What MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said about deportation of elderly Sikh woman Harjit Kaur from America?
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a press briefing on Friday that 2,427 Indian citizens have been deported from the United States since January this year and this is also the case with 73-year-old Harjit Kaur, who recently returned from the United States. Her case garnered significant attention due to the circumstances of her arrest and deportation, which she described as harrowing.
Jaiswal said India's policy on immigration is very clear. "Whenever such a case arises, we verify the person's citizenship and confirm their Indian citizenship, after which the deportation process begins. This same process was followed in the case of deportations from the United States."
He added, "As far as visa fraud cases are concerned, India promotes legal migration. On the other hand, we have taken action against illegal immigrants. In this regard, the Indian government is working with various state governments to take action against agents promoting illegal immigration."
Jaiswal added that whenever a person does not possess legal status in any country and is referred to India with claims of being an Indian national, authorities conduct a background check, confirm the nationality and then arrange their return. This is how deportations from the United States have been handled.
Harjit Kaur had lived in America for more than three decades
Harjit Kaur, a Sikh woman from Pangota village in Tarn Taran, Punjab, had lived in the US for more than three decades after moving there with her sons following her husband’s death.
She worked in the San Francisco Bay Area and had applied for asylum multiple times, all of which were denied. Her case attracted widespread attention in the US, with hundreds of people rallying in California demanding her release.
It is better to die than to face this: Harjit Kaur
Kaur was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers during a routine immigration check on September 8 this year. She was placed in handcuffs, transported in a van to Georgia under harsh conditions and held without her family or attorney being informed.
After about 48 hours in custody, ICE deported her to India. During the ordeal, she said, “After living there for so long, you are suddenly detained and deported this way, it is better to die than to face this. In such a situation, one should not live.”
'I was in handcuffs the entire time'
She added, “I was in handcuffs the entire time, I couldn’t sit properly, and no one informed my family.” Kaur described the journey as harrowing, highlighting the lack of food, water and medical care.
Was not even allowed to say goodbye to her family
According to Kaur's advocate, she was treated harshly on her journey back to India. He said that she was kept in shackles for a prolonged period and confined in bare concrete cells. He also claimed that Kaur was not even “allowed to say goodbye to her family in the US.