Dissecting Deportation Data: Not US, But This Country Sent Back Most Indians In Past 5 Years | World News
Last Updated:December 28, 2025, 03:06 IST According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, between 2021 and 2025, more than 49,000 Indian nationals were deported from Saudi Arabia The data decisively shows that the Gulf region remains the primary site of migration-related friction for Indian citizens. Representational image/PTI Official data from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) indicates that Saudi Arabia has deported far more Indian nationals than the United States over the past five years. Figures tabled in the Rajya Sabha by Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh show that while the US has seen a surge in deportations under the second Donald Trump administration, the numbers remain a fraction of the enforcement actions taken in the Gulf kingdom. Scale of Gulf repatriation Saudi Arabia emerged as the single largest source of Indian deportations globally. According to the MEA, between 2021 and 2025, more than 49,000 Indian nationals were deported from Saudi Arabia. In 2025 alone, over 11,000 Indians were sent home, driven by the kingdom’s strict “Saudisation” policies and aggressive enforcement of residency (Iqama) laws. The …


