New Delhi: Data given by the government in the parliament essays a spike in deportations of Indians from South-East Asian nations, in addition to Saudi Arabia and the US.Answering a question in the Rajya Sabha on December 18, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh stated that 3,505 illegal agents had been identified on the e-Migrate portal as of October 2025.Singh said that the list was updated regularly based on complaints filed by aggrieved individuals and inputs from Indian missions. The ministry has shared details of these “dubious firms” with state governments and the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) for punitive action.Fake jobs in South-East AsiaAccording to data tabled by the ministry, deportations from Myanmar surged more than tenfold, rising from 147 in 2024 to 1,591 in 2025. Similarly, Malaysia repatriated 1,485 Indians in 2025, up from 1,259 the previous year.Singh stated that Indian missions in South-East Asian countries had issued detailed advisories after receiving information about Indian nationals being lured by “fake job rackets.”“Advisories advise job seekers to verify all antecedents of recruiting agents and companies before accepting any kind of employment offer and not be enticed and entrapped in fraudulent job offers,” the minister stated.Saudi Arabia and the USWhile the Gulf region continues to account for the highest volume of repatriations – with Saudi Arabia deporting 7,019 Indians and the UAE 1,469 in 2025 – the United States has seen a significant increase too.Data from the Indian mission in Washington D.C. shows that 3,414 Emergency Certificates (ECs) or deportations were recorded in 2025, a steep rise from 1,368 in 2024.In a separate reply on December 4, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar provided specific details on the nature of these US deportations. He said that of the 3,258 individuals deported till late November, approximately 37.6% were returned via charter flights operated by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP).Jaishankar confirmed that these flights have facilitated the return of “wanted criminals and gangsters,” specifically naming Lakhwinder Singh and Anmol Bishnoi, against whom lookout notices had been issued.Addressing concerns regarding the treatment of deportees, Jaishankar stated that the government had registered its concern regarding the use of shackles. He noted that US authorities cited a 2012 “Restraining Policy” for safety but clarified that no instance of shackling women or children had been reported since February 5.FACTFILE: DEPORTATIONS & DETENTIONS (2024-2025)Selected country data from MEA’s parliament answerTHE GULFSaudi Arabia: 7,019 (2025) | 9,206 (2024)UAE: 1,469 (2025) | 899 (2024)Bahrain: 764 (2025) | 857 (2024)SOUTH-EAST ASIAMyanmar: 1,591 (2025) | 147 (2024)Malaysia: 1,485 (2025) | 1,259 (2024)Cambodia: 305 (2025) | 573 (2024)THE WESTUSA (Washington DC): 3,414 (2025) | 1,368 (2024)UK (London): 151 (2025) | 110 (2024)Canada (Toronto): 188 (2025) | 60 (2024)(Note: 2025 data reflects figures available till mid-December) Procedural challengesSingh explained the difficulties in tracking illegal migration. He noted that most foreign countries do not share information on Indians staying illegally unless deportation orders are issued.“Some countries do not arrest the deportee and keep them in detention/deportation centres until deportation,” Singh stated. He added that if a deportee held a valid travel document, the host government often conducted the deportation directly without informing the Indian Mission.Missions are typically contacted only when nationality verification is required for the issuance of Emergency Certificates.