Why Australia Deported 11 Indian Nationals On A Charter Flight: Drugs, Domestic Violence and Fake Documents
- Staff Writer
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Australia has deported 11 Indian nationals after the government cancelled their visas over criminal convictions, immigration breaches and persistent refusal to cooperate with authorities.
The group — ten from the state of Punjab and one from Hyderabad — were sent home on a Nauru Airlines aircraft that landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Thursday.
Of the 11, only two had valid passports. The remaining nine were issued emergency one-way documents by the Indian Mission in Australia to facilitate travel.
Reports in the Indian media said the detainees were sent on a specially chartered flight as some of them were being "non-compliant and disruptive" and could have posed a risk to crew and fellow passengers on a commercial flight.
SagaTimes reached out to the Department of Home Affairs and will update the story with their comments when we receive them.
Who Are The Deported 11?
The eleven deported individuals ranged in age from 27 to 45. They had been held at three separate facilities: Yongah Hill Immigration Detention Centre in Western Australia, Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation in Victoria, and Villawood Immigration Detention Centre in New South Wales.
Among those with the most serious records was Harpreet Singh Sidhu, 30, whose offences in 2025 alone included methamphetamine possession, fraud, theft and multiple bail violations.
Satinderjit Singh Shergill, 31, had repeated breaches of domestic violence orders and assault charges. Harpreet Singh, 41, who was among the few who cooperated with authorities, nonetheless faced charges including assaulting police and a child-related sexual offence.
Angrej Singh, 32, faced multiple fraud cases, drug offences, trespassing and possession of stolen property. Jagjit Singh Sidhu, 35, had cases of burglary, vehicle theft, false documents and handling stolen goods against him. Kanwaljeet Singh, 27, was charged with drug possession, shoplifting over $2,000, vehicle theft, carrying a knife in public and attempting to escape custody.
Several had reportedly refused consular access from Indian officials. Others had resisted deportation procedures outright.
At least two individuals — Jaswant Singh, 34 (weapons possession, drug equipment, drunk driving, theft, property damage) and Ranjit Singh, 35 (heroin and methamphetamine possession along with theft) — had been the subject of failed deportation attempts in the past.
Jaspreet Singh, 37, had no confirmed convictions but faced pending charges including repeated shoplifting, drug possession, assault and domestic violence-related offences.
Not all deportees had criminal convictions. Shruti Sharma, 45, held at Villawood, had no criminal record and was deported solely for immigration violations.
Abdullah Saleh Bahatab, 31, from Hyderabad, cooperated with authorities but was removed over charges relating to stalking, intimidation and threatening serious harm.
Who Can Be Deported From Australia?
Most of the deportations were triggered under Section 501 of Australia's Migration Act 1958.
Under Section 501, the government can cancel or refuse a visa if a person fails the character test — which applies to people with serious criminal records, or those considered a risk to the community.
Since 2014, the Act includes a mandatory cancellation provision, meaning some visas must be cancelled automatically once criminal thresholds are met. Once a visa is cancelled, a separate provision — Section 198 — requires the person to be removed from Australia.
What Have The Indian Authorities Said?
Bhagwant Mann, Chief Minister of the Indian state of Punjab, was among the first to publicly acknowledge the deportations. Mann said Australia had deported around 15 Indian nationals for criminal activities and visa violations — it was not clear when the remaining detainees would be deported.
Mann expressed sympathy for those returned. "They are our own children, and we will receive them at the airport while ensuring support for their rehabilitation and future livelihood," he said at a press conference on Wednesday.
The Chief Minister also directed criticism at fraudulent migration agents.
"Many innocent people fall into the trap of dubious travel agents who promise them the moon and send them abroad. These people leave with high hopes but are eventually deported. Our government is making arrangements for employment so that no one is forced to go abroad in search of jobs," Mann added.
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