India seeks UN help over students deportation row
India has “strongly taken up” with the United States the deportation of its 14 students from San Francisco, with sources saying a protest had been lodged both in New Delhi and Washington.
India has “strongly taken up” with the United States the deportation of its 14 students from San Francisco, with sources saying a protest had been lodged both in New Delhi and Washington.
According to news agency reports from Hyderabad, Air India had on Sunday night stopped 19 Indian students heading to two universities from boarding a flight to San Francisco citing a communication from US Customs and Border Protection agency which said that 14 Indian students have been deported as these varsities were “under scrutiny”.
The Indian Government has defended Air India, saying the national carrier had no choice but to comply with US norms since it was operating flights to that country.
“As per information available, the deportations have taken place due to denial of entry to these students by US Immigration Authorities. Air India has acted as per the advice of US Authorities. We have strongly taken up the matter with the US Government both in the US and in Delhi. We are closely following-up the matter with the aim of resolving it at the earliest,” the MEA said in New Delhi.
According to reports, the two California-based universities claimed they were not blacklisted by American authorities.
“We have to find out why visas were issued in the first place by the US government,” sources said. “The students have been deported on the advice of the US Immigration Authority... Air India is duty-bound to follow their advice,” the MEA said. Meanwhile, Air India said it had taken the action so the students are not “inconvenienced”.