MELBOURNE, 4 May, 2026: In a significant move Australia has deported ,15 Indian nationals towards the end of April, 2026, and reports in the Indian media say nine were from Punjab, while the rest were from Haryana, Uttarakhand, and Telangana. They landed in Delhi, were questioned for several hours, and were then taken onward by Punjab authorities. Those from Punjab deported were 8 males and one female.
Reports say, the deportees were said to be in the 25–45 age range, and the named individuals included people from districts such as Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Taran Taran, Moga, Gurdaspur, Khanna, SBS Nagar/Ropar, and Ferozepur. One report alleges Shruti Sharma had gone in 2008 and overstayed, while others were linked to alleged immigration-rule violations. The New Indian Express also says the group was handed over to police after arrival in Delhi.
The names specifically reported include Satinderjit Singh Shergill, Jaswant Singh, Angrej Singh, Harpreet Singh, Jaspreet Singh, Jagjit Singh Sidhu, Ranjit Singh, Harpreet Singh, and Shruti Sharma, along with Rahul, Kanwaljit Singh, Samiuddin Khaja, and Abdullah Saleh Bhahatab.
Punjab Newsline also lists additional names such as Nirmal Singh, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Ranji Singh, and Gagandeep Singh. One article notes that “two of them did not come,” suggesting the publicly reported list may not be complete.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the government would look into how their documents were allegedly prepared and whether agents helped them migrate, and he indicated the issue could be taken up with the Ministry of External Affairs if needed. The same report says authorities were focusing on a “dignified return” and reintegration, while also trying to trace the wider illegal migration network.
