Saudi Arabia deported more Indians than US this year
What's the story
In 2025, Saudi Arabia led the world in deporting Indians, with over 11,000 deportations. The data was released by India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and presented in the Rajya Sabha. Overall, more than 24,600 Indians were deported from 81 countries this year. The United States came second after Saudi Arabia with around 3,800 deportations, its highest number in five years.
Reasons
Visa overstays and cyber slavery drive deportations
The primary reason for these deportations was visa overstays, especially in Gulf countries. Other nations with high deportation figures included Myanmar, UAE, Malaysia, Bahrain, Thailand and Cambodia. Cyber slavery was also a major issue driving deportations from Myanmar and Cambodia. Indians were often lured by promises of lucrative jobs but ended up trapped in illegal operations and detained.
Student deportations
Indian students face deportations from various countries
Among student deportations, the United Kingdom had the highest number with 170 Indian students sent back in 2025. Australia was next with 114 cases, followed by Russia (82) and the US (45). The US deportations mainly involved private employees and were influenced by stricter checks on documents and visa status under the Donald Trump administration.
Violations
MEA data highlights common violations leading to deportations
The MEA data highlighted that overstaying visa validity was the most common reason for deportation. Other violations included working without valid permits, breaching labor rules and absconding from employers. Bheema Reddy, Vice Chairman of Telangana government's NRI advisory committee, said many Indian workers fall victim to fraud by agents in India. These workers are often low-skilled and migrate through agents seeking better opportunities but end up involved in minor offenses due to lack of awareness about local laws.