More Indians Deported From Saudi Than US, UAE In 2025 Due To Overstay, Fake Jobs

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

Over 24,600 Indians were deported globally in 2025, data from India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in the Rajya Sabha revealed, after a study of figures from 81 countries and cities.

The highest number of deportations took place in Saudi Arabia, where 7,019 people were deported from Riyadh and 3,865 from Jeddah, bringing the total number to 10,884.

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This figure tops the US, where 3,812 deportees were sent back to India this year, despite the country's heightened crackdown on immigration under Donald Trump's presidency.

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Meanwhile, the MEA figures show 1,469 deportees sent back from the UAE, the highest in the past five years, bringing the total number of South Asian deportees to nearly 4,000 since 2021.

The number of Indians deported from the UAE stood at 899 in 2024, 666 in 2023, 587 in 2022 and 358 in 2021. In total, 3,979 nationals of the South Asian country were deported over five years.

In 2024, the UAE had introduced its visa amnesty programme, giving thousands a chance to legalise their status or exit the country without penalties.

The scheme, which began on September 1, was originally scheduled to conclude on October 31, 2024, but was then extended for two more months until December 31, 2024, by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security.

Last year's amnesty was the fourth such programme initiated by the UAE government since 2007. The previous one in 2018 was supposed to run for only 90 days until October 31, 2018, but was also extended for two more months until December 31 that year to allow more residency violators to rectify their status or leave the country with no penalties.

The MEA list includes figures from countries like Australia (34), Bahrain (764), Canada (188). Georgia (133), Malaysia (1,485), Oman (16), Sri Lanka (372), Thailand (481) and UK (203), among many others.

Reason behind deportation

The authority revealed overstay beyond visa validity, working without permit, violating labour regulations, fake job offers, absconding from employers and facing of civil or criminal cases being the top reasons behind deportations from across the world.

The ministry keeps issuing advisories through social media posts about fake job rackets from time to time, to make sure Indians travelling to other countries don't get trapped in such situations.

Similar advisories are also issued by respective Indian missions, especially in South-East Asian countries - where Indians have been lured by fake job rackets - advising them to verify all antecedents of recruiting agents and companies before accepting any kind of employment offer and to not be enticed and entrapped in fraud job offers in these countries.

Until October 2025, a list of 3,505 unregistered agents has been made on e-Migrate portal. This information is regularly updated based on complaints filed by victims and on the inputs received from missions abroad. Complaints against illegal agents and dubious firms are regularly shared with respective governments and other agencies in order to take action.

Deportation process

Most foreign countries do not provide information on illegal stay in their countries, except when they are under orders of deportation and travel document or nationality verification is required, the ministry clarified.

The procedure followed for deportation of foreign nationals also varies from country to country.

Some countries do not arrest the deportee and keep them in detention or deportation centres until deportation. Furthermore, the information about arrests or deportation is not shared with Indian missions and it is carried out directly by the host government if the deportee has valid travel document.

Indian missions are contacted only in situations where the nationality verification and issuance of Emergency Certificate (EC) to the deportee may be required.

Helpline for Indian nationals

The Indian government raises the issue of the safety, security and wellbeing of its nationals abroad from time to time with host countries' governments. Along with the local Ministry of Foreign Affairs in these countries, the matter is also discussed with other concerned agencies like Immigration, Labour Department, Home Affairs, Defence and Border Affairs and law enforcement agencies.

India has established various channels to allow Indian nationals abroad to reach out to the missions in case they need any assistance. They can contact them through walk-in interview, email, multilingual 24/7 emergency numbers, grievance redressal portal like MADAD, CPGRAMS, and eMigrate, and social media.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has also set up the 'Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre' (I4C) to deal with all types of cyber crime.

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