Hyderabad: Over 24,600 Indians were deported from 81 countries in 2025, according to the latest ministry of external affairs data, tabled recently in the Rajya Sabha. It wasn’t the US but Saudi Arabia that recorded the highest deportations of Indians — over 11,000 in 12 months.While in comparison only 3,800 Indians — mostly private employees — were deported from the US in 2025, these numbers are the highest recorded from the country in the last five years, reveals the MEA report. Immigration experts attribute it to the recent crackdown and increased scrutiny of documents, visa status, work authorisation, overstays, etc., by the Trump administration.Other countries that saw a significant number of deportations of Indians include Myanmar (1,591), United Arab Emirates (1,469), Bahrain (764), Malaysia (1,485), Thailand (481), and Cambodia (305).Overstaying key reasonAccording to the MEA data, common grounds for deportations, especially from the Gulf countries, include overstaying beyond visa or residency validity, working without a valid work permit, violation of labour regulations, absconding from employers, and involvement in civil or criminal cases.“This has been a pattern with Gulf countries, which see a large migration of workers from India who either take up jobs as labourers in the construction sector, become caregivers, or work as house-helps. Most of them are low-skilled workers who migrate through agents and, in many cases, in an attempt to earn extra money they end up involved in minor offences,” said Bheema Reddy, vice-chairman of the Telangana govt’s NRI Advisory Committee. “In other instances, lack of awareness about local laws and regulations proves costly,” he added.In many cases, these migrant workers also fall prey to fraud perpetrated by agents back home and are deported once caught by police abroad.Cyber slavery in CambodiaDeportations from countries like Myanmar and Cambodia, however, follow a different pattern. “Most of these are linked to cyber slavery. These countries have emerged as major hubs of a multi-billion dollar cybercrime industry where Indians are lured with promises of high-paying jobs but are later trapped, forced to work in illegal operations, and eventually detained and deported,” Reddy explained.It is, therefore, important that workers are made aware of rules before they land on foreign shores, said Naga Bharani of the Telangana Overseas Manpower Company Ltd. “People should be told to closely track their visa timelines with their agents and point of contact in the country they are in, employment terms, and must comply with local rules. There is always an option to apply for a visa extension, and in many cases govt support is available for those who wish to continue their stay legally,” she said.Most US deportations from DCIn the case of the US, which saw the second-highest number of deportations of Indians in 2025, most were carried out from Washington D.C. (3,414) and Houston (234), the MEA report revealed. While the majority of them were immigrants overstaying their time in the US, some were also students who either continued living in the country after the expiry of their OPT term (one year post-study given to students to seek employment) or were involved in petty crimes.“In the months to come, people should be especially mindful of maintaining valid status, ensuring their work authorisation matches the role and employer, and avoiding common pitfalls like unauthorised employment, overstays, or ignoring govt mail,” said Nicole Gunara, principal immigration attorney at Manifest Law, a US-based immigration legal firm.Student deportations highest from UKDeportation of Indian students was the highest from the UK, with 170 sent home in 2025. This was followed by Australia (114), Russia (82) and the US (45). Talking about how cooperating with the authorities is important, Orn Boderversson, an economist and academician from the US, said, “…if the immigrant is subject to any raid in any country, the key thing is to be cooperative and not resist authorities. The worst deportation cases have been those where there are inadequate immigration papers and there is resistance, especially physical resistance. Also, have an attorney available … for the worst-case scenario,” he advised.
