

So far, at least 388 nationals have arrived in Amritsar on three separate flights on February 5, 15, and 16, and an additional 55 deportees reached New Delhi via Panama on commercial flights.

 

Use of military aircraft for deportation

Following concerns on the treatment of deportees by US authorities, the MEA was also asked about the use of Indian military aircrafts for the repatriation of immigrants being deported from other countries. To this, Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita clarified that the MEA had not used the Indian Air Force or chartered civilian aircraft for repatriating deportees since 2020.

 

In rare cases, deportees facing financial difficulties were assisted with commercial flight tickets on a means-tested basis.

 

For the US, the use of military aircraft for deportation is a first since 2009.

 

"The United States has used military aircraft for deportation of Indian immigrants illegally resident in the US in 2025. Since 2009, the US Government has used Chartered/Commercial aircraft for the deportation of 15,564 such Indian nationals [sic]," the minister said.