Photo credit: India Today
Supreme Court lawyer Virendra Vashistha has approached the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) over the treatment of Indian migrants deported from the United States.
News Bytes reports that Vashistha wrote a letter condemning the use of restraints during transit as inhumane and a violation of human rights.
The deportees were reportedly restrained in handcuffs and shackles on a US military aircraft. The lawyer argued such was reserved for dangerous criminals.
He urged the NHRC to investigate and document the experiences of those affected by these measures. he also called on the Ministry of External Affairs to take this issue up with the US government and ensure accountability.
The US embassy in India has said enforcing immigration laws is important to national security and public safety. A spokesperson, while defending the embassy, said it is US policy to execute immigration laws against inadmissible aliens.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told parliament that such deportations are routine and have been happening for years. He encouraged legal mobility while discouraging illegal migration.
While the deportation has triggered a row in Congress, deportees were made to undergo security checks upon return to India.
