Sun Feb 23 18:41:39 UTC 2025: ## First Batch of Deportées Return to India from Panama
**New Delhi, February 24, 2025** – Twelve Indian nationals, deported from the United States to Panama, have returned to India, marking the first group to be repatriated following a mass deportation program initiated by the U.S. The 12 arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Sunday, February 23rd.
According to officials, these individuals are among 299 undocumented migrants deported to Panama by the U.S. in recent days. Over 300 Indians have been deported from the U.S. to India in three separate flights this month alone.
The U.S. deportation program, begun under the Trump administration, targets foreign nationals living illegally within the country. India has affirmed its commitment to accepting the return of all its citizens found to be undocumented or overstaying their visas in the U.S., after verification of their nationality.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar previously stated in Parliament on February 6th that it is the international obligation of nations to repatriate their citizens living illegally abroad, a principle subject to clear verification of nationality. He emphasized that this is a standard practice in international relations and not a policy directed at any specific country.
First Piper 