A group of 33 Gujarati immigrants, including women and children, arrived in Ahmedabad on Thursday morning after being deported from the United States. They were among 104 Indians who were sent back for illegal immigration.
The deportees were flown from the US to Amritsar on Wednesday aboard a US military aircraft before being transported to Gujarat. Upon arrival in Ahmedabad, they were escorted to their respective hometowns in state government vehicles under police supervision, as per an official statement from the Gujarat government.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi directed officials to ensure coordination and security for the deportees. Gujarat Director General of Police Vikas Sahay had assigned a deputy superintendent of police to oversee the process at Amritsar airport.
“After completing all necessary procedures of verification and immigration clearance at Amritsar airport, these 33 people landed at Ahmedabad airport at 6:10 am on Thursday,” the statement said. A nodal officer was deployed at Ahmedabad airport to manage their transportation.
Family Reactions
The return of the deportees prompted emotional responses from their families. Jayantibhai Patel, a resident of Vadodara, was relieved to see his daughter Khushbu Patel back home.
“She was handcuffed during the journey (from the US) to Amritsar. She had gone to the US on a tourist visa,” her brother Varun Patel told reporters.
Khushbu, like other deportees, did not speak to the media. Her family said she had faced a 36-hour journey and was not in a condition to talk.
A family of four from Manund village in Patan district was also among those deported. After being dropped off by the police, they did not return to their house, which remained locked. Neighbors speculated that they might be avoiding media attention.
