Government Denies Receiving List of 18,000 Indians Set for US Deportation

An RTI revealed contradiction between US government claims and Indian government stance on the list of 18,000 Indians facing deportation from America. The US officials claimed that they have shared the list with Indian government. On January 24,2025 RTI activist PP Kapoor sought the information about the 18,000 Indians. 

The controversy emerged when RTI activist PP Kapoor sought information about the list of 18,000 Indian nationals allegedly shared by US authorities with the Indian government on January 24, 2025.

In the response to the RTI, External Affairs Ministry's Central Public Information Officer and Advisor Ayush Mohan stated that no such list exist with the ministry which directly contradicts US officials public statements.

The deportation manner has drawn criticism as the Indians are being returned by military aircraft, which observers describe as degrading conditions, wearing handcuffs and shackles. Such treatment by the US government has raised significant humanitarian concern among activist and community leaders.

Activist Kapoor stated that the list is voluntarily prevented from the public because it includes numerous individuals from Gujarat. Kapoor criticise the central government's way of handling the situation, highlighting that beyond the humanitarian aspect of the deportation they appear to hide crucial information about affected Indians.