Washington: Call it pre-election rhetoric or post Paris and St Bernardino paranoia, Indian students coming to the US have been caught in a bind, with many deported or denied entry for no fault of theirs.
They all came with valid F-1 student visas issued by US missions in India with the requisite I-20 forms from educational institutions certifying their admission, but have been sent packing back home at the port of entry.
There are no official figures available, but an estimated 60-70 students have been turned back so far. The process of deportation continues despite New Delhi making a strong plea to Washington to honour their visas.
It all started from San Francisco about two weeks after the December 2 terrorist attack in St Bernardino by a Pakistani couple, with Air India asked to fly back 14 Indian students who had come to join two allegedly "blacklisted" dodgy schools.
Both Silicon Valley University (SVU) in San Jose and Northwestern Polytechnic (NPU) in Fremont have denied being "blacklisted" or "under any sort of governmental investigation or targeting".
NPU has even blamed the whole mess "on the actions of Air India" which after the first deportations declined to seat US-bound students claiming it had been informed by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) about the two schools being under the scanner.
NPU suggested that Air India was not allowing its students to board as it has to fly back at its own cost any individual denied entry to a country.
Air India is reported to have now resumed bringing in Indian students provided they commit to pay for their return in case they were not allowed to enter.
12/01/16 PTI/Statesman
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They all came with valid F-1 student visas issued by US missions in India with the requisite I-20 forms from educational institutions certifying their admission, but have been sent packing back home at the port of entry.
There are no official figures available, but an estimated 60-70 students have been turned back so far. The process of deportation continues despite New Delhi making a strong plea to Washington to honour their visas.
It all started from San Francisco about two weeks after the December 2 terrorist attack in St Bernardino by a Pakistani couple, with Air India asked to fly back 14 Indian students who had come to join two allegedly "blacklisted" dodgy schools.
Both Silicon Valley University (SVU) in San Jose and Northwestern Polytechnic (NPU) in Fremont have denied being "blacklisted" or "under any sort of governmental investigation or targeting".
NPU has even blamed the whole mess "on the actions of Air India" which after the first deportations declined to seat US-bound students claiming it had been informed by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) about the two schools being under the scanner.
NPU suggested that Air India was not allowing its students to board as it has to fly back at its own cost any individual denied entry to a country.
Air India is reported to have now resumed bringing in Indian students provided they commit to pay for their return in case they were not allowed to enter.
12/01/16 PTI/Statesman
