Saudi Arabia deported over 11,000 Indians in 2025, thrice the number deported by the US

Saudi Arabia deported over 11,000 Indians in 2025. This figure is three times higher than that of the United States, which deported 3,800 Indians.

Over 24,600 Indians have been deported from 81 countries in the year 2025, according to data presented by the Ministry of External Affairs in Parliament.

Notably, Saudi Arabia, a country that calls India its best friend, has deported three times more Indians than the United States.

Saudi Arabia has sent back the largest number of people to India this year. The Kingdom deported over 11,000 Indians this year, a figure three times higher than that of the United States.

How many people were deported from the US?

In fact, the United States deported 3,800 Indians in the year 2025. The latest data also revealed that despite being significantly lower than Saudi Arabia's figures, the US's number is the highest in the last five years.

The majority of Indians deported by the US in 2025 were private employees. These deportations occurred due to reasons such as overstaying visa validity, working without a valid work permit, violation of labour laws, absconding from employers, and involvement in civil or criminal cases.

Furthermore, a major reason for the deportation of Indians is believed to be the recent policy of US President Donald Trump, which promoted the slogan 'America First'. Under this policy, the Trump administration took strict action against illegal immigrants.

Indians also deported from these countries

Additionally, other countries from which Indians were deported in large numbers include Myanmar (1,591), the United Arab Emirates (1,469), Malaysia (1,485), Bahrain (764), Thailand (481), and Cambodia (305).

Why are Indians being deported from Saudi Arabia?

The Times of India, quoting Bhima Reddy, Vice-Chairman of the Telangana government's NRI Advisory Committee, reported that a large number of labourers from India go to Gulf countries.

Reddy further stated, "Most of the labourers going to Saudi Arabia are low-skilled. They reach there through agents. In many cases, they get entangled in petty crimes in pursuit of earning more money. Lack of knowledge about local laws and regulations proves costly for them."

US cancels visa interviews

Meanwhile, the US Consulate has cancelled previously scheduled H1B visa interviews for Indian applicants. All interview slots scheduled from mid to late December 2025 have been cancelled, affecting thousands of applicants. The reason cited for this is social media scrutiny.

Those whose interviews were pre-scheduled have now been rescheduled for several months later. Some interviews have been rescheduled as far as October 2026. The Indian government has expressed deep concern over this.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the Indian government is actively engaging with the US side to mitigate the inconveniences faced by its citizens.