Saudi Arabia, Not the US, Led Indian Deportations in 2025

By: Shreya Maheshwari Goel

Over 24,600 Indians were deported from 81 countries in 2025, according to data presented by the Ministry of External Affairs in Parliament. Saudi Arabia accounted for the largest share, sending back more than 11,000 Indian nationals, while the United States deported around 3,800.

Saudi Arabia emerged as the largest source of Indian deportations in 2025, surpassing the United States. According to data from the Ministry of External Affairs presented in the Rajya Sabha, over 24,600 Indians were deported from 81 countries during the year. Saudi Arabia alone accounted for more than 11,000 of these cases, the highest for any country. 

In contrast, the United States deported around 3,800 Indians in 2025. While significantly lower than Saudi Arabia’s figure, this marked the highest annual number of deportations from the US in the last five years. Most of those deported from the US were private employees, with removals concentrated in Washington DC, which accounted for 3,414 cases, followed by Houston with 234. 

Across Gulf countries, overstaying visa validity remained the most common reason for deportation. MEA data shows that several destinations in the Gulf and Southeast Asia recorded substantial numbers of Indians being sent back. Countries with notable figures include Myanmar (1,591), Malaysia (1,485), the UAE (1,469), Bahrain (764), Thailand (481) and Cambodia (305). 

Officials cited a range of violations behind these deportations, including overstaying visas or residency permits, working without valid authorisation, breaching labour regulations, absconding from employers, and involvement in civil or criminal cases. According to Bheema Reddy, vice-chairman of the Telangana government’s NRI advisory committee, this pattern reflects the scale and nature of Indian migration to Gulf countries. He noted that many migrants work as labourers in construction, domestic work and caregiving roles, often migrating through agents. In pursuit of higher earnings, minor violations can sometimes escalate into deportation cases. He also pointed to the lack of awareness of local laws as a contributing factor. 

In several cases, officials said migrant workers fall victim to fraud by agents in India and are deported after being detained by authorities abroad. However, deportations from countries such as Myanmar and Cambodia follow a different pattern. Reddy said many of these cases are linked to cyber slavery, where Indians are lured by promises of high-paying jobs, later trapped and forced to work in illegal cybercrime operations, before being detained and deported. 

Student deportations formed a smaller but distinct category. In 2025, the highest number of Indian student deportations was reported from the UK, with 170 cases. Australia followed with 114, Russia with 82, and the US with 45. 

Saudi Arabia’s dominance in deportation numbers is closely linked to the scale of Indian migration to the Kingdom. It hosts one of the largest populations of Indian blue-collar workers in the Gulf, particularly in construction, domestic work and other labour-intensive sectors. This workforce expansion is tied to Saudi Arabia’s large infrastructure push under Vision 2030, including mega projects such as NEOM, Qiddiya, the Red Sea Project and Diriyah Gate. 

MEA data indicates that Indian blue-collar workers are spread across 14 countries, totalling around 1.6 million between January 2020 and June 2025, with the Gulf remaining the primary destination. Saudi Arabia accounts for the largest share, with an estimated 695,269 Indian workers, followed by the UAE (341,365), Kuwait (201,959), Qatar (153,501) and Oman (116,840). 

Recruitment surged after the pandemic as stalled projects resumed. In 2023 alone, 398,000 Indian workers were sent abroad, with Saudi Arabia employing over 200,000 that year and another 167,598 in 2024. This pace continued into 2025, with Saudi Arabia recruiting 71,175 Indian workers between January and June, while the UAE hired 96,401 during the same period. Experts note that at such volumes, even limited non-compliance can result in large absolute numbers of deportations once enforcement tightens. 

As recruitment expanded, enforcement across the Gulf also became more systematic. Authorities increased scrutiny of visa timelines, work permits and residency compliance, making overstays and documentation lapses the primary triggers for deportation. After Saudi Arabia, the UAE recorded the second-highest number of Indian deportations in the GCC in 2025, followed by Bahrain. 

Government data shows that Saudi Arabia has recorded the highest number of deportations of Indian nationals globally for several years, indicating that the trend seen in 2025 is not new. Official figures show 8,887 Indians were deported from the Kingdom in 2021, rising to 10,277 in 2022 and 11,486 in 2023, before easing to 9,206 in 2024, placing the latest numbers within a longer, ongoing pattern rather than an isolated spike.