The United States has deported 48 Indian students back to India without any explanation in the past three years. This information was revealed by Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh in the Indian Parliament on Friday. The revelation came after a parliamentary inquiry by BK Parthasarathi, who sought data on student deportations from the US over the past three years and the reasons behind them. While the US authorities did not provide specific explanations for the deportations, Minister Singh outlined potential causes, including unauthorized employment, unapproved withdrawal from classes, expulsion and suspension, and failure to report Optional Practical Training (OPT) employments. These issues can lead to visa termination, rendering the student’s stay in the US illegal.
Addressing the broader issue of illegal migration, Minister Singh stated that the Indian government is actively working to strengthen relationships between countries to facilitate the legal movement of its citizens. The government is also taking measures against individuals involved in illegal migration and is educating its citizens about safe and legal ways to move abroad, both at the central and state levels.
Despite these challenges, the number of Indian students pursuing postgraduate studies in the US has significantly increased, reaching 1.65 lakhs, a 63 percent surge, according to last year’s Open Doors report. However, the problem of deportation extends beyond the US, with Indian nationals in Canada, particularly students, also facing deportation due to fraudulent admission letters to Canadian academic institutions.
