US deportees recount horror of 'dunki' routes

Kurukshetra/Ahmedabad/Hoshiarpur | With hopes of a bright future and a better life for their families back home, they undertook perilous journeys to the US, only to return in shackles and with huge debts, stories of untold hardship and extortion -- both at home and in the land of their dreams.

On Thursday, a day after 104 illegal Indian immigrants were deported and landed in Amritsar in a US military plane, the men and women returned home, thankful their ordeal was over and wondering anxiously what tomorrow will bring.

Many of them had traversed treacherous "dunki" routes, crossing several rivers and forests of South American nations while facing extortion and getting roughed up, to illegally enter the US.

Becoming popular in common parlance following the release of Shah Rukh Khan's "Dunki" in 2023, it refers to illegal immigration that involves crossing borders through covert stops in multiple countries, mostly facilitated by agents.

Of these illegal immigrants, 33 each were from Haryana and Gujarat, 30 from Punjab, three each from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and two from Chandigarh.

Recounting the horror faced by 27-year-old Robin Handa, who was among the deportees, his father Manjit Singh said his son travelled across Guyana, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Guatemala, crossed a sea and passed through jungles, staying hungry for days, to reach the Mexico-US border.

Handa, who studied till class 12, left his native Ismailabad village in Haryana's Kurukshetra district on July 18 last year and by the time he reached the US border, he had paid Rs 45 lakh to different agents while his mobile phone was also snatched, his father claimed.

He was handed over to the "immigration mafia" in Mexico and they tortured him for money. Here he gave them Rs 20 lakh, Singh said.

With the dreams of an improved financial condition in ruins, Singh now blames the travel agent for defrauding them with the false promise of getting Handa settled in the US.

Families of the deportees alleged that the travel agents adopted unfair means to facilitate the youths' travel to the US without their knowledge. They now seek strict action against these agents.

Among the deportees hailing from Punjab, Sukhpal Singh from Darapur village in Hoshiarpur had decided to move to the US after working as a chef in Italy for a year.

In Italy, he and two of his friends came in contact with a travel agent who promised them safe passage to the US for Rs 30 lakh each, Sukhpal told PTI on Thursday.

To pay the travel agent, he used his savings and borrowed money from his friends. The agent assured him of a flight to the US.

"Instead of being taken to the US, the group I was travelling with was taken to Nicaragua. Upon arrival, everyone's passports were confiscated by the agent's men and then began an arduous journey through Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico," Sukhpal said.

"It included a 12-hour journey in a small boat across the sea from Mexico to the US border in California. Tragically, one of my fellow travellers drowned during this dangerous journey," he said.

Sukhpal said, "Soon after reaching the US border, I and others were apprehended by US authorities and taken to a detention camp where we were held for 12 days."

He said they were treated badly in the camp, with no access to legal counsel or immigration officials. "Only snacks and beef were available. I survived on snacks as I do not consume beef," he said.

The detainees were handcuffed and their feet shackled before they were put on the flight to India. Sukhpal said those on the flight were not allowed to move from their seats and even washroom access was highly restricted.

"To avoid using the washroom, I barely ate or drank anything on the flight," he said, adding, "The shackles were removed after the flight landed in Amritsar and I was finally provided a meal."

Another deportee, Harwinder Singh (41) from Tahli village in Hoshiarpur, narrated a similar ordeal.

He left home on August 5 last year after striking a Rs 42-lakh deal with a travel agent who is also his distant relative. He was promised a visa to a European country and eventually a passage to the US. Once Harwinder reached Brazil, his family paid Rs 25 lakh to the travel agent as agreed.

Though he was told that he had a flight from Belem, he was forced to undertake a journey by road through Ecuador and Colombia, finally reaching Panama. There, he was forced to pay the remaining amount to the travel agent in India.

From Panama, he and many others were compelled to embark on a perilous journey through a dangerous 'dunki' route to enter the United States. Harwinder said that he was along with many others were arrested at the US border.

Having exhausted his family's savings for nought, Harwinder now demands help from the Punjab government to recover the money paid to the travel agent.

Daler Singh, who hails from Salampur village in Amritsar, too said that he was cheated by the travel agent who had promised to take him to the US legally. He, however, was taken to Brazil via Dubai and then had to traverse the infamous 'dunki' route.

Singh (37), who was a driver before deciding to migrate to the US, said, "I raised the money by borrowing from relatives and friends, besides mortgaging our farmland."

"I wanted to migrate to the US for a better future for my family," he added.

Pardeep Singh (22), who hails from Lalru in Amritsar, reached the US after travelling across countries for six months. He was arrested immediately after reaching the US border by the patrolling forces, his family said.

His parents took a loan of Rs 41 lakh to send him to the US. Now, they do not know how they will pay it back.

Harpreet Singh Laliya, a resident of Maharashtra's Nagpur who was deported from the US on Wednesday, claimed that he had planned to go to Canada but a mistake by his agent got him in ignominy with handcuffs and chains around his legs.

He also rued the loss of Rs 50 lakh he raised from banks and kin to migrate, besides enduring gruelling treks to get to the US and the gut-wrenching uncertainty that accompanied every step.

He travelled to Guatemala on flights with short stays in Egypt and Spain. From there he was sent to Nicaragua, and then to the US border via Honduras and Mexico. His ordeal included being "caught by the mafia in Mexico and held by them for 10 days", a four-hour mountain trek in that nation and then a gruelling 16-hour walk to the US border, Laliya told reporters.

Three Uttar Pradesh men -- Rakshit Baliyan (19) of Rasulpur Jatan village and Devindra Singh (38) of Marakpur village in Muzaffarnagar district and Gurpreet Singh (24) from Pilibhit district -- were among the 104 Indians deportees.

Rakshit Baliyan's father Sudhir Baliyan, a retired Army jawan, told PTI that his son had gone to the US seven months ago and was working in a private company.

Sudhir Baliyan, who owns 20 bighas of agricultural land, said his son would continue his education. "My son has passed his Class 12 examination. He will continue his education since he is interested in pursuing a BTech degree," he said.

Kulbir Singh, father of Devindra Singh, the other deportee from UP's Muzaffarnagar, said his son had left for the US two months ago. He was caught shortly after arriving in the US and remained in custody at a detention camp until his deportation.

Jayantibhai Patel, a resident of Gujarat's Vadodara district, could not hold back his emotions after seeing his daughter, who was deported from the US, reaching home safely.

Khushbu Patel (29) too was handcuffed during the journey onboard the US military aircraft which landed in Amritsar on Wednesday, her brother said, adding she had gone to the US on a tourist visa.

"She was deported for not having some documents. We don't know what route she had taken to reach the US. She is not in a position to speak now because of the 36-hour journey," he said.

Her father Jayantibhai Patel said, "I was under enormous stress. Now I am extremely happy that she has come back safely. Our Government has helped us in every way. I have no idea how she reached the US and what exactly happened to her there." he said.

US remains favourite among many Punjabis for migration despite many risks involved: Immigration consultants

Chandigarh | The US remains a favourite work destination for many people from Punjab because of potential high earnings despite many life-threatening risks involved in migrating to that country in illegal ways, immigration consultants said on Thursday.

Those who yearn for becoming US citizens spend lakhs of rupees by taking loans and borrowing from relatives and sometimes end up losing their hard-earned money after they get caught entering America in an illegal way.

The deportation of 104 illegal Indian immigrants from the US brought this issue to the spotlight, indicating strong desire among people to migrate to America in an illegal manner.

A US military aircraft carrying these 104 illegal immigrants from various states landed in Amritsar on Wednesday, the first such batch of Indians deported by the Donald Trump government as part of a crackdown against illegal immigrants.

Of them, 33 each were from Haryana and Gujarat, 30 from Punjab, three each from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and two from Chandigarh.

Nineteen women and 13 minors, including a four-year-old boy and two girls, aged five and seven, were among the deportees.

"There is a good earning potential in the US which lures people to migrate to the US," said an immigration consultant.

"If someone spends Rs 50 lakh to reach the US, one can recover it within a year. Truck drivers, in particular, earn between Rs 7-8 lakh per month, and currently, there is a shortage of truck drivers in America," said Sanyog Dadwal, an immigrant consultant.

He said in the past, those who managed to reach the US could secure their stay and eventually obtain a green card after working for 10-12 years.

However, this large-scale deportation marks a significant shift in US immigration policy, which may deter future aspirants from attempting to move illegally.

Immigration consultants also sought strict action against those illegal travel agents who put the lives of people at risk by sending them through "donkey route" - an illegal and risky pathway used by migrants to enter the US.

According to the immigration consultants, illegal travel agents charge between Rs 30 and 55 lakh per person for taking them to the US.

Among deportees from Punjab, many of them have said they have spent between Rs 40 and 50 lakh for entering the US.

A consultant said illegal travel agents first take people to some European country and then to Peru, Panama, Ecuador and Guatemala to reach the US-Mexico border.

Though people are aware of the risks involved in this arduous journey involving mountains, forests and sea, they undertake it to reach their destination.

Another consultant said in the past, it has been observed that many people from Punjab sought asylum after reaching the US border.

Once their application is filed for asylum, they would get work permits till any decision comes on their requests, he said.

The decision of an asylum request may take many years and till then, one can earn money through a work permit, the consultant said.

The obsession for migrating to the US is visible mostly in Majha and Doaba regions of Punjab, he further said.

Kapurthala-based immigration consultant Inderpal Singh said it is not that only illegal travel agents are to be blamed.

Those who chose to go through illegal ways to the US are also equally responsible because they are well aware of the risks of getting caught, he told PTI.

The state authorities should keep a check on illegal travel agents so that they cannot cheat people, he further said.

Sukhpal Singh, who was among 104 deportees, advised youths not to adopt any illegal way to go to the US.

Neither one gets a proper meal nor one's safety is ensured, he said as he was speaking about the 'donkey route' which was used to take them to the US.

"Your money is snatched from you. Our clothes worth Rs 30,000-35,000 were taken away from us," said Singh, who hails from Darapur village in Hoshiarpur.

Speaking about his gruelling travel experience, Singh said they were taken in a boat in a 15-hour-long journey and they also walked 40-45 km.

"We crossed 17-18 hills. If one slipped, then there is no chance that he would survive. We saw a lot. If anybody gets injured, he is left to die. We saw dead bodies," he claimed.

Punjab given step-motherly treatment, says AAP, questions landing of US plane in Amritsar

Chandigarh | The Punjab ruling Aam Aadmi party has accused the Centre of treating the state "step-motherly" and asked why the US aircraft that brought back 104 illegal Indian immigrants landed in Amritsar and not Delhi.

Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla slammed the Centre for not protesting the deportation of the Indian citizens.

A US military plane landed at the Shri Guru Ramdas Ji International Airport in Amritsar at 1.55 pm on Wednesday. Of those deported, 33 each are from Haryana and Gujarat, 30 from Punjab, three each from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and two from Chandigarh.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Punjab AAP president and cabinet minister Aman Arora accused the Centre of meting out "step-motherly" treatment to Punjab at every step.

"Deportees were from across the country. (Deportees) from other states were more than those from Punjab ... (but) it (plane) landed in Amritsar. I am not objecting to them coming here but by leaving the national capital and landing it (plane) in Amritsar ... there is substance in what you are saying," he said when asked if there was a conspiracy to defame Punjab by landing the plane in Amritsar.

NRI Affairs minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal condemned the "mistreatment" of deportees, terming it "gross human rights violations."

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Jaishankar must communicate to the US government that deported Indians should be handed over to Indian embassies for their safe return.

He also termed the choice of Amritsar airport for deportation as "politically motivated."

Amritsar MP Aujla echoed similar sentiments on Thursday.

"Shameful & unacceptable! The Modi govt allowed Indian immigrants to be deported in shackles on a foreign military aircraft. Why no protest? Why not a commercial flight? Why didn't the plane land in Delhi? This is an insult to our people & our sovereignty. The govt must answer," Aujla said in a post on X.

Congress MLA Pargat Singh too slammed the Centre for landing the US plane at Amritsar.

"To protect the fake #GujaratModel and defame Punjab, the U.S. deportation flight was deliberately landed in Amritsar, Punjab even though most deportees were from Gujarat and Haryana," Jalandhar Cantt MLA said in a post on X.

He alleged that when Punjab demanded international flights, it was not granted permission "to keep it away from its economic benefits."

AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang condemned the way deportees were brought on plane in shackles as "inhuman treatment."

"The way they were handcuffed and deported, as if they were hardcore criminals, is extremely sad and condemnable. Immigration is a global phenomenon, and people often migrate in search of better opportunities.

"Treating them like criminals not only tarnishes the image of our country but also leaves these individuals humiliated," the lawmaker said in a statement.

He also questioned the Prime Minister's "silence" on the matter, pointing out the "supposed camaraderie" between Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump.

"Modi claims that Trump is his friend. Then why is he not raising this issue with him? Why is he allowing Indians to be treated in such an undignified manner, as if they are criminals?" Kang said.

AAP leader Neel Garg criticised the BJP-led Centre for its "apathy" toward the deported individuals.

He also claimed that the Haryana government transported deportees in a "prison bus," treating them like convicts upon their arrival.

"These youths returned with broken dreams. They deserved support and rehabilitation, not this inhumane behaviour," he said.

Of the 30 illegal immigrants hailing from Punjab, six are from Kapurthala, five from Amritsar, four each from Patiala and Jalandhar, two each from Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, SBS Nagar, and one each from Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran, Sangrur, SAS Nagar and Fatehgarh Sahib.

The 104 immigrants were the first such batch of Indians to be deported by the Trump administration as part of a crackdown against illegal immigrants.

The US action came just days before Modi's visit to Washington to hold wide-ranging talks with Trump.

33 Gujarati immigrants dropped home in govt vehicles

Ahmedabad | All 33 persons from Gujarat, who were among 104 Indians deported from the US for illegal immigration, were safely transported to their native places on Thursday in state vehicles under the supervision of police, the state government said.

In view of the deportation of these 33 persons from the state, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi gave necessary instructions to senior officers about proper coordination with other agencies and for providing security to these deportees, an official release said.

A plane carrying 33 Gujarati immigrants, including children and women, landed at the airport here from Amritsar on Thursday morning.

On Wednesday, a US military aircraft carrying 104 illegal Indian immigrants landed at Amritsar in Punjab.

As directed by Gujarat Director General of Police Vikas Sahay, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) rank officer of the state police was deployed at the Amritsar airport to ensure security and proper coordination of 33 natives of Gujarat, the release said.

"After completing all necessary procedures of verification and immigration clearance at the Amritsar airport, these 33 persons landed at Ahmedabad airport at 6.10 am on Thursday," it added.

At the Ahmedabad airport, a nodal officer was deployed by the police to oversee the transportation of these deportees. Soon after their arrival, the 33 immigrants were safely transported to their native places in government vehicles under the supervision of police, the release said.