11 Punjabis Among 15 Indians Deported From Australia, Officials Cite Visa And Criminal Violations
Australia has deported 15 Indian nationals, including 11 from Punjab, in a case that has renewed attention on immigration compliance, criminal cases abroad and the risks faced by Indians pursuing overseas opportunities.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said Wednesday that the deportees included 11 people from Punjab, two from Telangana, one from Haryana and one from Uttarakhand. He said the Punjab government would receive those from the state at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport and assist with their return.
According to journalist Akashdeep Thind, nine deportees had arrived at New Delhi International Airport from Australia and were handed over to Punjab Police. He said they were being taken to Patiala. The update came after earlier reports that 15 Indians were expected to land in Delhi after being deported from Australia.
The Indian Express reported that, according to a district-wise list accessed by the publication, nine of the 11 Punjab deportees are from Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Khanna, Moga, Nawanshahr, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Ropar. One among the 11 is a woman.
A senior Punjab Police officer told the publication that the addresses of two others were still being verified. The officer said the districts were based on addresses listed in the deportees’ documents and would be confirmed once they were handed over to police.
Mann said most of the deportees had criminal cases registered against them in Australia. “But they are our own children, and we will receive them at the airport while ensuring support for their rehabilitation and future livelihood,” he said.
The full case-by-case reasons for deportation have not been officially released. Early reports said the reasons were not immediately clear. Later reports linked the deportations to criminal cases, visa violations and other immigration concerns.
Mann urged Indians living abroad to respect the laws of their host countries. He said those who violate laws overseas risk deportation and must understand the consequences.
The case has also brought renewed focus to fraudulent travel agents, a long-standing concern in Punjab’s migration system.
Mann said many people fall into the trap of dubious agents who promise easy foreign settlement and push families into risky decisions. “Many innocent people fall into the trap of dubious travel agents who promise them the moon and send them abroad. These people leave with high hopes but are eventually deported. Our government is making arrangements for employment so that no one is forced to go abroad in search of jobs,” he said.
For Punjab, the case is more than a deportation story. It reflects the pressure many young people face to leave India, the financial burden families carry to send them abroad, and the legal risks that follow when immigration status, conduct or documents come under scrutiny.
Punjab Police are expected to verify the deportees’ addresses and coordinate their return to home districts. More details are expected once authorities complete processing and confirm the individual circumstances behind the deportations.
