New Delhi: Which country deported the most Indians in the past 5 years? No, it is not US
Despite large-scale deportations in the United States since Donald Trump assumed power, the US was not the country that deported the most Indians this year or over the past five years. It was Saudi Arabia, with over 7,000 deportations in 2025, that recorded the largest number of Indian deportations, according to official data tabled in the Rajya Sabha by the ministry of external affairs (MEA).
In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha on December 18, minister of state for external affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said information on arrest, detention and deportation is not usually shared with Indian missions, except in cases where nationality verification and the issuance of an Emergency Certificate (EC) to the deportee are required.
As per the official government reply, Saudi Arabia deported more Indians than the United States over the past five years.
In 2025, a total of 7,019 Indians were deported from Saudi Arabia, according to data provided by the Indian mission in Riyadh. Notably, the data also includes figures from the Consulate General of India in Jeddah, which show that 3,865 Indians were deported.
Here is the year-wise breakdown of the total number of Indians deported from Saudi Arabia, as per data from the Indian mission in Riyadh:
In comparison to Saudi Arabia, the number of Indians deported from the United States amid a crackdown on immigration was lower.
As per external affairs ministry data provided by the Indian mission in Washington DC, a total of 3,414 Indians were deported from the US in 2025.
Here is the year-wise breakdown of Indian deportations in the US, as per the Indian mission in Washington DC:
Meanwhile, data from the Consulate General of India in the United States shows much lower deportation numbers. Figures from offices in San Francisco, New York, Atlanta, Houston and Chicago remained in double digits or low hundreds.
According to the minister of state’s written reply, there were several reasons for the detention and deportation of Indians abroad.
These include overstaying beyond the permitted visa or residency period, working without a valid work permit, violating labour regulations, leaving an employer without notice, and being involved in civil or criminal cases, among others.
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