Got to know about deportation after landing here: Jagraon woman

The deportees, barring minors, were handcuffed throughout journey, says Muskaan, seeks govt’s help for UK return to complete studies

A 21-year-old woman, Muskaan, from Ludhiana, who was among the 104 Indians deported from the United States on a special military flight, on Thursday said that those affected got to know about their deportation only after landing in Amritsar. Pleading for help to return to the UK and complete her studies, she said that the deportees, barring minors, were handcuffed throughout the journey back to India.

Muskaan (File photo)

The woman, a student of business management at CU College, London, had initially travelled to Mexico before being detained at the US-Mexico border in Tijuana. She insists she never attempted to enter the US illegally.

“I am being told that I can’t return to the UK or travel anywhere else. My studies are incomplete. If I can’t go back, my career will be ruined. I request the government to allow me to return to the UK,” she appealed.

Her father, who runs a small eatery in Jagraon, said, “We borrowed ₹15 lakh to send her abroad and arranged some money from relatives.”

Jagraon MLA Sarvjit Kaur Manuke, seeking government’s intervention, said the family is under a heavy financial burden and it is critical that she completes her education.