Over 300 Indian nationals repatriated from Mexico in unprecedented move

Mexico has repatriated over 300 Indian nationals to Delhi, the National Migration Institute (INM) stated late on Wednesday, terming it an unprecedented transatlantic deportation.

The move comes behind a deal Mexico endorsed with the United States in June, pledging to suggestively control US bound migration in exchange for preventing US tariffs on Maxican exports.

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"It is unprecedented in INM's history - in either form or the number of people - for a transatlantic air transport like the one carried out on this day," INM said in a statement.

The 310 men and a woman that INM stated were in Mexico illegitimately were deported on a chartered aircraft, accompanied by federal immigration official and Mexico’s National Guard.

Most of the people deported were from Punjab, an Indian official said. Police will ratify if any of them had criminal records, another official said.

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INM stated the deportees had been distributed in eight states across Mexico, including south Mexico from where many Indian migrants entered the country, hoping to enter the US.

The number of migrants in south Mexico has gone up as official have stopped giving permits for them to cross the country, said Caitlyn Yates, a research coordinator at IBI Consultant.

"This type of deportation in Mexico is the first of its kind but likely to continue," Yates said.