The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) today confirmed that 13 foreign nationals lost their lives in the recent fire tragedy in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar area. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the victims included one person each from Mozambique, Liberia, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, Congo and Iraq, four from Nigeria, and three from Kyrgyzstan.
Addressing a media briefing in New Delhi, Mr. Jaiswal also reiterated that India and Russia continue to share strong and longstanding defence ties, describing the partnership as robust and enduring.
On the proposed India-US trade agreement, the MEA spokesperson said a US negotiating team visited India from August 1 to 4 for discussions. He noted that the talks were positive and constructive, indicating continued engagement between the two countries on trade-related issues.
Regarding migration, Mr. Jaiswal informed that 1,076 Indian citizens have been deported from the United States so far this year, compared to 3,567 deportations recorded last year. He said both countries are holding discussions on migration and mobility, with a focus on curbing illegal migration while ensuring that legitimate migration channels remain unaffected.
On the issue of foreign nationals residing illegally in India, the spokesperson said the country has established legal mechanisms to address such cases. Referring specifically to Bangladeshi nationals, he stated that India follows a bilateral verification process with Bangladesh before carrying out deportations, adding that several nationality verification requests remain pending with the Bangladeshi authorities.
