Saudi Arabia has deported far more Indian nationals than the United States over the past five years, official data presented in the Rajya Sabha shows.
Figures shared by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) highlight that migration-related violations in Gulf countries—particularly visa overstays and labour law breaches—account for a bulk of deportations, rather than illegal border crossings.
In a written reply dated December 18, 2025, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said that while many countries do not regularly share detention data, deportation figures issued through Emergency Certificates offer a dependable measure of enforcement action against Indian nationals overseas.
According to the government’s response, Saudi Arabia recorded the highest number of Indian deportations worldwide between 2021 and 2025.
Data from the Indian Mission in Riyadh shows:
2021: 8,887 deportations
2022: 10,277 deportations
2023: 11,486 deportations
2024: 9,206 deportations
2025 (till date): 7,019 deportations
Officials attributed the high numbers to Saudi Arabia’s strict enforcement of residency (Iqama) regulations, labour reforms, and repeated crackdowns on visa overstays, particularly following Saudisation policies and tighter labour market controls.
“The Gulf region, especially Saudi Arabia, continues to witness large-scale deportations linked to visa overstays, unauthorised employment, and violations of residency norms,” a senior official familiar with the data said.
US deportations remain much lower
In contrast, deportations of Indian nationals from the United States have remained significantly lower, even amid intense political debate around immigration enforcement.
MEA data from Indian Missions in the US shows that deportations from Washington DC stood at:
2021: 805
2022: 862
2023: 617
2024: 1,368
2025: 3,414
Deportation figures from other US missions—including San Francisco, New York, Atlanta, Houston, and Chicago—largely remained in double digits or low hundreds, far below those recorded in Gulf countries.
Officials noted that most US deportations involve visa overstays or status violations rather than large-scale detentions, and that many Indian nationals possess valid travel documents, reducing the need for Emergency Certificates.
Reasons behind deportations
The MEA listed several common reasons for deportation of Indian nationals abroad:
Overstaying visa validity
Working without authorised permits
Absconding from employers
Violations of local labour laws
Periodic mass enforcement drives
Government response
The government said it attaches “utmost priority” to the safety and well-being of Indians overseas, with missions regularly engaging host authorities to ensure due process and timely repatriation.
To curb illegal migration and recruitment fraud, the MEA said it has issued advisories against fake job rackets, strengthened the e-Migrate portal, activated round-the-clock mission helplines, and enhanced coordination with state governments. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) has also been involved in tracking illegal recruitment networks.
As of October 2025, more than 3,505 recruiting agents were registered on the e-Migrate portal, with several licences cancelled following complaints, the government said.
Clear trend
The data shows that Saudi Arabia—not the US—remains the largest source of deportations of Indian nationals, reflecting labour-driven migration patterns rather than asylum claims or border crossings. Officials stressed that greater awareness among jobseekers and stricter monitoring of recruitment agents will be key to reducing deportations in the future, particularly in Gulf countries.