New Delhi: The US embassy on Thursday expressed ‘regret’ over the deportation of Indian students who were bound for two California schools.
India had strongly taken up with the US the deportation of its 14 students from San Francisco even as two California-based universities claimed they were not blacklisted by American authorities, which was a reason cited to deny entry to Indian students.
Responding to India’s concerns, the US embassy released a statement, saying “educational ties between the US and India are strong and growing rapidly” and that it was looking into the matter.
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India takes up the issue of students' deportation with United States
“The Embassy is aware of reports that some students bound for two California schools were denied entry by Customs and Border Protection. We regret the impact this may have had on certain students and their families. We are following this situation closely and have been in regular communication with the Department of Homeland Security, as well as the Government of India. Facts are still being collected,” said the statement.
Earlier, sources in the Andhra Pradesh government had said that the students had failed to answer some basic questions when they were being questioned by the immigration officer, leading to their deportation.
In the statement, the US embassy too explained that, “even travelers with a visa can be denied entry if the immigration officer finds reason to question the legitimacy of their travel documents or finds that the traveler cannot adequately answer questions about the purpose of his or her travel to the United States.”
A top functionary of the AP government had said that some students when asked to expand abbreviation MBA, failed to give an answer and that it may have led to their deportation.
Addressing India’s concerns over the issue, the US assured that it “will continue to strongly support educational study and exchange programs for Indian and US students, as these programs have been a hallmark of our bilateral relationship for decades.”
