A total of 1,703 Indian citizens were deported from the United States between January 20 and July 22 this year, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) disclosed in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on Friday.

Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, responding to a query raised by MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, said the highest number of deportees were from Punjab (620), followed by Haryana (604) and Gujarat (245).

Of the total deportations, 767 individuals returned on commercial flights, while 333 were repatriated on US military aircraft.

Another 231 were brought back on charter flights operated by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Among those deported, 1,562 were men and 141 were women.

The minister noted that the MEA continues to engage with US authorities to ensure the humane treatment of Indian deportees during such operations.

The ministry highlighted that concerns had been strongly raised over the use of shackles, especially on women and children, and had also flagged issues related to religious and cultural sensitivities, including the treatment of turbans and dietary preferences.

No formal complaints have been received regarding the deportation operations since February 5, the ministry confirmed.

The MEA also acknowledged ongoing concerns expressed by Indian students and families facing delays in visa processing and increased scrutiny based on social media activity.

It reiterated its commitment to monitoring such issues and advocating for the fair treatment of Indian nationals abroad.

The Opposition had earlier criticised the Indian government after videos surfaced showing deported Indians in shackles on board US military aircraft.

On February 6, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had informed the Rajya Sabha that such procedures were in line with past practices.

Since January, the United States, under the administration of President Donald Trump, has implemented tighter immigration controls. In some instances, undocumented migrants were deported using military aircraft.

On May 19, the US Department of State imposed visa restrictions on individuals associated with Indian travel agencies that were found to have knowingly facilitated illegal immigration to the US.

A 2022 report by the United States Department of Homeland Security estimated that approximately 2.2 lakh undocumented Indian migrants were residing in the country.