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...