Indians-Deported

From Hope to Horror: How Fake Promises Led 104 Indian Deportees From US Into a Life-Threatening ‘Donkey Route’ Journey

 

A total of 104 Indian deportees reached Amritsar after a long, arduous journey along the notorious 'donkey route.' They starved, battered by extreme weather and bearing the sorrow of seeing fellow travelers die on the way.

Most of them took heavy debts when they were deceived by agents who promised them that there was a lawful route to the United States, but they were taken down some dangerous route.

 

A Journey Filled With Peril

 

One of the deportees, Harwinder Singh, from Punjab, recalled his harrowing experience: "We walked for days without much food. I saw one man die in the Panama jungle, and another at sea. We crossed hills and if anyone fell, there was no chance to survive.”

Another deportee who passed through Italy and Latin America remembered well the horrors. "We saw dead bodies along the way. If anyone became injured, then he was to be left. We had to move on ourselves."

 

Huge Financial Losses

 

Huge financial losses have also been realized from this mass deportation operation.

Several deportees spent lakhs of rupees on this perilous journey. Harwinder Singh took a loan of Rs 42 lakh with dreams of building a future in the US. Jaspal Singh, another deportee, paid Rs 30 lakh to an agent who assured him a legal visa but sent him down the 'donkey route' or dunki.

On the way, many lost their valuables. "Our clothes and money were stolen. We were left with nothing," a deportee said.

 

Harsh Treatment After Arrest

 

After the arrest by US officers, the migrants were subjected to harsh treatment. During their flight, they were chained and fettered. "We were chained till we reached Amritsar," Jaspal Singh recalls. The lot included 19 women and 13 minors. Entire families desperate to make it out of here flocked on that boat, in the hopes of a better life.

 

Reality of Illegal Immigration

 

The ‘donkey route’ has long been used by migrants seeking entry into countries like the US, Canada, and the UK. It often involves crossing multiple countries, navigating treacherous terrains, and surviving in dire conditions. Bollywood’s 2023 film Dunki shed light on this practice, but the reality is far worse than fiction.

This is the latest form of deportation, reflecting the growing crackdown on illegal immigration. Many returnees now bear the burden of repaying massive loans after having lost their American dream.