Ludhiana, Feb. 14 -- Saudi Arabia has deported the highest number of Indian nationals during the last five years, followed by United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and Qatar, the Union ministry of external affairs revealed on Thursday. The USA, in contrast, deported a much smaller number of Indians, though the figure has been rising steadily amid heightened immigration enforcement. The information came to light after Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal raised the issue in the Parliament. The ministry shared the data in a written response, based on records maintained by Indian missions abroad. Official figures show that Saudi Arabia remained far ahead of other countries in deporting Indians. Deportations crossed 28,000 in 2022 and nearly 29,600 in 2023 from Riyadh alone, while Jeddah also reported thousands of deportations every year. Officials said strict labour compliance rules, visa overstays and large migrant workforce movements were among the main reasons behind the high numbers. The United Arab Emirates ranked second in deportation figures. Data shows that deportations from Dubai increased sharply from 876 in 2021 to nearly 7,900 in 2025. Abu Dhabi also recorded a steady rise, touching 1,662 deportations in 2025. Experts believe the increase is due to tighter workplace inspections, stricter residency checks and stronger enforcement of immigration regulations. Malaysia stood at the third position with deportation figures remaining above 1,000 every year. The country reported 1,675 deportations in 2025 alone. Officials said action against undocumented workers and visa violations, especially in labour-intensive sectors, contributed to the consistent trend. Qatar also reported significant deportation numbers. The country deported 803 Indians in 2021 and the number rose to 1,414 in 2023 before declining to 796 in 2025. Other Gulf countries such as Oman and Jordan reported moderate deportation figures. Among non-Gulf nations, the US recorded a noticeable rise in deportations. Washington alone deported 805 Indians in 2021, which increased to 1,368 in 2024 and further rose to 3,414 by mid-December 2025. Additional deportation cases were reported from cities such as Houston, San Francisco, New York and Seattle, indicating strict checks on visa compliance and employment documentation. An unexpected rise was recorded in Myanmar, where deportations increased sharply from 338 in 2022 to 1,605 in 2025. Officials suspect that the rise may be linked to illegal migration routes being used as transit pathways by individuals trying to reach developed countries. Canada also reported deportation cases through its missions in Ottawa and Toronto. Deportations from Toronto increased from 27 in 2021 to 198 in 2025. Similarly, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland reported smaller but steady deportation numbers. Among European countries, Cyprus recorded comparatively higher deportation numbers....