External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar informed the Rajya Sabha that Punjab currently accounts for the highest number of human trafficking cases in the country, prompting coordinated action by central agencies and state authorities. Responding during Question Hour, he said the Punjab government has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and a fact‑finding committee to probe illegal immigration rackets and bring traffickers to justice.
Citing data shared by the state, Jaishankar said 25 FIRs have been registered in Punjab against 58 illegal travel agents, with at least 16 accused arrested so far. He added that the crackdown is not limited to one state, noting that Haryana has registered 44 FIRs in 2,325 cases with 27 arrests, while Gujarat has also nabbed a key trafficker linked to cross‑border illegal migration networks.
Role of NIA and Anti‑Trafficking Drive
The minister highlighted that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has created a dedicated anti‑human‑trafficking division to support state police forces and dismantle larger syndicates. According to figures presented in Parliament, the NIA has investigated 27 trafficking cases so far, resulting in 169 arrests and chargesheets against 132 individuals, including key operatives picked up in Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh this year.
Jaishankar stressed that the government’s priority is to protect Indian citizens from being duped by so‑called “visa facilitators” who push youths into dangerous and illegal routes to the US, Europe and other destinations. He urged people to rely on legal migration channels and warned that agencies will continue to pursue middlemen who lure job‑seekers with false promises of work or asylum abroad.
Record Deportations from US Since 2009
On India–US cooperation, Jaishankar told the House that 18,822 Indian nationals have been deported by the United States since 2009, reflecting years of action against irregular migration and visa violations. Of these, 3,258 Indians have been deported in 2025 alone, with 2,032 people returning on regular commercial flights and the rest on chartered planes operated by US immigration agencies.
He clarified that every deportation is accepted only after Indian nationality is clearly verified by authorities, and that India is obligated under international norms to take back its citizens found to be residing illegally abroad. The minister also noted that some of the returnees include wanted criminals and gangsters against whom Indian agencies had issued lookout notices and arrest warrants, describing their return as important for ongoing terror and organized‑crime investigations.
Assurance on Humane Treatment of Deportees
Addressing concerns about the treatment of deported Indians, Jaishankar said the government maintains regular communication with US authorities to ensure that deportation procedures respect the dignity and rights of migrants. He pointed out that India lodged a formal diplomatic protest earlier this year over a reported case of mistreatment, and since then no fresh instances of shackling women or children on US flights have been officially reported to the ministry.
The minister underlined that testimonies from deportees are being used by central and state agencies to register new cases against human trafficking networks that operate from Indian soil. He reiterated that the government’s broader strategy is to encourage safe, legal mobility while firmly discouraging illegal routes that expose citizens to exploitation, detention and deportation.
