Saudi Arabia has recorded the highest number of deportations of Indians worldwide over the past five years, surpassing the United States despite heightened immigration enforcement there.
NDTV World citing official data released by the Indian government, said in a written reply to Parliament, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said deportations of Indian nationals abroad are largely linked to immigration and labor violations rather than illegal border crossings.
These include overstaying visas or residency permits, working without valid work authorization, violating labor regulations, absconding from employers, and involvement in civil or criminal cases.
Data provided by the Indian Mission in Riyadh showed that 8,887 Indians were deported from Saudi Arabia in 2021. The figure rose to 10,277 in 2022 and 11,486 in 2023, before declining to 9,206 in 2024. As of 2025, a total of 7,019 deportations have been recorded so far.
By contrast, deportations of Indian nationals from the United States during the same period were significantly lower. Figures from Indian missions in the US showed that 805 Indians were deported in 2021, followed by 862 in 2022, 617 in 2023, 1,368 in 2024, and 3,414 in 2025, with the highest numbers reported by the Washington DC mission.
Other US missions, including those in San Francisco, New York, Atlanta, Houston and Chicago, reported deportations mostly in double digits or low hundreds.
Apart from Saudi Arabia and the United States, other countries that deported notable numbers of Indian nationals included Myanmar, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Bahrain, Thailand and Cambodia.
The Ministry of External Affairs reaffirmed that the Indian government gives the highest priority to the safety, security and welfare of Indian citizens overseas, adding that Indian missions remain actively engaged with host authorities to facilitate assistance, rescue and repatriation where required.
