A US Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircraft carrying 112 Indians deported from the United States landed at Amritsar Airport on Sunday night. This was the third such arrival in 10 days, as part of the Donald Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration.

The deportees included 31 people from Punjab, 44 from Haryana, and 33 from Gujarat. There were also two from Uttar Pradesh, and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Most deportees were between 18 and 30 years old. Families of some of the deportees arrived at the airport to receive them.

After completing immigration, verification, and background checks, the deportees were allowed to go home. Transportation arrangements were made to help them reach their destinations.

The first round of deportations occurred on February 5, with 104 Indians arriving in Amritsar on a US military plane.

A second plane carrying 116 Indians landed on Saturday. Some of those who returned on Saturday made allegations of ill-treatment. Another source says that the second flight carried 119 illegal immigrants. These included 67 from Punjab, 33 from Haryana, eight from Gujarat, three from Uttar Pradesh, two each from Maharashtra and Rajasthan, and one each from Goa, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir.

A third batch of another 157 deportees was expected to land in Amritsar on Sunday night.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann criticized the central government's decision to land deportation flights in Amritsar, calling it a conspiracy to malign Punjab and Punjabis. He raised security concerns, questioning why international flights are not started from Amritsar due to security reasons, while a US military aircraft is allowed to land there.

Punjab NRI affairs minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal met some deportees at the airport and assured them of the state government's support. He also urged victims to file complaints against travel agents who deceived them, promising strict action.

Haryana’s government faced criticism for using buses typically reserved for prisoners to transport deportees back home.

ANI