Deportee from US shares ordeal
HOSHIARPUR, Feb 16: Daljit Singh left his native village in Punjab for the US last year in a desperate bid to provide a better future for his family. On Saturday night, he landed in Amritsar in a US military aircraft, his hands cuffed and legs chained.
A native of Kurala Kalan village in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district, Daljit was among 116 illegal Indian immigrants who were brought back in a US aircraft that landed at the Amritsar airport late on Saturday night.
“Our legs were chained and hands were also cuffed throughout the journey. There were three women and three children on board who were not cuffed,” Daljit told reporters after reaching his hometown, adding that the shackles were removed before the aircraft landed at Amritsar.
Of the fresh batch of deportees, 65 were from Punjab, 33 from Haryana, eight from Gujarat, two each from Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
The deportees were provided Indian food much upon reaching Amritsar, much to their reprive after the exhausting journey.
Sharing his ordeal with reporters, Daljit said he was taken to the US through the ‘donkey route’ — an illegal and risky pathway used by migrants to enter the US.
Daljit embarked on the uncertain journey in a desperate bid to provide a better future for his family, only to be deported back to India.
His experience highlights the grim reality of illegal migration through the donkey route, where vulnerable individuals fall prey to fraudulent travel agents and endure unimaginable hardships in pursuit of a better life.
Talking to PTI, Daljit said a man from his village introduced him to a travel agent in 2022 who assured to take him to the US through legal channel in exchange for Rs 65 lakh. As a guarantee, Daljit signed a deal and handed over an advance agreement for one acre of his land to the agent.
Singh was earlier engaged in farming but struggled to earn enough to secure quality education and a good life for his children.
Hoping to alter his fortunes, he agreed to take the risk and leave India.
Daljit’s journey began in November 2022 when he was first sent to Dubai. However, after spending nearly 18 months there, he returned to India.
A few months later, the agent sent him to South Africa, where he remained for about four-and-a-half months, he said. On August 26 last year, he was sent to Brazil from Mumbai to begin the treacherous journey to the US through the donkey route.
After spending about a month each in Brazil and another country, he navigated difficult terrains on foot and by taxi. It took him three days to cross Panama. Throughout the route, he was made to cross rivers, streams and mountains, Daljit said.
Some parts of the journey were completed by ship before he finally reached Mexico, he said.
Food was scarce, and at times, he survived only on rice. The group he was part of comprised nearly 100 people, including eight Indians, Daljit said.
Singh was forced to stay in Mexico for about a month. During this time, the travel agent and the man from his village allegedly pressured him to transfer the ownership of his four-and-a-half acres of land to them.
About a month ago, they also obtained a power of attorney from his wife, transferring the land’s control to the man from his village, he said.
On January 27, Daljit was illegally pushed across the US border through Tijuana, where he was promptly apprehended by US Border Patrol officials who told him that he would be deported.
Daljit was taken to a detention centre, where, according to him, he was subjected to ill treatment. He was not allowed to leave his room and was provided with minimal food, consisting only of a bottle of water, a packet of chips, and an apple.
Beef was available, but as he did not consume it, he had to survive on the limited snacks, Daljit said.
Daljit urged the government to help him reclaim his land and take strict action against the fraudulent travel agents.
He also appealed to people not to fall prey to the traps of travel agents or try to reach the US or any other foreign country via the donkey route. (PTI)