Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: At least 30 Goans have been deported from the United States since January 2025 for reasons including illegal entry, overstaying visas, and lack of valid documentation, according to data released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Officials note that the actual number could be higher, as many individuals choose “self-deportation,” which often goes unrecorded.
MEA statistics show that a total of 3,258 Indian nationals were deported from the US between January and December 2025, with the highest numbers from Punjab and Haryana, followed by Goa and Uttar Pradesh.
Data from the Goa State NRI Commission indicates that at least 15 deported Goans have returned to the State so far. While the MEA recorded 26 Goans deported by July 2025, the number rose to 30 by the end of November.
Officials said discrepancies in the data may occur because illegal Indian immigrants holding valid travel documents are sometimes deported directly by US authorities. Furthermore, some individuals issued Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs) may not use them, as they can appeal against deportation.
Most deportees returned to India on regular commercial flights, though some were repatriated on charter flights operated by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Goa NRI Commissioner Narendra Sawaikar informed that the official figure of 15 returnees may be an undercount, as many choose to leave the US voluntarily due to fears of enforcement actions or job losses. “Such voluntary departures are often not tracked, creating a gap in the data,” he explained.
He added that the MEA continues to engage with US authorities to ensure deportees are treated humanely during repatriation operations.
