Indians in the 40-hour migrant flight: Trump under criticism

Indians in the 40-hour migrant flight: Trump under criticism

In New Delhi, around 100 deported Indian migrants were held homecuff during their 40-hour flight, even while they had to go to the toilet. This is the latest incident that triggers international outrage about President Donald Trump's immigration policy.

protests against the treatment of Indian migrants

Indian MPs demonstrated in front of the parliament on Thursday. Some wore handcuffs, while others mocked the much -praised friendship between Trump and the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In another corner of new Delhi, members of the youth organization of the most important opposition party burned a doll from Trump. The outraged reactions take place shortly before an expected meeting between Modi and Trump in the White House, where Modi Trump had referred to as a "true friend".

urgent appeals to the government

s. Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, a minister of the Indian government in the western state of Punjab, where the deportation flight ended up, asked Modi to "use his friendship to solve the problem". Dhaliwal also asked the use of the benefits of this friendship if she couldn't help Indian citizens in need.

The return to India has been the longest distance since the Trump administration started military aircraft to deport migrants, according to a US official.

experiences of the deported migrants

"Our hands were tied up and the ankles were fixed with chains before we went on board," reported 23-year-old Akashdeep Singh, who arrived in Punjab on Wednesday with 103 other deportations. "We asked the military officers to lose our handcuffs to eat or go to the toilet, but they treated us terribly and without any consideration."

"I will never forget the way they looked at us ... We went to the toilet with handcuffs. Shortly before landing, the handcuffs were taken for women. We were only taken from the local police officers after landing".

public attention for the incidents

The US border Patrol boss Michael W. Banks published a video in which the Indian deportations on board an aircraft are shown. In the video you can see handcuffs on wrists and ankles in several men while slowly going up the ramp.

The CNN editorial team has already asked the Pentagon and the US customs and border guard to comment on whether the deportations were kept in handcuffs throughout the flight.

causes of migration

The 35-year-old deported Sukhpal Singh reported that the handcuffs were created throughout the flight, including a stopover to refuel on the Pacific island of Guam. "They treated us like criminals," he said. "When we tried to get up because our legs swelled because of the handcuffs, they shouted at us, we should sit down."

Especially young Indians looking for job opportunities represent a significant part of the undocumented migrants in the United States. Many have taken the dangerous journey through Latin America to get to the US southern border. They often see no future at home where a job crisis suffocates the hopes of youth in the most populous country in the world.

increasing numbers of illegal entry

In just four years, the number of Indian citizens who have entered the United States illegally increased dramatically-from 8.027 in the 2018-19 budget to 96,917 in 2022-23, according to official government data.

Families have reported CNN how they sold land to pay the high fees that demand “travel agents” for the risky trip to the USA. "I went to work, for a better life, for a better future," said Sukhpal Singh, who has both a son and a daughter and hoped to be able to offer you a better life through a job in the USA.

"You can see it in films, and the people around you tell that there is work that people are successful there, so I wanted to go."