In an unprecedented move, Mexico has deported over 300 Indian nationals to New Delhi. This comes after Mexico signed a deal with the US to curb US-bound migration.
Over 300 Indian nationals were deported from Mexico to New Delhi, the National Migration Institute promulgated on Wednesday. “It is unprecedented in INM’s history – in either form or the number of people – for a transatlantic air transport like the one carried out on this day,” INM stated.
The deportees were sent on a chartered flight and accompanied by federal immigration agents and Mexico’s National Guard. Altogether 310 ten men and one woman arrived in New Delhi on Friday.
It is important to note that the move comes after a deal was struck between Mexico and the United States in June. As part of the deal, Mexico has vowed to significantly curb US-bound migration in exchange for reducing US tariffs on Mexican exports.
Notably, the INM said that the Indian nationals were in Mexico illegally. Another key point is that most of the deportees were from India’s northern Punjab state.
Meanwhile, a background check is being done by the police to confirm if any of the deportees had a criminal record. In addition to this, the INM said that the deportees were scattered in eight cities across Mexico.
Caitlyn Yates, a research coordinator at IBI Consultants, has asserted that the backlog of migrants in southern Mexico has increased as officials have stopped issuing permits for them to cross the country. Interestingly, Indian migrants move to Southern Mexico in the hope of making a transit to the US border.
Yates, who has studied increasing numbers of U.S.-bound Asian and African migrants arriving in Mexico, said, “This type of deportation in Mexico is the first of its kind but likely to continue.”
