48 Indian students were deported by US in past three years without explanation: MEA informs Parliament

The United States has deported 48 students back to India in the past three years. The students were deported back without any explanation.  

Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh shared the information with the Parliament on July 29 while replying to a query raised by B K Parthasarathi, leader of TDP. 

The external affairs minister is his reply said that reasons for deportation are not officially shared by the US authorities.  

“Unauthorised employment, unauthorised withdrawal from classes, expulsion and suspension, and failure to report Optional Practical Training (OPT) employments are some of the possible reasons, which could lead to termination of a student’s visa resulting in unlawful presence and eventual deportation,” the ministry said. 

Parthasarathi had also asked if the government possessed any data about the illegal migrants scattered across the globe, especially in the US and in case they did what are remedial actions taken in this regard. 

The minister in his reply said the Union government does not have data about illegal Indian migrants scattered across the world. The MoS added that the Indian government is engaged with the US government in nurturing strong people-to-people ties and facilitating legal mobility of students and skilled professionals.  

Additionally, the Centre and the state governments have been working to create awareness about safe and legal migration, Singh said.  

The government is also taking necessary action against all those involved in illegal migration networks, according to a ministry statement. 

According to data from the MEA, approximately 1.33 million Indian students are enrolled in higher education institutions across 101 countries as of January 1, 2024. 

The highest numbers are in Canada (4,27,000), the US (3,37,630), the UK (1,85,000), and Australia (1,22,200). In 2022, there were 750,000 Indian students abroad, which increased to 9,30,000 in 2023. 

Deaths of Indian students abroad 

At least 633 Indian students have died abroad across 41 countries, including highest 172 in Canada, in the past five years, MoS Singh said in a reply to a question asked by Kerala MP Kodikunnil Suresh. 

Canada reported the highest such deaths at 172, followed by US (108), UK (58), Australia (57), Russia (37) and Germany (24). One student death was also reported from neighbouring Pakistan, according to the reply by MEA. 

The Indian students died abroad due to several reasons including “natural causes, accidents, medical emergencies”, as per the written reply by the minister of state for external affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh. 

In another related reply to a query regarding “violent attacks on Indian students” in other countries, the minister in the written reply said that the “data available with the Indian Missions/Posts abroad does not suggest an increase in violence against Indian students abroad in recent times.” 

According to the country-wise data on students who died due to violence/attack in other countries, a total of 19 such deaths happened including the highest nine in Canada, followed by six in the US, and one each in Australia, UK, China and Kyrgyzstan.